COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund

The COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund provides resources to nonprofit organizations on Whidbey Island working with our friends and neighbors who are impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of this outbreak. Hosted by the Whidbey Community Foundation, the fund is designed to complement the work of public agencies by expanding local capacity to address aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible.

About

Whidbey Community Foundation launched the COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund on March 19, 2020 with $25,000 seed funding designated by its Board of Directors. Through the generosity and support of the Island community and beyond, WCF has raised over $380,000 for this Fund.

To date, WCF has awarded over 50 grants totaling over $300,000 to Whidbey Island organizations from the COVID-19 Fund. Awards have been used toward a variety of needs, including: purchasing Air Purifying Respirators for Whidbey Island’s only public-serving hospital; supporting increased demand at food banks; coordinating meal services to children, families, seniors, and those experiencing homelessness; tele-health therapy for survivors of abuse; tele-health services for early childhood intervention; free childcare for healthcare workers and first responders; and technology to support remote learning for homeless youth.

In addition to the COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund, WCF has begun a list of resources for nonprofits impacted by coronavirus which will be regularly updated on our website.

How to Donate

Make checks payable to Whidbey Community Foundation (WCF).  Mail checks to:  PO Box 1135, Coupeville WA. Please note “COVID-19 Fund” in the memo.

Donate Online

We welcome donations of any size.  100% of all contributions will go directly to programs or services responding to the impact of the pandemic on Whidbey.  All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

In addition to posting the results of this funding campaign in news and social media, donors will be provided a personal recap of the distribution of all donations.

How will grants be made from the Fund?

Given the dynamic nature of the pandemic, WCF is providing grants on a rolling basis to ensure dollars are deployed in the community quickly and responsively. We intend to provide multiple phases of support as the community needs and challenges evolve, and as we gain greater clarity about the course of this crisis.

We are prioritizing community-based organizations that are serving communities and individuals who are immediately and disproportionately suffering from this crisis.  Our focus areas include, but are not limited to:

  • Food insecurity
  • Economic insecurity
  • Housing insecurity
  • Access to health care and prescription medications
  • Costs related to mitigating virus transmissions
  • Access to transportation
  • Access to childcare

Based upon the charitable structure of the Fund, our grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations and other public entities.  We will do our best to use philanthropic resources to address needs that are outside of governmental responsibility, but we also appreciate that philanthropy can often act nimbly in a way that government cannot.

Grantees

First Round – April 2

Second Round – April 15

  • Citizens Against Domestic & Sexual Abuse (CADA) – for tele-advocacy and tele-therapy services for survivors
  • Coupeville Boys & Girls Club – to offset the cost of providing free and reduced-cost childcare for healthcare workers, first responders, and essential workers
  • Oak Harbor Boys & Girls Club – to offset the cost of providing free and reduced-cost childcare for healthcare workers, first responders, and essential workers
  • Readiness to Learn – to provide phones, minutes, and data hotspots for low-income students and those experiencing homelessness in the South Whidbey School District
  • SPIN Cafe – to provide meals for those experiencing homelessness and those in Oak Harbor
  • Toddler Learning Center – for tele-therapy services for children and their families

Third Round – April 29

Fourth Round – May 20

  • Clinton Progressive Association – to support the use of the Clinton Community Hall for the Atlantis STEAM group to create medical-grade masks, using its 3D printer, which will be distributed to health care organizations
  • The HUB Youth Central – to serve meals to 19 families while schools are closed and while the HUB’s youth center is closed due to COVID-19

Fifth Round – June 3

Sixth Round – June 24

Seventh Round – July 15

  • SPIN Cafe – to provide meals for those experiencing food insecurity in Oak Harbor.

Eighth Round – August 19

  • Opportunity Council – funds will go to the NW Center for Child Care Retention and Expansion to be used for the administration and pass-through funding of grants to licensed child care providers on Whidbey Island in need due to the impacts of COVID-19.

Ninth Round – September 16

  • Readiness to Learn – funds will help staff the virtual Family Resource Center. Additionally, funds will be used to purchase additional headphones, for prepaid cell phone fees, and for home organization kits for students and families in need for the new school year.
  • Whidbey Island Nourishes – funds will be used to continue purchasing food supplies to meet commitments for the 2020-2021 school year.

Updated April 2021