As part of Whidbey Community Foundation’s 10th anniversary celebration, we’re visiting many of our nonprofit partners to reflect on the impact we’ve made together and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
Our visit with the Penn Cove Water Festival highlighted how a small investment in organizational capacity can help preserve one of Whidbey Island’s longest-running cultural traditions.
The festival traces its roots to the 1930s and remains the only canoe race on the circuit held outside of a reservation. Today, organizers are intentionally expanding the event beyond the races to celebrate the traditions and cultures of the Lower Skagit and other Coast Salish peoples through storytelling, demonstrations, and community education.
Whidbey Community Foundation’s $2,500 Capacity Building Grant in 2025, made possible through the Foundation Fund, supported a board and volunteer recruitment event aimed at replacing retiring leaders and strengthening the organization’s future. While attendance was smaller than hoped, the event resulted in several new board members and lead volunteers joining the organization, bringing expertise in Native cultural engagement, event operations, fundraising, and grant writing.
Board President Richard Knodel shared how planning for each festival begins nearly a year in advance, with organizers working to build on the canoe races by expanding storytelling, cultural demonstrations, and youth engagement. As the festival approaches its 100th anniversary in 2030, he sees investing in leadership today as essential to preserving this cherished Whidbey tradition for generations to come.
One story especially resonated: Event Planner Nora Durand shared that her first visit to Whidbey Island was during the Penn Cove Water Festival. She later made the island her home and now helps lead the event she first experienced as a visitor—a reminder of the lasting connections this festival creates.
Grants like this are possible because of donors who invest in the Foundation Fund, strengthening the organizations that preserve Whidbey’s history, culture, and sense of community for generations to come.
Support Community Grants
WCF is able to provide grants like these with broad support from our community. If you are interested in supporting WCF Grant Programs, we invite you to make a contribution to WCF’s Foundation Fund, which holistically supports our grant programs, nonprofit trainings/workshops, and WCF operations. Our Board of Directors allocates funding each year to ensure nonprofits have access to critical resources. WCF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to Whidbey Island; all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Learn about different ways to make a charitable contribution here.