2023-2025 Strategic Plan
At Whidbey Community Foundation (WCF), we envision a vibrant, healthy, and unified Whidbey Island community. We value equity, trustworthiness, leadership, and partnership. Our mission is to improve the quality of life on Whidbey Island. To achieve this, we have set out to: provide support for the nonprofit sector, assist donors to build and preserve enduring assets for charitable purposes, and meet community needs through financial awards. All components, we believe, are critical to a resilient Whidbey Island for all who call it home now and into the future.
WCF started in 2016 with just $20,000. Today we steward over $2.8 million across 28 different funds. Where would that money be without a community foundation? And that’s not counting all of the distributions that have already gone back out into the community – in just 6 short years we have given over $1 million in grants to community organizations. We have a vision that by 2036, on our 20th anniversary, WCF will have disbursed at least $5 million in grants to nonprofits and manage community assets of at least $20 million across multiple funds all dedicated to causes important to this island.
Whidbey Community Foundation is here to stay. Our purpose is to support this island in perpetuity. Many of the charities and initiatives in our community will continue to grow, some may merge, others may shift focus, all for important reasons and in response to the needs of our community. WCF is positioned to be available to our island’s changing needs, in partnership with nonprofits and community members. In addition, we are a steadfast and trusted vehicle for donors to ensure their philanthropic assets will be used toward the greatest need when those needs arise.
Philanthropy is not an end but a means to a more prosperous community. Philanthropy can enable catalyzing research that helps produce more affordable housing. Philanthropy can endow programs that advance affordable, high-quality childcare for all families. Philanthropy can provide gap financing for small businesses that stimulate economic growth and reduce economic inequality. There are thousands of ways that philanthropy can help build stronger communities and economies. Whidbey Community Foundation strengthens and expands philanthropy to improve the quality of life in our community. With your partnership, we will continue to do this work for generations to come.
Our Board and Staff came together in the second half of 2022 to reflect on this purpose and look ahead to how we will achieve our vision. We are pleased to present to you our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan. We look forward to hearing from you about how together we can achieve these goals. And we look forward to sharing our progress as we live our values, implement this plan, and connect people who care to causes that matter. We believe that great things happen for the community when we come together for the common good.
With gratitude and deep commitment,
Nancy Conard
Board President
Jessie Gunn
Executive Director
