The COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund will provide 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. The fund will be hosted by the Whidbey Community Foundation, and is designed to complement the work of public agencies by expanding local capacity to address aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible.
Potential recipients could be food banks, medical support groups, shelter groups, providers of daycare to children and other groups who may experience an increase in demand for services and potentially a constriction of revenue.
The WCF has seeded the fund with an initial $25,000, which will be combined with donations from businesses, organizations and individuals.
Similar funds have been created by neighboring community foundations including the Community Foundation of Snohomish County, the Seattle Foundation, Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation and the Orcas Island Community Foundation.
How to Donate
Donate online HERE.
Make checks payable to: Whidbey Community Foundation (WCF). Mail checks to: PO Box 1135, Coupeville, WA 98239
We welcome donations of any size. 100% of all contributions will go directly to programs or services responding to the impact of Coronavirus 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 intends to provide grants on a rolling basis to ensure dollars are deployed in the community quickly and responsively. As funds are raised, grant requests will be considered. We hope to be able 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.
In this first phase, we are prioritizing community-based organizations that are serving communities and individuals who are immediately and disproportionately suffering from this crisis. Our immediate 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.
How to apply for funds
WCF developed a brief application to collect community-based organizations’ needs. You can access the online application HERE.
We anticipate making a first round of funding within the next 2 weeks.
Questions
Please contact Whidbey Community Foundation at info@whidbeyfoundation.org or 360-660-5041
About Whidbey Community Foundation
Whidbey Community Foundation was founded in 2016 by long-time community members. Our mission is to improve the quality of life on Whidbey by: providing support for the nonprofit sector, assisting donors to build and preserve enduring assets for charitable purposes, and meeting community needs through financial awards.