SJICF Committed to Community Relief

At an emergency board meeting last week, the San Juan Island Community Foundation solidified its commitment to providing additional emergency funding and nonprofit support for the duration of COVID-19 response. Specifically, SJICF staff and board members will:

• Provide grant funding to SJI nonprofits
• Offer SJI nonprofit support, such as project planning and execution
• Help nonprofits coordinate between themselves and with other agencies
• Work in collaboration with local government agencies to serve as a public advocate
• Help generate new ideas to resolve community needs as they arise

To size the impact of recent school and business closures, SJICF has polled local nonprofits to learn more about changes to their daily operations and demand for services. Many will be responding with new and expanded programs to help all of those severely affected by the virus and its consequences.

Carrie Unpingco, Executive Director of SJICF said, “Many nonprofits are seeing an immediate increase in demand. Challenges related to loss of income, insurance concerns and childcare limitations are unfolding rapidly. We believe the first action must be to grant additional funds to these organizations poised to provide relief to our most vulnerable community members. As we reach out to nonprofits and engage with other community leaders, the role of SJICF will continue to emerge and expand.”

Community members have already contributed more than $11k to our newly established SJICF Emergency Response Fund in the first few days. Nonprofits have responded with ideas about sharing resources and information.

Your contribution to the SJICF Emergency Response Fund will help restore our way of life here on San Juan Island. Please visit sjicf.org or mail a check to SJICF, PO Box 1352, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

SJICF is dedicated to improving and enriching the quality of life on our island by encouraging philanthropy, growing an endowment for purposeful grants to community charitable organizations, and building partnerships that effectively connect donors with island nonprofit organizations and their projects.

For more information, call Carrie Unpingco at 360-378-1001 or visit sjicf.org.

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