Community Foundation Raises Funds Amid Pandemic

San Juan Island Community Foundation continues to commit our time, resources and open “virtual” doors to meeting the needs of islanders during the COVID-19 crisis.

Even as we continue day-to-day work from remote spaces, we’ve been delighted to find that physical distance does not hinder our ability to unite to help the community.

Here are some highlights from the last few months:

• To date, thanks to the generosity of our community, we’ve granted nearly $188,000 to local nonprofits from the Emergency Response Fund. The most recent grant will fund free flu vaccinations to the most vulnerable neighbors via the San Juan County Health & Human Services office. We were also able to fund two projects to help island kids return to school safely: a grant to St. David’s School for a hand-washing station and a grant to the San Juan Public School District to help implement COVID-19 safety measures.
• An incredible $234,000 has been contributed to the SJICF Emergency Response Fund. Based on the projected need, we hope to raise at least $250,000, so we’re just under $16,000 away from reaching the goal.
• An additional $112,000 has been granted to local nonprofits from our donor-advised fund holders since early March.
• SJICF wrapped up the annual San Juan County Fair Matching Grant Program. Our online catalog was an enormous success and supported a record-breaking 30 nonprofits.
• SJICF regular Zoom meetings continue with local nonprofit and community leaders. Together, we’re identifying the most pressing needs to search for viable, long-term solutions to childcare, mental health support and remote schooling, among other topics. If you’re interested in joining the Wednesday Virus Response meetings via Zoom, contact the office at 360-378-1001 or email [email protected]. Documents from our weekly meetings may be viewed on the SJI Community Response Hub.

If you’d like to help us reach our Emergency Fund goal, please contribute securely online or mail a check to SJICF at P.O. Box 1352, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

Thank you for your generosity as we continue to help our community navigate COVID-19!

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