2023: $4M to 162 Nonprofits
2024: $7.6M to 182 Nonprofits

2023: 1,242
2024: 1,725

2023: $9.5M
2024: $8.5M

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Orcas Island Community Foundation, and we have much to celebrate. The Foundation’s achievements have greatly contributed to the vibrancy and richness of the island community. This success is no accident—it is the result of dedicated community members generously sharing their vision, leadership, resources, time, voices, and hearts. These efforts have not only supported the Foundation but also more than 100 nonprofit organizations that address our community's most critical needs, protect and restore our beautiful environment, and create enriching experiences for all to enjoy.

I have been privileged to learn from OICF Board members and supporters about the Foundation's legacy and partnerships cultivated over the years. These conversations have highlighted the importance of maintaining integrity, staying curious, listening, and adapting to community needs. They also emphasize the value of fostering strong connections among nonprofits and community leaders, making the seemingly impossible achievable, and maintaining a deep, unwavering commitment to strengthening the community.

I am honored to carry these values forward. I look forward to actively participating in the continued evolution of our community, addressing emerging challenges, pursuing new strategic initiatives, and expanding opportunities for all members to thrive together. We will continue to celebrate our successes and work toward ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. I hope you will join me!

My hope for the future evolution of the Foundation is rooted in:
Honesty
Optimism
Partnership
Equity

I eagerly anticipate listening, imagining, creating, and problem-solving with you.

Lindsay Jennings
Executive Director

What does it mean to be a ‘local?’ The island joke is, as soon as you reach a milestone…5, 10, 20 years, the gauge is changed by those who’ve been here longer. But in our hearts, we sense if someone is actually a ‘local’; it’s their connection to the community. You may coach a kids’ team, take soup to a neighbor, volunteer at a pancake breakfast, engage in the arts. Or serve on a board and donate to issues that matter to you. I know people who’ve been here just a year, as well as those with generational history, who lend a hand to their neighbors; all threads in the tapestry of community.

One of the unique characteristics of our social fabric is the lack of an Orcas-centric government. Without that structure, non profits, and those who support them, have stepped up to provide many of our safety nets. It’s remarkable, in this little burg, by capita, we’re one of the most philanthropic communities in the nation.

25 years ago I joined the Board of OICF, conceived by a small group of generous islanders with diverse views, bound by the mission of connecting people with causes they care about. They worked in sync for the sake of Orcas. I dove in for nine years and found it inspirational, learning to collaborate for good. Our efforts included setting up funds, developing a grants process, and figuring out how to put a finger on the pulse of island need. In the early years, when we were able to give out $25,000 in grants we felt pretty good. This past year it was $7.6 million.

In 2006, after being an all volunteer organization, OICF was ready for an Executive Director.…and the rest is history. Through the following years, OICF learned how to better identify areas of need, launch programs and grants to address them, and help nonprofits flourish. Our mantra became: how do we get to ‘yes?!’

Last year I was honored to return to the Board to aid in this time of evolution. We welcomed very capable new ED Lindsay Jennings. While much in our community is strong, new challenges emerge daily and OICF will keep working to meet them. As a community, our concern for our neighbors, and our help big or small, adds up exponentially.

We’re better together.

Susan Gudgell
Board Chair

OICF launched the Community Dental program in 2012 after learning that access to dental care was the number one issue for county residents who were living at or below the Federal poverty level. OICF partnered with Medical Teams International to bring a mobile clinic to the island four times a year. Initially staffed by our local dental professionals, we eventually worked with
volunteer dentists and hygienists, providing care to about 130 neighbors a year. While this was an admirable effort, it was not meeting the deep need and the waiting list grew to over 100.

In 2023, OICF worked with San Juan County Health, the Orcas Island Health Care District, the Orcas Community Resource Center, and Marsha Waunch, volunteer extraordinaire. Together, a new plan was developed involving Dr. Jessica Dubek, a remarkable dentist with a vision to make dental care available to all. She and her DentALL team were contracted to provide 48 days of dental services to the Orcas community in 2024 and 2025.

After holding clinic days initially at the Fire Station, the clinic moved into a dedicated permanent space and hired a local dental assistant in October 2024. The dental clinic now serves children and adults on Apple Health (Medicaid) and those who are uninsured and unable to afford dental care. Services have expanded to include preventative care as well as emergent care. The clinic also serves patients in both English and Spanish. Thanks to generous community donors, OICF is committed to providing funding so all who need the services have access to them.

Thank you to the Community Church, who hosted the MTI vans for a decade and to the Mercy Flights team for transporting Dr. Dubek and her crew. Pitching in is an island tradition!

In 2023, OICF led the fundraising effort for the purchase of 11.3 acres at 55 Pea Patch Lane, on the historic Lavender Farm, north of Eastsound Village to develop a community campus for nonprofit social services, creating a space where neighbors can access services, make connections, and work together to make the community more resilient for all.

The Pea Patch Community Campus is a collaboration of OPAL Community Land Trust and Orcas Island Food Bank. The Campus will provide a permanent new Food Bank facility, built to meet the growing need in our community, and 20 new long-term townhome rentals with supportive services to serve households of low income. The 11-acre property is owned by OPAL where it will stay in community ownership in perpetuity. Site work began in 2025, and construction is expected to begin in early 2026, with campus completion estimated in 2027.

The original vision included constructing a new building for the Orcas Community Resource Center, which later was able to purchase the existing building they occupy at a significant cost savings. Pea Patch leadership will consider additional collaborative partners in the future to make use of available space on campus and to expand community benefits.

The campaign to build the Pea Patch Community Campus has raised more than $26M to date toward its estimated goal of $40M with support from public funds, private foundations, and individual donations. Contributions may be made to the Pea Patch Community Campus Fund held at OICF.

On a remote Pacific Northwest island, winters are long and dark, fostering a resilient community that finds warmth in gatherings. To brighten the season, OICF extended the beloved Summer Solstice parade, creating the Winter Solstice Luminary Parade. In its first year, artist Brook Meinhardt led a free lantern-making workshop, drawing 75 participants. Despite the rain, over 800 people joined the parade, celebrating light and joy. It was clear—a new island tradition was born.

The second Winter Solstice Luminary Parade in 2025 saw a new route and stronger ties to the Summer Solstice Parade. OICF partnered with the San Juan Makers Guild to expand lantern-making workshops, empowering local artists and the community. Hundreds participated, gaining new creative skills and fostering connection.

The parade grew, with even more people gathering to celebrate the return of light. Local artists, including Tiffany Loney (dancer), Zack Leck (metal sculptor), and the Orcas Dance Collective, delivered a stunning Village Green performance. Creativity, joy, and collaboration shone throughout the event. Tiffany even enlisted a local artist to illustrate the parade poster!

This now cherished tradition continues to evolve and grow.

In partnership with our community, the Community Foundation proudly distributed $1,128,303 to nonprofits in 2023 and 2024 combined. Awards ranged from $450 to $25,000 and grants supported programs spanning education, healthcare, housing, social services, youth programs, arts and culture, environmental conservation, animal welfare, local agriculture, and more.

GiveOrcas operates biannually—once in spring and once during the holiday season—offering everyone a chance to engage. Nonprofits submit proposals vetted by a community committee. Once the GiveOrcas catalog goes live, donors contribute between $10 and $10,000 to support programs that align with their interests, with the goal of fully funding every proposal. OICF facilitates the process, provides some funding, and covers all credit card fees, ensuring every dollar donated goes directly to the selected programs.

Building a strong community takes island-wide effort, and we are grateful for your support. Last year, nearly 30 community members from diverse backgrounds evaluated grant applications, ensuring funding addressed the island’s most pressing needs.

GiveOrcas, an initiative of the Orcas Island Community Foundation, fosters philanthropy, increases nonprofit visibility, and strengthens local causes. It makes it possible for anyone to give back! In 2024, local donors contributed a record-breaking $663,700, reaffirming generosity as a core part of island culture.

Susan Alter
Mary Creed Anderson
Margaret and William Bangs
Josie and Wally Barrow
Susan and Roy Beaton
Susan Gordon and Stephen Bentley
Patricia and Bruce Benton
Connie and Jack Bloxom
Helen Bee and Carl de Boor
Alison Weir and John Bric 
Matthew Burkley
John Carl
Paula and Bill Clapp
Mary Clure
Robin Shurtleff and Norman Coates
Marty Coffey
Martha Farish and Joe Cohen
Eleanor Hoague and Marc Cohen
Rhea and Clark Coler
Betty Corbett

Bruce Culver
Bonnie and Dennis Dahl
Stephanie and Jon DeVaan
Tamara DiCaprio
Laura and Jim Donald
Traci and Lucas Donat
Elisabeth Evans
Janet Brownell and Lance Evans
Carolyn and Thomas Fiscus
Angela and Jeremy Foster
Foundant Technologies Inc
Elaine and Michael Fresco
Zoe and Aneal Gadgil
Marny and Randy Gaylord
Gail and Harvey Glasser
Julie and John Gottman
Berto Gandara-Perea and Hugh Grant
Stephanie Solien and Frank Greer
Susan and Wally Gudgell
Bill Harbaugh

Phyllis Henigson
Pam Loew and Linda Henry
Suzi and Scott Jennings
Sara Jane Johnson
Ken and Scout Katz
Diane Berreth and David Kobrin
Christina Koons
Midge Kraetzer
Richard Lee
Laurie and Robert Liebmann
Leonie Van Gelder and Minor Lile
Cheryl and Andrew Masterman
Barbara and Stewart Mehlman
JoEllen Moldoff
Sarah and David Moore
Eleanor Stewart and Gerald Munoff 
Frank Peale
Peggy and Rick Rhoads
Win Rhodes
Linda Sacks

Michele and Mark Salierno
Judy Scott and Don Stillman
Anne Marie and Bern Shanks
Linda and Paul Sheridan
Susan Singleton and Andrew Shewman
Ginny Hawker and Theron Soderlund
Lenoi Steckley
Patsy and Stu Stephens
Janice and Sidney Stoltzfus
Daniel L Thieme
Joni and John Trumbull
Astrid and Marc Vaccaro
Annette and John Pierre Van Dongen
Pam and Mike Voegtlin
Carolyn Volk
Betsy Wareham
Marsha and Bob Waunch
Carol Wetzel
Marsha Wiener
Kate Janeway and Howard S. Wright III

Minor Lile, 1st Vice-Chair

Mary Clure, 2nd Vice-Chair

Patricia Benton, Treasurer

Stephanie DeVaan, Secretary

Michael Breen

Stephen Bentley

Frank Greer

Brian Moss

Judy Scott

Marshall Sebring

Anne Marie Shanks

Paul Sheridan

Susan Alter
Diane Berreth
Haley Cruz Winchell

Angela Foster
Sarah Lyle
Lisa Steckley