The big reveal happened! Colleen Smith is the 2018 Flat Ambassador for the GiveOrcas Holiday Catalog. If you see her about town, stop and take a selfie for a chance to win $500 for the organization of your choice (you can read more about it here). When you give to any of the organizations through GiveOrcas, 100% of your donation goes to the organization. Not only does OICF not take an admin fee, we even cover the credit card costs. What a deal!  www.giveorcas.org

OICF is on track to distribute more than $2 Million in grants for the year, with a significant portion flowing from Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) that are invested through OICF. We love our DAF’s and work to make the OICF donor experience positive with online access, quick grant turn around, and low administration fees (Cornerstone donors are charged no admin fees). You receive a full tax receipt as soon as the funds are deposited with OICF and then have time to make gifts at your own rate.   Grants can be made to charities around the globe and there is no minimum or maximum amount or number of grants.

If you are interested in starting a DAF, give me a call. If you currently hold a DAF somewhere else, we welcome you to consider moving to OICF. I would be happy to answer questions or provide more information.

We are also happy to help you distribute your required minimum distribution from your retirement account. Simply identify OICF as the recipient and send us a list of where you want the funds to go. We are happy to send the funds to as many nonprofits as you would like. Similarly, we can manage stock transactions and disperse the proceeds as you direct. We do not charge a fee and we even pay for postage!

If you are on island this weekend the Turtleback Brass Ensemble will be caroling around Eastsound. They are guaranteed to get the Holiday spirit flowing.

Wishing you a jolly weekend,
Hilary