Nonprofit Resources
OICF believes building the capacity of our nonprofit partners so that they can better serve the needs of the community is key to maintaining a vibrant community.
OICF offers many services to all of the nonprofit and service organizations on the island, including:
- Workshops for nonprofit staff and board members
- Monthly Nonprofit Community Meetings: monthly gatherings for nonprofit leaders to share updates, resources and collaborate. Email info@oicf.us to learn more.
- Use of the OICF Volk Conference Room, with seating for 12 and access to wi-fi, presentation screen, Owl camera, and coffee/tea. View calendar; call 360-376-6423 to schedule.
- Board retreat materials including easels and paper and facilitation recommendations
- Use of OICF’s bulk mail permit
- Library of nonprofit books – stop by our office to check out a book!
- Nonprofit Directory
- Email Listserv for nonprofit staff to share information and resources. Email info@oicf.us to sign up.
Workshop & Training Materials
Beyond the Echo Chamber: Strengthening Civic Culture on Orcas Island with Eric Liu
Introduction to Board Service Materials
- Board Source
- What Board Members Need to Know about Nonprofit Finance & Accounting
- Boards in Gear – Training Resources & Videos by Nonprofit Association of Washington
- Boards & Governance Resources – 501 Commons
- Consensus Decision Making
- Recommended Policies from the IRS 990 form
- Sample Board Profile Grid
- Sample Committee Charter
- WA State Law Governing Non-Profit Organizations: RCW Chapter 24.03A
Helpful Online Resources for Nonprofits
- 501 Commons: Nonprofit consulting, trainings, resources, and nonprofit services directory, based in Seattle.
- BoardSource: National organization focused exclusively on good governance practices for nonprofit board of directors, chief executives, and funders.
- Blue Avocado: Practical, provocative, and fun food-for-thought for nonprofits including Board Cafe
- Candid: an information service specializing in reporting on U.S. nonprofit organizations.
- TechSoup: Technology resource aimed at nonprofit organizations featuring NPO discounts, discussions, articles, and recommendations.
Establishing a Nonprofit
Legal Services
- Communities Rise Nonprofit Legal Services
Compensation & Benefit Surveys
Surveys were conducted by OICF to collect data to help nonprofits and taxing districts serving Orcas Island benchmark compensation, benefits, and staffing practices against local peers.
Data Points regarding Orcas Island and San Juan County
- A Vision for Eastsound
- San Juan County ranked healthiest county in Washington
- 2025 ALICE Report on Financial Hardship and Data by Zip Code
- Prosperity Project 2018 – A Community Needs Assessment. This update from 2015 intends to “(A) gain a detailed, quantitative understanding of the experiences of people living in low-resource households, and (B) provide a summary of qualitative data from other community assessments that speak to the human service needs within our three-county service region: Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties.”
- Prosperity Project of 2015: Experiences of Poverty in Whatcom, Island, and San Juan County. The 2015 Prosperity Project is a continuation of the 2006 Prosperity Project that was convened by the Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities. The goal of that effort was to gain a detailed and broad understanding of the experiences of people living in poverty.
- 2010 San Juan Prosperity Project report.pdf: needs assessment for low-income families in San Juan County that involved a survey of 150 low-income households who were encountered at social and health service provider programs in late 2010 and early 2011.
- County Health Rankings and Roadmaps: an interactive map with data about health factors and health outcomes. San Juan County has ranked first in Washington State the last three years.
