Fostering philanthropy to enhance and preserve the quality of life on Orcas Island
Learn MoreDonate NowThe Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) was founded in 1995 to help build and strengthen our community by encouraging and supporting local philanthropy and by connecting people and organizations who want to make a difference by improving the quality of life on Orcas Island.
The Council on Foundations’ 2022 national survey ranked the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) #1 for Gifts per Capita and #7 for a 20% distribution rate, reflecting the community’s truly remarkable generosity. While Orcas Island is often seen as a wealthy enclave, nearly 25% of residents require financial support due to the ever growing affordability gap. Local nonprofits like OPAL, the Food Bank, the Community Resource Center, and the Senior Center provide essential services, relying on community donations to meet increasing needs. OICF is honored to support both donors and nonprofits in ensuring all neighbors receive the help they need. View the full results to learn more.
OICF is Hiring!
The foundation is seeking new team members ready to contribute their energy to our mission of fostering philanthropy to enhance and preserve the quality of life on Orcas Island. Learn more about each position below:
Spring GiveOrcas 2025
Get ready to show how much you care for our community during this year’s spring campaign, May 6 – 15.
Looking for ways to support Orcas Island?
There are many ways to give back. It’s our goal to make it easy for you to invest in the nonprofits you care most about, get involved in projects that tackle community challenges, help meet critical needs and improve the quality of life for all on Orcas Island.
Read the report on OICF’s and the community’s response to the Covid pandemic.
OICF helped to purchase the Pea Patch Property which will serve as a nonprofit campus.
Take a look at our Annual Report. It’s full of pictures and great stories. Working together. Helping each other.
Donors
Learn how to donate to a fund, how to set one up, the funds that we have and much more.
Nonprofits
Learn about capacity building, annual grants awarded, GiveOrcas and other resources we offer.
Community Resources
Learn about some of the resources that are available to the members of our community.
Welcome Home.
We are delighted to have you as a neighbor and look forward to getting to know you.
Thank you for the opportunity to introduce you to the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF). This Packet gives you a brief look into the community, the work of OICF and the local nonprofits. We encourage you to stop by our office to say hi.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Leaning Into Leadership
Leaning Into Leadership Recently, several organizations have reached out to the Orcas Island Community Foundation requesting help finding skilled Board members. With over 100 local nonprofits, the community needs to have a willing group of volunteers to provide the...
Small but Mighty!
Small but MIGHTY! I had the good fortune to spend Thursday with Manda and Sadhu Aufochs Gillespie of Cortez Island, a remote island of 1000 people in the strait of Georgia in Canada. Manda is the director of their Community Foundation and Sadhu works with their...
Match Met
Match Has Been Met! Plenty of good news this week. The Senior Center Match was beyond successful! The Community ended up contributing $65,212- a full $15,000 beyond the goal. Fantastic news for the Senior Center. Thanks to all who contributed. With these funds...