Why Choose the Foundation to Manage Your Giving?

The San Juan Island Community Foundation serves as an umbrella organization representing the interests of donors and making grants to more than 100 island registered non-profits and public organizations.  We work to validate non-profits and their projects before we present them to our donors and we provide feedback to our donors both during and after each project that you fund.

Focus Your Giving for Maximum Impact

As donors, we have all been subjected to the endless stream of donation requests, envelopes and silent auctions. The Foundation offers a different approach to giving by allowing donors to privately learn of community needs and to focus your giving on targeted areas and specific projects.

Community Needs Awareness

Through our Healthy Community initiative, the Foundation Board has divided up areas of concentration to focus on particular areas of interest, specifically: health & wellness, education, basic needs, arts & culture, environment and community. This enables us to stay on top of local needs and evaluate priorities for your giving.

Due Diligence on Nonprofits

We know to whom your gift is going.

We annually review all local nonprofits to assure that donated funds will be used wisely and effectively. We meet with the staff and boards of these organizations, review their financial situation, and evaluate their strategic plans. We also work with smaller nonprofits to reduce duplication and encourage joint projects to enhance the scope and feasibility of their plans.

Administrative & Paperwork Relief

Leave the paperwork to us.

We handle all of the tasks to create and maintain a fund.   We handle the legal work and reviews for IRS compliance. Our Board solicits and reviews in-depth, all grant requests before sharing those giving opportunities with you. And we are responsible for all of the follow-up, from documenting donations for tax purposes to tracking progress and completion of funded projects.

Tax Advantages

The San Juan Island Community Foundation qualifies as a public charity under federal tax law. Gifts made during a donor’s lifetime will result in substantial income tax advantages and bequests are deductible for federal estate tax purposes. You can time your giving to maximize tax advantages to meet your own financial needs while providing gifts over many years. To explore various options, we encourage you to contact your financial advisor or CPA.