San Juan Island Community Foundation

10/18/2026

Don’t forget to get your tickets to the Friday Harbor FILM Festival! 10/22-10/25 🎥 ❤️🫍

If you already have your tix, what film are you most excited to see?

Discover inspiring documentaries at the Friday Harbor Film Festival (FHFF). Get passes, submit films, explore events, and plan your visit to the San Juan Islands.

10/13/2026

Today's SJICF Fund Spotlight shines on The Rotary Club of San Juan Island and their SJI 36 Weekends Program.

Nearly half of the kids in Friday Harbor's public schools qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch, but school meals don't cover the weekend. That's the gap 36 Weekends was built to close. Each week, volunteer-prepared bags containing 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and snacks go home with island kids from pre-K through high school, so hunger doesn't follow them home on Friday afternoon.

Teachers report real results: better focus, better reading and math performance, and kids more engaged in partner work in class. The program is entirely privately funded, run through the Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands, with support from community donors, volunteers, and matching grants.

You can give directly to help support 36 Weekends through SJICF - click here: https://sjicf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2783

10/08/2026

We are grateful to share an impact report from the 2025 San Juan County Fair - today from PKOLS.

"The objectives of this project were to support the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous cultural knowledge on STOLȻEȽ (San Juan Island) through community education, cultural restoration, and public engagement. Specific goals included advancing the Story Poles Honoring STOLȻEȽ initiative, expanding public understanding of SENĆOŦEN place names and W̱SÁNEĆ history, developing Indigenous-led educational programming, and beginning restoration work connected to traditional ecological knowledge and cultural landscapes.
An important objective was also to begin groundwork for the first of nine planned story poles on the west side of STOLȻEȽ through site preparation and culturally informed garden restoration efforts.

One of the most important results has been the continued re-centering of Indigenous presence, history, language, and stewardship on STOLȻEȽ through visible public education and restoration efforts. The advancement of the Story Poles Honoring STOLȻEȽ initiative created strong community interest and support for Indigenous-led cultural restoration. Beginning restoration planning and garden preparation work connected to the first story pole site on the west side of STOLȻEȽ represents a meaningful step toward restoring cultural visibility and traditional ecological relationships to the landscape. The project also strengthened partnerships between Indigenous community members, educators, youth, environmental organizations, and local residents."

Thank you, PKOLS, for this work you are doing in the community and for sharing it with us!

10/06/2026

Starting this year, a new federal tax rule allows donors who take the standard deduction (that's the vast majority of taxpayers) claim a deduction for charitable cash gifts for the first time in years: up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples filing jointly. If you've been giving to causes like SJICF but weren't itemizing, this could mean a benefit that wasn't there before.

A few things worth knowing: the deduction applies only to cash gifts made directly to support the missions of qualifying public charities like SJICF; it doesn't cover contributions to donor-advised funds. Higher-income donors who do itemize should also note some new limits on the value of their deductions this year.

We’ll be sharing more information about tax changes and charitable giving in upcoming newsletters. Stay tuned!

Because tax law can be complex, the information in this article is intended for general informational purposes only. Readers should consult with their own professional tax, legal, or financial advisors before making decisions based on this information. Learn more at IRS.gov.

10/01/2026

We are excited to share with you the Mullis Community Senior Center impact report from their 2025 San Juan County Fair campaign!

"The project's primary objective was to replace the deteriorating and outdated 500-gallon propane tank with three new 1,000-gallon tanks. These new tanks are designed to provide the required fuel to maintain the generator and keep the facility operational during short, medium, or extended electrical outages. This new set-up will allow us to continue to provide essential programs/services to seniors and disabled adults even when the electrical grid is out. Additionally, because the Mullis Center is an officially designated Red Cross Emergency Facility, the expanded propane storage has the benefit of serving the entire community in the event of an island-wide emergency."

This completed project means that the Mullis Center is much better prepared in their "role as an Official Emergency Facility in the Island-wide Community Emergency Management Plan".

Many thanks to the Mullis Center for contributing to islanders' well-being and their safety in an emergency!

09/25/2026

We are excited to share the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center impact report from the campaign at the 2025 San Juan County Fair with you. The Family Resource Center sought funding for preventative care clinics, small group health workshops, Community Health Worker home visits for uninsured islanders, and medical bill assistance for uninsured islanders.

Here are a few of the ways they served the community with this funding:
- Clinics were held in September and December 2025 with 137 community members receiving services. A free mammogram clinic was also offered and served another 18 women.
- One group workshop was offered on Nutrition Support for Diabetes and another on Understanding Bipolar Disorder. A six-week beginner swim class was also provided for 9 people.
- JLSFRC's Spanish-speaking Community Health Worker provided between 5 - 10 hours weekly of individual health support in client's homes or via appointments at the Resource Center.
- Since September 2025, JLSFRC's Health Access program has provided medical bill assistance for 40 uninsured or underinsured islanders.

Thank you for sharing your impact with us, JLSFRC, and for all that you do to serve the community!

09/21/2026

The San Juan Island Community Foundation (SJICF) is celebrating a record-breaking year for its at the County Fair campaign, awarding a total of $230,248 to 36 local nonprofit organizations.

The campaign’s results reflect the extraordinary generosity and community spirit of island residents and supporters. In a remarkable show of community participation, more than 500 donors helped all 36 participating nonprofits meet their $1,000 matching grant goal, unlocking additional support for projects that strengthen the San Juan Island community.

In addition, 15 nonprofit projects were fully funded through this year’s campaign:
Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
F.O.L.K.S. (Friends Of Lime Kiln Society)
Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center
Leadership San Juan Islands
PKOLS
The Rotary Club of San Juan Island
San Juan Community Theatre
Community Land Trust of Waldron Island
San Juan Island Library
Island Rides
San Juan Islands Museum Of Art
San Juan Public Schools Foundation
The Whale Museum
Women's Fund of the San Juan Island Community Foundation
Sweetgrass Preschool

“Reaching $230k in funding for this event is an incredible achievement,” said Amy Saxe-Eyler, CEO of SJICF. “This is a powerful demonstration of what happens when our friends and neighbors come together to support the organizations and projects that make the islands such a special place to live. Thank you to everyone who contributed, participated, spread the word and helped make this record-setting campaign possible. This success belongs to the entire community!”

The at the County Fair campaign gives community members an opportunity to support a broad range of local nonprofit projects while helping organizations leverage matching funds. The success of this year’s campaign will provide vital resources for programs and projects serving island residents, families, visitors, and the broader community.

To learn more about local giving and SJICF services, visit sjicf.org or call 360-378-1001.

09/17/2026

💫Today we bring you a fund highlight and invite you to "giddy up" and get ready for a Wild West Roundup gala fundraiser event this Saturday, September 19th!

The San Juan Islands Healthcare Foundation is a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting seniors and vulnerable adults in our community. Through impactful programs, they provide essential financial assistance for healthcare, daily needs, and fulfilling lifelong dreams. Future plans include fundraising for expanded full-time care facilities.

This Saturday, September 19th, at 5:00 PM at the San Juan County Fairgrounds, San Juan Islands Healthcare Foundation is hosting their Wild West Roundup gala fundraiser event, featuring live music, BBQ, silent and live auctions, and mechanical bull rides. Visit their site for details and tickets: https://www.sjihf.org/events.

Through SJICF’s fund management services, donors can confidently invest in projects that enrich life on San Juan Island, knowing their gifts are professionally managed and dedicated to the causes they care about.

If you’re interested in giving to the San Juan Islands Healthcare Foundation Fund directly, visit their direct donation site at https://sjicf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=3244. To donate to other local projects and programs, visit sjicf.org/donate!

09/15/2026

Friends of the San Juans has been busy putting the San Juan County Fair 2025 campaign funds to work in the community. We are excited to share their impact story with you today!

Friends of the San Juans aimed to "provide staffing and resources to support community science trainings throughout crab molt season in 2026." They shared that "the most important result of the project is that we exponentially grew our community science program by empowering local leaders to host their own invasive species trainings, leveraging a volunteer network to greatly expand monitoring of the European green crab in San Juan County."

Friends also strengthened relationships among community organizations: "We deepened our relationship with Washington State University, who leads the state wide molt search program. Further, we were pleased that representatives from the Whale Museum, SJC Conservation District, Salish Wildlife Rescue, the San Juan County Landbank and other organizations joined our train-the-trainer workshop. Kayak guides from multiple local companies also joined our trainings."

In August, they partnered with Team Bo**er, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cycling, youth development, and philanthropy. They brought "75 young cyclists to San Juan Island for a week of biking, camping, and community building." Friends trained the group to recognize the invasive European green crab so they could conduct invasive species surveys and molt searches across San Juan Island during their time here.

Thank you Friends for the wonderful work you are doing and for sharing your story with us!