About

The Whatcom Community Foundation is a public charitable organization created to enrich the quality of life for all residents of Whatcom County, Washington. Thye are both a grantmaker and a vehicle for donors to accomplish their philanthropic dreams.

How They Work

Community Leadership

They have extraordinary assets here, but significant challenges as well. They believe there is strength, and greater impact, in numbers, and they work hard to cultivate relationships with other funders, and create opportunities for their donors to collectively meet critical community needs.

Investment Management

The Foundation invests assets in a diverse portfolio intended to produce asset growth, security of principal, and income for grant making. They scrutinize investment returns and have their funds independently audited each year.

Thoughtful Grantmaking

With the help of several community members working with the Board of Directors, the Foundation distributes grants based on community needs, opportunities and, in the case of donor-advised and designated funds, donor goals.

Thanks to a growing pool of unrestricted endowed funds, they are able to make a variety of grants from the endowment’s income to improve Whatcom County’s quality of life through literacy programs, health, environmental education, service learning projects, youth and family services, community arts programs and much more.