Happy 2026 neighbors, Like many of you, we’ve hit the ground running this year. Once again: disastrous flooding. And once again: an incredible show of generosity, cooperation and neighborliness in the wake of it. Close to $1.4M raised and much of it put to work immediately on neighbors’ most urgent needs. So heartening! And so hard not to ask, what can we do today, this month, this year,...
Thanks to the generosity of this community and beyond, Whatcom Community Foundation’s Resilience Fund is actively supporting neighbors impacted by flooding across Whatcom County. To date, more than $490,000 has been raised for flood relief through the Whatcom Community Foundation. These funds are being coordinated closely with trusted local organizations and frontline providers who are responding in real time...
Last week the Whatcom Community Foundation activated the Resilience Fund to support neighbors affected by the ongoing flooding across our region. Thanks to the generosity of this community, that support is already making a difference. To date, our community has raised more than $215,000 for flood relief in Whatcom County. The Whatcom Community Foundation has already granted $188,000 to...
The Whatcom Community Foundation has activated the Resilience Fund to support neighbors affected by the ongoing flooding across our region. In moments like this, Whatcom County’s greatest strength has always been its people. During the 2021 floods, neighbors opened their homes, shared food, checked on elders, and stepped in long before outside assistance arrived. That same spirit of...
Hi neighbors, After a record return of Chinook salmon in Whatcom Creek last month, we find ourselves reflecting on a season full of both challenge and renewal. While the federal shutdown has tested systems and stretched communities, Whatcom Creek offered a quiet triumph; the work of salmon recovery seems to be paying off. It's a reminder that steady...
Are you ready to make a real difference in your community? The Youth Philanthropy Project invites high school students from across Whatcom County to step into the role of community changemaker. As part of this leadership program, you’ll learn how philanthropy works from the inside—exploring local issues, reviewing grant proposals, and deciding how to invest...
Hi neighbors, Although life is always uncertain, these days it is especially so. Which makes our spring THRIVE topic even more relevant, if not easier to discuss. While family violence is a serious and distressing topic most people would rather avoid, the best chance of vanquishing it begins with frank conversation and a commitment to individual...
Hi neighbors, We’re doing our best to keep up with fast-moving federal policy and program changes and their local effects. As I write, news has just broken that some $12 billion in federal health funding to states to track infectious disease and provide mental health and addiction treatment has been terminated. In our recent survey of local...
Hello neighbors, There are a few people in my life that I would describe as “the kind of person you want around in an emergency.” They are level-headed, take-charge type people who lead with compassion, humility and courage. They know how to do things and if they run into something they don’t, they MacGyver. They delegate,...
If there was a proven way to triple the odds of a local child going to college while improving their mom’s mental health, would you support it? Good news: You can! After years of study, the Community Foundation launched its Child Savings Account (CSA) program two years ago in partnership with Mercy Housing NW, which provides safe, stable homes...
