Hello neighbors, Imagine if we lived in a place without culture, without the arts — without the people, places and events that make us, us. No Deming Logging Show, No SeaFeast or Lummi Stommish or, wait; no…NW Washington Fair? No Mt. Baker Theatre, Jansen Art Center, Pickford Film Center or Whatcom Museum? No second-grade art projects,...
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,...
YOU and are invited to help us fill the Mount Baker Theatre for a FREE community screening of the movie UnCharitable, followed by a panel discussion about the movie’s themes and their potential local impacts. Chuckanut Health Foundation, Mount Baker Foundation, United Way of Whatcom County, and Whatcom Community Foundation are cohosting the film. Collectively, we strongly believe that Whatcom’s...
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...
Hi Friends, Ten years ago, I’d guess that few people reading this newsletter would have known what Narcan is. Today, many know it’s a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. Parents of teens have been urged to keep it on hand — advice as terrifying as it is practical. People — family, friends, neighbors, children —...
Hi Friends, If I were a betting woman, I’d bet that every single person in Whatcom County has benefited from the work of at least one of our nonprofit organizations — they’re so integral to our lives we risk taking them for granted. That’s a problem. Because with the erosion of this committed and hardworking “third...
The Whatcom Community Foundation Youth Philanthropy Program (YPP) was created for students to engage in experiential based learning opportunities that foster leadership, technical and critical thinking skills. YPP connects youth to the community through charitable giving. This year the team will focus on learning about youth homelessness and youth mental health challenges that often exacerbate youth...
Happy Summer, Neighbors! In keeping with the spirit of optimism that maximum daylight brings, we’re continuing our focus on economic opportunity in Whatcom County with a spotlight on employee ownership. As an option for business owners that brings a variety of both individual and collective benefits, employee ownership offers a lot of upsides. Read on for...
Hello Community Builders! How is it almost Memorial Day already? Time flies when you're breaking ground on our county's first community benefit project! More on that in a later issue. For now it's neighbor time: backyard BBQs, front porch visiting, summer concerts, farmers markets and all the other ways we get outside and get to know the...
Help Make a Difference Before Disaster Strikes Along with our partners, Whatcom Community Foundation is working to ensure that if we as a community are not responding to a disaster, we are preparing for one. Our goal? Rapid, orderly, sufficient and equitable care for neighbors in the face of our next community crisis. Are we a resilient...
