Partners in Philanthropy

Can't decide which proposal to support? Donate to Partners In Philanthropy and we will use the funds to support all of them!

4H Know Your Government (KYG) is an annual civic education program with a 4 year rotating topic: the legislative system, judicial system, elections & party platforms and politics & the media. This year island teens will explore the Judicial System. Teens from Washington state will gather in Olympia the weekend of Feb. 15-17 to learn about the Judicial System, explore the capitol and meet our state representatives.

Audio upgrade is needed for digital management of sound system and to eliminate degraded cabling interference, as well as enhancing audience experience from amplified and multi-directional sound sources. 2024 was a transition year, requiring resort to reserve funds to offset an operating loss. 2025 also may not meet budget or fulfill production plans, again requiring additional operating funds.

A*OK teaches the language of artistic expression. K-5th grades, including the OIMP Montessori, and full-year Middle School Exploratory Art class. Funding will support teaching artist stipends, art supplies, and a year-end exhibit, helping over 200 students.

Repair Historic Deer Harbor School House Foundation. The historic 1905 Deer Harbor School House foundation is crumbling, and it may become unusable. Repairs will let our beloved building continue as a community hub, cultural and social center and emergency facility.

Help improve critical salmon habitat along Orcas Island’s lower Cascade Creek! By restoring native vegetation, stabilizing slopes, and removing invasive species and derelict fencing, your support will revitalize water quality and habitat for salmon and trout—vital species for the region's ecological health, cultural heritage, and local economy.

Music exploration is vital to youth development. It fosters creativity, self-expression, & teamwork. A dedicated music program helps young people build confidence & develop essential life skills. By helping us fund the Funhouse Richie Moore Song Shop, we can create a safe space for artistic education, allowing Orcas youth to discover their potential & find their voice in a supportive community.

Each May several Native tribes visit our islands for the Gathering of the Eagles. This traditional canoe journey allows nearby Native Americans to visit their historical homelands, lets islanders host descendants of original inhabitants to show appreciation for their stewardship, and provides an opportunity for cultural exchange. This grant will be used for the Orcas event and general operations.

Our mission of providing holistic healthcare services to the entire Orcas Island community, regardless of financial need, led us to establish the Healing Arts Center's Community Health Initiative (CHI). We are partnering with Orcas Community Resource Center and Safe San Juans to identify islanders in financial or situational need and provide them with affordable integrative health care treatments.

Bringing Books Home program is designed to connect families and school while filling homes with high quality children's literature. Monthly, Kaleidoscope will choose a bi-lingual book connected to the classrooms' current interest to send home, helping families build a home library of age appropriate, engaging children's literature, resulting in 1032 books in 86 island homes!

If you spray pesticide on your garden, what effect does it have on non-target insects such as bees, or on the bats, birds and frogs that eat sprayed insects? With local students' help we will trace the ecological footprint of pesticides commonly used on Orcas by measuring pesticide residues in pollen, fecal matter and feathers. Results can inform how we use pesticides in the future.

Support vital work by helping us repair our only on-site vehicle and purchase new rain gear for our dedicated volunteers. Long Live the Kings' mission is to restore wild salmon and steelhead and support sustainable fishing in the Pacific Northwest.

The public school music program provides 130 band & string students with instruments to learn on, instead of having them purchase their own. This year, 3 instruments either need replacing, or are insufficient for advanced learners. A mobile string bass rack is needed for instrument transport & safe storage. Our request is for a baritone saxophone, F attachment trombone, double French horn & rack.

OPAL and OPALCO are partnered to install up to 10 EV chargers in OPAL's neighborhoods for equitable access to electric vehicle charging for households with low incomes and to increase transportation affordability. The project is funded, in part, by a matching grant from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF). OPAL must raise $25k for the match. This request is for $15k to help meet that goal.

Orcas Center depends on the money raised during our annual fundraiser to help fund our day-to-day operations. Help Orcas island's non-profit performing arts and cultural community center continue to deliver the gift of entertainment to our island community by making a donation to Orcas Center in this year's holiday catalog!

Celebrate spring with GLORIA! Music for Voice and Brass in May 2025! We are requesting funds to cover music scores, visiting brass musicians, and half of the Orcas Center rental, to bring this inspiring program to life for our community! The highlight will be John Rutter's stunning Gloria for choir and brass followed by works by Giovanni Gabrieli with choirs on stage and balcony. An unforgettable experience!

Hygiene poverty silently affects countless lives, impacting all aspects of life - work, school and relationships. The Coates' Cabinet Hygiene Bank combats this by offering essential personal care items, cleaning products, and winter coats to islanders. Your support ensures our neighbors maintain dignity, health, and well-being. Together, we build a stronger, more resilient community.

Your support will help Orcas Dance Collective's full-length ballet version of Alice in Wonderland – to be presented in Spring 2025. Every donation equates to the gift of dance for the 75 local performers who will grace the stage during this production. Help make this show a great success and show your support of our local dance community!

Help replace outdated High School weight room equipment, benefiting 200+ high school students through the physical education and athletic programs including nine sports teams. Updated equipment will enhance current strength training programs with the goal of reducing athletic injuries, supporting students' physical and mental health, and encouraging lifetime fitness while learning the bio-mechanical principles of exercise.

Outdoor, quality learning environments are essential for child development. Thoughtful materials encourage young ones to explore, learn, & take necessary, calculated risks in safe environments. We seek to transform our outdoor classrooms by installing new, dynamic, sustainable playground materials. This will promote physical, social, emotional, & cognitive growth of children for years to come.

The Severe Weather Shelter is open from November 15 to March 15 on nights when the weather in Eastsound is forecasted to drop to 32 degrees and below, and offers a safe, warm environment, with basic accommodations such as warm bedding and restroom access, for anyone needing refuge from dangerously cold conditions. We offer stipends to volunteers who open our shelter providing essential support for those in need during the coldest months of the year.

Help Food Bank customers feed themselves and their pets. We've seen numerous instances of customers cutting back on their own nutrition in order to feed their pets. Adding high-quality pet food to our offerings has helped entire families have sufficient healthy food while being better able to meet other expenses. Donations will help make it possible to continue and expand this program in 2025.

Orcas Voices grant will enable the Museums to capture stories of our island community, including previously under-represented voices. OIHM will purchase up-to-date documenting equipment for capturing and displaying the stories, fund staff time toward the project and begin to gather more stories to preserve, share and exhibit with the community. Project will be ongoing after grant period.

The Lions Club Partners in Care program will give family caregivers a break, as well as help alleviate social isolation for their loved one. The Senior Center will host the program and we have support from them as well the SJC CHS. Volunteers are the heart of the program but we also will have a trained caregiver on hand. Requested funds will primarily be used to compensate the caregivers.

OIRA and USRowing regulations require the use of a coached safety launch for each on-water practice. The launch provides multiple uses, a platform for the coach to provide real-time coaching and instruction, and a safety platform in the event of an emergency. Launches carry PFDs, radios, lights, etc. should the need for a rescue arise. OIRA needs to upgrade to a modern launch with lightweight eco-friendly batteries.

The Multilingual Outreach grant would provide Spanish language elementary and teen books for the Orcas Island School District library. We would include fiction, side by side text English/ Spanish, some nonfiction, (such as biography, sports and encyclopedic illustrated books). We would feature subjects that are relevant to our community, including books written by Spanish authors.

Orcas Senior Center seeks funding to expand its Home Maintenance and Repair program, supporting seniors and adults with disabilities on Orcas Island. This program connects low-income residents with vetted contractors for essential home repairs, promoting safe, independent living. Funding will cover the Coordinator's salary and enable the development of an assistance fund for those unable to afford repairs.

Salmonberry School will create a contemplative space for students and visitors to help address the social-emotional needs of our community. We will include a labyrinth, landscaping, rustic seating, a water feature and whimsical statuary. The enhancement of our existing grounds will give students and guests a quiet space for reflection and meditation aligning with our mission of holistic education.

The EDC, a local NGO, offers workforce and business training to support family-wage jobs. The EDC's Tech Training initiative offers workshops and certification, all free or very low cost, including in topics like Python, marketing, and Arduino. Funds will support tech training programs on Orcas (online and in-person). Business owners, youth, career-changers, and many others have learned with us!

Help us continue to provide inspiration, education, and connection in support of Traditional Foodways at the San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit, where Indigenous speakers and islanders will come together to uplift millennia of knowledge and ongoing Indigenous stewardship to strengthen alliances for a resilient future.

Harbor Seal Pups Equipment needed is to repair or buy a new Walk-In Freezer. The center has had the current Freezer for over 20 years. It started to experience issues this spring. Repair service estimate is 31K to fix and 80K to replace. This is a critical piece of equipment for our Harbor Seal Pup program. Thank you for your support to keep the Harbor Seal Pup program going!