Skagit Community Foundation
Connecting people who care to causes that matter.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Skagit Community Foundation exists to connect people who care with causes that matter. By working together with generous donors, nonprofit partners, and community leaders, we are committed to enhancing the quality of life and creating a brighter future for everyone in Skagit County. SCF invests assets to grow over time, supporting our community today and into the future. Through annual grantmaking, leveraging of opportunities, and providing scholarships, and responding to emergent needs, the Skagit Community Foundation stewards and manages donor funds to benefit the Skagit County community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Services to Donors & Local Nonprofits
The Skagit Community Foundation offers a variety of services to donors to help achieve their charitable goals. Customizable funds provide opportunities to support local nonprofit and educational institutions in our community through designated funds, donor-advised funds, permanent endowments, pass-through donations, and unrestricted giving.
The Board of Directors distribute grants using a portion of the annual income from endowment earnings to local, charitable organizations. Donor advisors provide recommendations to achieve their philanthropic intent from their charitable fund held and managed by the Skagit Community Foundation.
Civic Leadership
The Skagit Community Foundation regularly sponsors or hosts professional development workshops for nonprofit organizations on good governance. It also hosts workshops for professional advisors and the general public on planned giving.
Community Grantmaking
The Skagit Community Foundation solicits funding requests annually from local nonprofit and educational institutions. Applications are evaluated by the Board of Directors and donor advisors. Each fund held and managed at the Skagit Community Foundation has different eligibility requirements and distribution rates. The Board of Directors work to appropriately match applications from available funds and support charitable organizations and programs that demonstrate excellence, integrity, and positive impact on the community.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community Grantmaking
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of endowments
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community Grantmaking
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of organizations applying for grants
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Services to Donors & Local Nonprofits
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Skagit Community Foundation aims to partner with the public and private sector to make long term systemic changes in our community across several sectors: education, health & wellness, arts & culture, environmental, economic, & more. We hope to create a thriving environment where all people can reach their potential, contribute to the common good and care for the place we call Skagit Valley.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Skagit Community Foundation strategy consists of:
1. Growing our assets so we have more funds available to support the work of the nonprofits
2. Increasing collaboration and leadership around central cummunity issues
3. Strengthening the Foundation's infrastructure with resources that promote success
4. Educating the community about philanthropy, the work of local nonprofits, and awareness on how to engage and give through the Skagit Community Foundation
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Skagit Community Foundation has highly qualified leadership which includes a Board of Directors with a diverse range of expertise. With an investment management firm with an excellent reputation, above-average investment returns, and a nonprofit discount, donor funds held and managed by the Skagit Community Foundation are stewarded with integrity for maximum impact in the community.
With a highly skilled staff, the SCF manages 70+ donor-established Funds, quarterly nonprofit educational seminars, annual event(s) to bring donors and nonprofits together, and community leadership on meaningful initiatives.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have grown our assets steadily since inception 30+ years ago.
SCF has increased grantmaking opportunities and award amounts each year. We organize learning opportunities for our nonprofit partners and encourage networking and professional development.
We continually work on raising the awareness of our work and the services we provide, as well as the important work of local charitable organizations serving the community.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Skagit Community Foundation
Board of directorsas of 04/26/2023
Dan Fisher
Chad Fisher Construction
Term: 2022 - 2023
Paula Dey
The Dey Company, Inc.
Josh Baldwin
Quantum Construction Co.
Dan Fisher
Chad Fisher Construction
Tim Lehr
Stiles Law Firm
Shellie Eubanks-Highet
Smiley's Insurance Co.
Mary Hudson
Spinach Bus Ventures
Roland King
Banner Bank
Keaton Wersen
Wersen Nonprofit CPAs
Kim Hildahl
Museum of NW Art
James Sanders
Mount Vernon Fire Department
Jorge Estefan
Economic Dev't Alliance of Skagit County
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 04/26/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.