Submitted by The Orcas Island Community Foundation.

The Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) will offer a slightly updated version of our GiveOrcas holiday campaign this December. This fun island tradition gives donors the opportunity to invest in nonprofits during the season of giving. Again, this year we’ll have a mascot in the form of a “Flat Person” and encourage donations on ‘game days.’ Stay tuned for details on how to win money for your favorite nonprofit listed in this year’s catalog!

All nonprofits serving Orcas are invited to apply by November 6th to be featured in this year’s GiveOrcas Holiday Catalog – with one important exception. Nonprofits who have been on the frontlines of the COVID emergency and have received funds from OICF’s Community Emergency Response Fund (CERF) will continue to be supported by this fund through the end of 2020 (and will not be listed in the Holiday Catalog). Donors can give to CERF during our Holiday Campaign, or give directly to these organizations: OPAL Community Land Trust, Orcas Community Resource Center, Orcas Island Food Bank, and Orcas Senior Center.

The mission of the CERF is to help address the needs of the most vulnerable or severely impacted members of our island community as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The CERF fund has distributed over $1M since March.

With the 2020 GiveOrcas Holiday Catalog, the OICF hopes to engage donors as well as support Island nonprofits that have not had the benefit of CERF funding. We look forward to requests that spark joy as well as serve island needs…because we need both! If you have questions or need more information, contact Kate Long (kate@oicf.us/360-376-6423) at OICF. This year’s campaign will run Dec. 1-15, 2020 at www.giveorcas.org.