Nonprofit Capacity-Building Grant Program

Nonprofit Capacity-Building Grant Program is sponsored by Whidbey Community Foundation (WCF). WCF supports the organizational strength and effectiveness of nonprofits on Whidbey Island through one-time projects that address a part of the organization's strategic plan to improve management, governance, and administration.

Apply for a Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant - Whidbey Community Foundation Apply for a Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant What is a Nonprofit Capacity-Building Grant? Types of Projects that Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants Support Organizations can request up to $10,000 for a Nonprofit Capacity-Building Grant. We anticipate that most grants will range between $1,000 – $5,000.

Project examples include but are not limited to: Evaluation of core programs Assessment of technology systems or implementation of technology upgrades Planning (HR, succession, fundraising, financial sustainability) Merger planning and implementation Diversity, equity, and inclusion policy development and implementation The following projects are NOT eligible for grant support: Operating costs, including salaries, other than those related to the capacity-building project.

Expansion of existing programs or creation of new ones Brick-and-mortar projects or endowment campaigns Pass-through grants to other nonprofits Grants to supplant lost funding or eliminate budget deficits. Submitting a proposal begins with reviewing your organization’s eligibility and WCF’s criteria and priorities to determine if the Foundation aligns with your needs.

By submitting a proposal, you give the Foundation permission to share your information with other interested individual donors. Eligibility to Apply for a Grant Any organization that operates with a charitable status or for a charitable purpose on Whidbey Island is eligible to apply for a grant. You do not need to have a headquarters or physical presence on Whidbey, so long as services are provided here.

Whidbey Community Foundation does not award grants for the following ineligible organizations or purposes: Political or lobbying activities Private operating foundations Religious organizations for sacramental or theological purposes Applicants must be in good standing with the Washington Secretary of State and Office of the Attorney General, and be current with all state and federal reporting requirements.

Priorities for Awarding Applications Due to limited funding availability, WCF’s Grants Committee will prioritize funding recommendations to those applications that: Demonstrate potential vendors, consultants, and/or products for the project have been thoroughly researched and identified Include a realistic timeline for completion and demonstrate that ongoing maintenance and/or costs have been accounted for, if applicable Show evidence of sufficient internal capacity to implement the project Include a clear, detailed, and feasible project budget Clearly define success for the project that can be easily communicated to stakeholders Have stable revenue and expenses Organizations with annual budgets of $100,000 or less Organizations that demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion WCF is currently a short-term funder.

A limited number of grants will be awarded at the $10,000 level. We anticipate that most grants will be in the $1,000-$5,000 range. All grants will be one year in length.

Program/Project-based Grants All grants within the Nonprofit Capacity-Building Grant Program are Program/Project-based Grants. Program/Project-based Grants are considered restricted. We require a separate program/project-specific budget to be submitted alongside the organization’s annual budget.

For project/program support, WCF will consider up to 100% of the project budget (no greater than $10,000 total). All eligible grant applications are reviewed by WCF’s volunteer Grants Committee which is made up of community members across the island, including some WCF Board Members. Grant periods will run for one year.

We will ask all grantees to send a brief report (1 – 2 paragraphs) at the end of the grant period explaining the result of your grant from Whidbey Community Foundation.

We are especially interested in hearing about: The use of the funds – what the grant money was able to pay for Specific challenges or unexpected changes If available, a picture of your grant and/or the organization (digital format) that we could use in future publicity about Whidbey Community Foundation grants, in order to help us promote your work and raise even more funds to support nonprofits and charitable causes on Whidbey Island.

Additionally, WCF will follow up with your organization via email and/or phone halfway through the grant term to understand progress to-date, and any stories to share with our broader Island network. Finally, we will ask all grantees within each topic area to attend a debrief session at the end of the grant period (over Zoom). Our hope is that this will serve as a learning cohort.

We will bring together grant partners as requested to learn, support, and share information. August 31 11:59 PST: Application Deadline October 19: Grant Notification November 1: Grant Start Date (for awardees) Apply for a Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant We are moving to an online application through the Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) program by Foundant.

We encourage you to watch a tutorial about the new GLM system online to learn more. When you open the tutorial, please select GLM Applicant Tutorial (New Dashboard) . This tutorial will explain how the new system works and will provide step by step instructions for how to create your account.

For questions, please contact us at info@whidbeyfoundation. org or 360-660-5041. Join Us for the G rant Opportunities Webinar Please join us on Monday, June 29th, from 4:00 – 5:00pm for the 2026 Grant Opportunities Webinar, where we will provide updates about this year’s available grant programs.

This webinar is designed to help prospective applicants better understand available grant programs. Great! We are only able to provide grants like these with broad support from our community.

If you are a donor interested in supporting the Nonprofit Capacity-Building Grant Program, we ask that you make a contribution to WCF’s Foundation Fund which holistically supports our grant programs, nonprofit trainings/workshops, and WCF operations. WCF’s Board of Directors allocates funding each year toward our grant programs.

WCF is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to Whidbey Island; all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.