From Opportunity to Impact: Bainbridge Community Foundation Celebrates 25 Years

January 21, 2026

Volunteers at a Community Grants Cycle Thank You Event

As Bainbridge Community Foundation (BCF) marks its 25th year in 2026, we aren’t just celebrating our anniversary. We are celebrating the people who made it possible.

Community is more than a boundary on a map. It is neighbors turning conversation into collaboration, and shared goals into reality. Our community is made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds, skills, and motivations, and when these differences come together with purpose and care, we can transform possibility into action and lasting impact.

Twenty-five years ago, a small group of community members chose to act on that belief, and in doing so, set in motion a legacy that continues today. After years of work, in 2001, Bainbridge Community Foundation was officially born.

In the words of Ellin Spenser, one of BCF’s founders and currently on BCF’s Board of Trustees, “What’s so remarkable about BCF is how it has grown while staying true to the reason it was founded. It began with a simple concern that $172,000 was sitting in a bank instead of being put to work. The foundation was created to ensure those funds were actively invested in our community where they were needed most, and from that starting point, BCF continued to grow.”

Those early intentions shaped an ongoing commitment to consistent, proactive grantmaking. As Ellin continued, “Even today, BCF ensures resources never sit idle, but are regularly used in ways to address challenges both near and far. Twenty-five years later, it’s incredible to know that BCF has now awarded more than $34 million in grants.” As of the end of 2025, BCF held close to $34.5 million in assets, and its total grantmaking nearly matched that amount.

As reflected in Ellin’s statement, what started as a simple act of generosity quickly became something more. By the first Community Grants Cycle (CGC) in 2005, this culture of shared responsibility and philanthropy was well underway. BCF’s first Community Grants Cycle volunteers—Sandy Schubach, Cynthia Sears, Sonya Marinoni, and Channie Peters—played a major role in creating the foundation for the CGC today. The four volunteers reviewed 16 applications, conducted interviews, and vetted nonprofits that had applied. Early grants supported food programs for families on the edge of homelessness, arts organizations getting off the ground, and environmental groups protecting green spaces. It quickly became clear that local giving could meaningfully address local needs.

In 2025, BCF celebrated the 61 volunteers from the community who reviewed 85 applications, showing significant growth in 20 years. By 2025, the Community Grants Cycle, one of many grantmaking programs at BCF, had awarded nearly $6.2 million to local organizations since inception. These grants go towards all sectors in our community, from health, housing and human services to arts and culture.

In addition to the CGC, in the early years, BCF laid the foundation for a variety of funding sources, from Designated Funds and Donor Advised Funds, where BCF Fund Advisors suggest awarding grants to nonprofits of their choice, to Area of Interest Funds, which enables the support for many nonprofits working towards a common cause. Examples include the YES Fund, which provides direct financial assistance to youth facing economic hardship, and the Community Response Fund that supports health and human service needs in times of crisis.

Most recently, BCF utilized its Community Response Fund when it awarded more than $50,000 in grants to provide much-needed food and support for families and individuals following significant federal funding cuts to food banks. In 2020, the same fund was used when the pandemic hit to support nonprofits working in housing, food access, child care, and health services. This fund has granted more than $310,000 since 2016.

That same year, in 2020, BCF released its first Community Report, using data to highlight challenges in the community. The report has continued to evolve into a fundamental resource for individuals, nonprofits, and donors seeking to focus their efforts.

This structure for BCF is the result of the early vision and sustained effort of its founders. According to Steve Davis, Bainbridge Community Foundation exists “because of my confidence in this community. I believed that Bainbridge Island would support a foundation led by neighbors, guided by a local board, and managed by professional staff.” It turns out, Steve was right. BCF could not exist without the generous collaboration of this community.

After 25 years, Bainbridge Community Foundation’s impact is measured not only in dollars granted, but in trust built, capacity strengthened, and belonging created. Its work reflects a simple and enduring belief, which is that the strength of this community lies in neighbors caring for each other.

In the next 25 years to come, BCF promises to strengthen our community through visible action and meaningful impact, powered by the continued generosity of our neighbors.