Helping You Do What You Do Best
The nonprofit ecosystem is vital to the health of Bainbridge Island. For every quality-of-life element on Bainbridge, a nonprofit organization is actively working to keep it strong and healthy: from north to south, the schools, environment, social safety net, cultural community, and everything in between — all are vital. Yet, many or most of these essential nonprofits remain vulnerable. Increased demand, limited funding, and other issues threaten their longtime existence. We believe that to address the challenges of our local nonprofit organizations, we must go deeper. We must understand the unique issues facing these organizations and help them find solutions. We work toward positive, concrete solutions four ways:
- Nonprofit Convening and Annual Survey: We convene nonprofit leaders to discuss the issues and trends they face and survey local nonprofits to gain a better understanding of the elements and diversity of work on Bainbridge. The survey and sector conversations that follow help inform grantmaking and training priorities in the year ahead.
- Community Grants Cycle: Every year, BCF staff and dozens of well-trained community volunteers review applications and conduct site visits with nonprofits to help provide support for specific programs, capital projects, as well as general operations of local nonprofit organizations.
- Capacity Building Grants: We help nonprofits secure seed funding for in-house training and professional development to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
- Workshops and Trainings: We host workshops and trainings for community leaders and volunteers to improve access to education and professional counsel.
- Community Resources: We make ourselves available to interested parties who wish to discuss community issues and the role that nonprofits and/or philanthropy can have in addressing those issues.
