Our Community’s COVID-19 Preparedness Needs

March 14, 2020

With the rise of a novel virus, COVID-19, and worldwide actions to slow its spread to keep from overwhelming medical services, there are new unexpected impacts—people out of work and running out of money to get through the next few weeks and months. This is overwhelming local support organizations. 

Pacific Community Foundation has opened an emergency relief fund to help those organizations that are not yet able to take donations on line. 

This emergency fund makes grants every week or so to local organizations that help people, especially families, while this health crisis impacts our communities. 

URL:  https://spccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1093

Your donation may be directed to a specific area (food banks, for example) or a specific organization; please say so in the note box. 

You may also send a note with a check, made out to Pacific Community Foundation,  PO Box 75, Nahcotta WA 98637.

Donations can be made directly to local organizations. We aren't ignoring north county--if you live in north county, think about direct donations to those food banks, etc. 

Food banks:  Ocean Park, Ilwaco, Chinook and Naselle food banks

Important South County Nonprofit Organizations:

Peninsula Poverty Response (PPR)

St Vincent de Paul

PUD’s Warm Heart Program:  http://www.pacificpud.org/assistance.html for donation form

Coastal Community Action Partners (CCAP);  http://coastalcap.org/ and scroll down to the donation email link, bottom right 

Other organizations are preparing for the impacts of this pandemic, and may already have shortages in some supplies:

Ocean Beach Hospital Foundation, https://www.oceanbeachhospital.com/foundation/

Ilwaco Fire Department, https://ilwaco-wa.gov/fire/

Long Beach Fire Department, http://www.longbeach.gov/fire/

Naselle Volunteer Fire Department, 360-484-3498
Peninsula Fire District #1, https://pcfd1.org/ 

Peninsula Fire District #2—Chinook, 360-777-0085

Pacific County Emergency Management, https://www.pacificcountysheriff.com/emergency-management.html 

We will continue to reach out to local organizations during this crisis. 

Grant Writing Workshop cancelled—Here’s an alternative

Kathleen Sayce, March 12, 2020

The Foundation has cancelled the grant writing class that was scheduled for March 27, 2020 at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum. 

We did this not because COVID-19 is rampaging in our community—it is not yet active here, so far as we know—but because we want to proactively slow down the rate of spread. 

As you already know, many large group events have been cancelled for this spring. Classes in most universities are digital for the next term. Computer access at libraries is cancelled. 

These actions help slow the spread to reduce the height of the infection curve. Note this will not stop it. Slowing it down helps reduce the impact on medical services, and that will save lives. 

On the nonprofit side, digital content is being ramped up.  

The Foundation has a grants catalog in the request stage that will be open for donations in May. You can participate from your own computer, no need to meet anyone face to face to post proposals now, promote it on social media, or to make donations during the month of May. 

A presenter for Washington Nonprofits classes, Maryn Boess, is doing an 8-week, on-demand grant writing course that starts Monday, March 16th. 

Members can sign up three people for the price of one (team work is always better) and members of Washington Nonprofits get a discounted price, $197 for up to 3 members, everyone else, $297.

https://go.grantsmagic.org/blueprint-wn

So sign up, join Washington Nonprofits, sit back, remember to wash your hands frequently, bump elbows with friends when you meet (no hand shaking, no hugs, sorry), and buckle down. 

We are going to get through this. 

Spring 2020 Grants Catalog

Ceanothus, California Lilacs, flower in May

Each May, the foundation hosts a community grants catalog, where local organizations propose grant requests and the foundation hosts those requests for them. 

Daffodils, February

As in past years, the request proposal site is open for the month of March 2020. 

In April, the foundation reviews all the proposals and decides which ones to offer. [Most of the time we say yes to every proposal—don’t worry.] 

Flowering plums, March

To get started, contact the foundation (info@spccf.org) to see if your organization is on our list of nonprofit and grantee organizations. 

If it is, we will send you the link to the request proposal page, and you can get started. 

Crocus Dutch Purple Giant, Feb.

If not, we will create a profile for your organization, and then send you the link. For this, we will need the organization’s name, address, contact person, phone number, email, and the organization’s EIN (federal employer identification number). 

Once your organization is on the list, then you can start adding your proposal. 

The request period is open March 1-31, 2020. We review proposals in April, and the catalog is open for donations May 1-31, 2020.

The foundation waives its admin fee and pays the credit card fees for all donations to this catalog. This way, every dollar donated goes to participating organizations. 

Sitka mist maidens, April

Your part is to help promote the catalog to your members, their friends, and outward, to increase the reach for everyone. 

We will host a social media seminar, April 17, 2020, 10 a.m. to noon, Ilwaco Community Meeting Room, next to the library, to teach you how to do use social media effectively and efficiently to promote your organization. 

Please RSVP so we know how many handouts to print, info@spccf.org. 

For the month of May, the grant request list is open to the public for donations. The foundation helps promote this catalog to the community. You help too.

Camas, May

Last year, the grant catalog raised more than $15k through dozens of small donations. 

Our goal for 2020 is to raise more than $20k for nonprofit organizations in our community. 

Coming Events: Grants, Grant Writing and Scholarships

It's winter, and the Foundation is planning classes, meetings and other events. 

Applying for Grants in the Spring Grants Catalog:
Spring Grants Catalog will be live in May. Review of grant proposals will be in April, applications (online) will be live in March.

The meeting to discuss how to apply will be:
February 13, 2020, 1-2 p.m.
Ilwaco Community Meeting Room, next to the library

This meeting is free, and open to local nonprofit organizations in Pacific and west Wahkiakum Counties

* * * * * 

The next NPO class is on Grant Writing--a critical skill for nonprofit organizations. Learn how to compose proposals, complete applications and improve the odds that your organization will get the grants it applies for.

Grant Writing Class:  
March 27, 2020, Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Columbia-Pacific Heritage Museum. 

Cost: $15 for Washington Nonprofit Members, $20 for the rest
Lunch is included 

This course is sponsored by a grant from Medina Foundation and presented by staff from Washington Nonprofits.
https://washingtonnonprofits.org/learning/learning-calendar/
Click to March 27th to sign up, and learn more about how to write outstanding grant proposals.

* * * * * 

Also in spring comes graduation from high school, and applications to colleges and universities. Many scholarships are available for graduating seniors. Local education foundations offer high school-specific scholarships. 

The Foundation has several county-wide scholarships, including:

Silent Key STEM Scholarship, two $500 awards [apply in senior year, award is given out after first term in college]

Wilson STEM Scholarship, $5000 award--Raymond and South Bend High Schools only; renewable [apply in senior year, award is given at start of first year]

Carol P Schwartz Medical Scholarship, one $750 award for year 2, $1000 for years 3-4 [begin application in senior year, complete during first year of college for year 2 award]

For details, see the college counsellors in local high schools, or contact the Foundation, info@spccf.org, for more information. 

Midwinter News From PCF

December 28, 2019

Midwinter Newsletter—Some Firsts It’s been a busy year for the Foundation. In late winter, we registered a new trade name, Pacific Community Foundation, to make it easier for all of us to remember. Our original name, South Pacific County Community Foundation, still works. Other firsts:   Opened four new donor-advised funds.  In November more than $50k was donated to several funds by more than thirty donors.  Remodeled our logo, going back to a look that was first proposed by Laila Brown, Salt Hotel and Pub, in 2012.  Added on-line donation alternatives, including one-time and recurring (monthly or annual) options. As in the past, when you donate online, you can make several donations to different funds at the same time.  Tribute and Memorial options were also added, with a note field so that donors can tell us more about their donations.   This capacity is made possible by Community Suite, an accounting program that was purpose-written for community foundations. To learn more about Community Suite and its parent organization, Foundant, go to https://www.foundant.com/, which also offers online grants and scholarship management programs.   New Funds Opened in 2019: Abundant Salmon Futures Fund Sea Resources opened this fund to help finance salmon habitat and production far into the future. Right now the hatchery is busy refitting the incubation room and preparing for its first eggs in several years. For more about the Sea Resources Hatchery, see their website: Chinook Hatchery For donations:  https://spccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1027 Sports Excellence Fund A group of donors opened this fund to bring outstanding coaches to Ocean Beach School District to teach . . . coaches. When coaches learn improved coaching skills, their students do better. We look forward to expanding this program from cross country and track programs to other sports, and supporting coach training throughout southwest Washington. For donations: https://spccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1028 The Martha and Mya Afterschool Fund The Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach Peninsula was hit by declining donations in 2018-19, and the Foundation enthusiastically supports a new fund that will promote multiyear funding. For donations: https://spccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1060 Wellspring Community Network Fund Wellspring Community Network is another important organization that helps provide services to families and children. This fund will eventually become an endowment, and initially helps cover funding gaps between grants for a variety of programs. For donations: https://spccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1022 Spring Grants Catalog In 2020 we will take a big step forward and open two grants catalogs, one in Spring, the other in Fall 2020.  Watch for a winter meeting in late February to review how to submit your organization’s grant request proposal to the Spring Grants Catalog. This process is online, and it helps to have all content ready when you start, so that you can complete this in one session. This meeting will help you get organized. We will open the grant proposal process on line during March, review proposals in April, and open the list for donations during May 2020.   In Fall 2020, we will repeat this for the fall grant catalog, which will open for proposals from organizations in October, be reviewed in November, and open to take donations in December.  New Finances Support Group What is the one board officer position that can be hardest to fill? Treasurer comes immediately to mind.  To help local nonprofit treasurers, we started a support group in December 2019.  Bring your questions, and we’ll discuss everything from budgeting and charts of accounts to line items. Interested? Contact PCF Treasurer Kathleen Sayce, ksayce@willapabay.org or 360-665-5292.   Next Class—Grant Writing, March 27, 2020 By popular request, our next class will be Grant Writing, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 27, 2020, at Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, Ilwaco, WA.  Washington Nonprofits provides the instructor, with a grant from the Medina Foundation. Medina has been a committed grantor for nonprofit education programs in Pacific County for many years. If you meet Jessica Case, program manager, Medina Foundation, please thank her for this support.  Also consider joining Washington Nonprofits to have access to the great online content and the member’s rate for class fees.   https://washingtonnonprofits.org/membership/join-renew/ Officers for 2020 and a New Board Member Our officers for the coming year are:  Todd Wiegardt, President, Nansen Malin, Vice-President, Jerry Macy, Secretary, and Kathleen Sayce, Treasurer.  Jerry Macy is our newest board member, retired after jobs with U.S. Navy, school district, nonprofit management, and winery management in California. He and wife Sally still travel back and forth to California, but are here often enough that we were able to persuade him onto the board. They live on Willapa Bay south of Nahcotta.  Kathleen is thrilled to have another board member who likes numbers as much as she does!

Copyright © 2019 South Pacific County Community Foundation, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.  Our mailing address is:  South Pacific County Community Foundation PO Box 75 Nahcotta, WA  98637-0075

Our Newest Fund: The Martha and Mya After-school Fund

PCF is pleased to announce this new fund is open and ready to accept donations:
https://spccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1060

The Martha and Mya After-school Fund was established to help maintain funding for an important after-school program.

Why Martha and Mya?

Martha Murfin was one of the founders of the Coastal Alliance For Youth, which became our local Boys and Girls Club. She understood the absolute necessity of creating a program to ensure that the kids of our community had a safe place to go after school. In those first days, she said that funding should be easy. 

       "We just need 200 people in this community to give $1000 per year, and our kids will be taken care of after school," was her motto.

Mya is one of the kids who has grown up being able to spend time after school at the Club. When Mya learned of the closing she said 

        "Mom, money doesn't grow on trees but sometimes it grows on roses." 

She had taped her summer clam raking earnings ($152) to a rose she has been preserving since her 11th birthday and asked her mom to bring it to Club. She said, 

        "I know this won't solve the problem but every little bit helps, right?"

These two amazing ladies show the spirit that our community needs to fund a sustainable after school program. We are much stronger and safer if our kids have a safe place to go after school. While the current board is committed to making sure that they do the work to reopen the Club, our community needs to show that we can and will support an after-school program for our kids.

Funding Details

A group of community members opened this fund through South Pacific County Community Foundation to ensure ongoing support of an after school program. 

It costs approximately $200,000 to run an after school program on an annual basis. In donating to this fund, money will only be released once there is at least $100,000 in the fund and an additional $100,000 secured in grants and other funds to operate. If we do not reach that goal, money will be returned to donors. 

Annual donation levels are as follows:

     Martha's Legacy      $10,000 and above

     Corporate Sponsor  $5,000-$9,999

     Business Sponsor    $2000

     Platinum Sponsor    $1000

     Gold Sponsor           $500

     Mya's Club               $152-$500

Annual donations are encouraged. You may make monthly recurring donations. 

The foundation accepts donations from donors who wish to be anonymous. 

Please consider becoming an enduring donor, someone who donates every month, year after year. 

https://spccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1060

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate action of its members" Coretta Scott King

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Keeping Current with Compliance

October 18, 2019

Kathleen Sayce

Think you are fine with your organization’s registrations? Luckily for all of us, there’s some leeway of months to years to get caught up if you let important registrations drop. But why not review it all again, just to be sure, in the local class next week?

The next local class, Let’s Go Legal, is Friday, October 25th, 1-4 p.m. at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum. You can sign up on line, or walk in. The fee is $15 for members of WNP, or $20 for not-yet-members. 

This is a return to the topic of our very first class, three years ago:  Compliance.

Make sure that your organization is properly registered in the state as a nonprofit, as a charity if it takes donations and issues tax receipts, and with the IRS. 

WNP works with Washington Secretary of State on the course material to ensure it is current and accurate, WA SOS also underwrites part of the cost. The speaker can come here because it is also supported by grants from Medina Foundation. Pacific Community Foundation is very grateful that WA SOS and Medina make it possible for them to be taught in person in our community. 

This column could be subtitled “Practice is Never a Waste of Time”. 

When I worked for ShoreBank Pacific, annual recertification in dozens of topics, from safety and security to how to watch for signs of money laundering, was required. The first year was interesting; the next couple of years were annoying, and after that, I understood that if I did not revisit these topics regularly, I would slowly drift away from good practices. Now at a community foundation, I realize that regular reviews are just as important here as they were at the bank. 

At the bank, we had online courses to take, with tests, and certificates, proof that we had done the time. In the nonprofit sector, we are on our own for tests and certificates, but there’s a great resource available for any nonprofit officer or board member, at Washington Nonprofits. For a nominal annual fee, you can watch classes online or attend classes in person where it fits with your schedule. 

WNP link to courses: https://washingtonnonprofits.org/learning/

The foundation is also helping the Chinook Observer review the list of nonprofit organizations that go in its Giving Back insert, which we hope will come out in late November or early December this year. 

When I reviewed the organizations in last year's insert, checking to see who is still active, I was startled to find some had closed down a decade ago. So I requested the current nonprofits list for Pacific County from the Secretary of State—and I was startled all over again by the organizations that are now gone, and the new ones that have appeared. 

Another discrepancy is those organizations that operate on donations, but are not registered as charities. 

Do your organization a favor. Take this class, then plan to re-take courses regularly, just to make sure you aren’t overlooking something that might be critically important.