Our Story

JCF was started in 2005 by a small group of community members who wanted to ensure the future was bright for all who live in Jefferson County. Since then, we have grown to manage almost $2.5 million in assets and in 2020, we expect to make over $1 million in grants. Unlike private foundations, where all of the funds come from a single course like a family or a company, community foundations serve as a home for all charitable donors in a community, informing their strategies and connecting them together. We know the issues and trends in our community, where things are going well and where the gaps are. We share this information with local donors so all of our gifts can build on each other and create real change.

When the community faces new challenges, one of the first steps for many is to connect to JCF.

In the last year, over 1,200 friends and neighbors invested in and through Jefferson Community Foundation because they knew that coordinated charitable giving is what makes the difference between giving money and making change. We have big things to work on together – things like economic development, affordable housing, and youth opportunity. We are a generous community with a crowded nonprofit landscape that can be challenging for donors to navigate. That is where JCF comes in. We guide donors – through social issues, local organizations and tax laws –  so you can have more impact by making exactly the right donation at exactly the right moment.

JCF understands the landscape of needs and organizations.

When Bayside Transitional Housing needed to renovate rooms to accommodate more families, they called JCF. When the Connected Students Initiative needed to help over 200 young people get online access to their education, they reached out to JCF. When the Food Banks needed a new generator and boxes to offer curbside pick-up, they came to JCF. When Quilcene Schools needed support for afterschool programs; when the Chimacum School District needed additional counseling services; when Center Valley Animal rescue needed more food for animals they rescued…you got it — they reached out to JCF. We know the needs, the players, the gaps and the opportunities so all of our gifts, as a community, can add up to better lives for everyone who lives here.

We can do more together. Having an active and healthy Community Foundation benefits the entire community.

Jefferson Community Foundation (JCF) is one of more than 800 community foundations around the country, each one dedicated to a different geographic area. Community foundations understand the landscape – trends, obstacles, and opportunities – of community health and, which local nonprofits are focused on which issues. Community foundations keep abreast of what efforts are gaining momentum and creating change, which are not, and where service gaps exist. This knowledge is then shared with donors so charitable decisions can have the greatest impact.  

Mission:

Jefferson Community Foundation connects diverse people, ideas and resources to build a future of opportunity for all in Jefferson County. We serve as hub for our community to:

• GIVE donations informed with local knowledge & strategy,
• BUILD strong and collaborative nonprofits, 
• SOLVE regional issues by working together on solutions.

Vision:

A diverse and resilient Jefferson County where all people thrive.

Values:

• Trustworthy: We are accountable for providing exceptional, accurate and responsive service and for doing work that changes lives.
• Collaborative: We make choices in the context of our community and work cooperatively with others to achieve shared goals.
• Diverse: We work for racial equity and actively engage and connect people across traditional divides.
• Creative: We apply mastery in our field to create effective solutions for challenges that don’t have obvious answers.
• Kindness: We bring our whole selves to our work and create a daily experience that is meaningful.
• Generous: We model the generosity we want to see in the world.

Here are some of the accomplishments made possible by JCF and our network of partners:

• Moved Jefferson County Farmers Markets and access to SNAP benefits online
• Expanded domestic violence services in South County with Dove House
• New transitional housing units for homeless families with children with Bayside Housing Develop
• A youth mental health training program for local teachers with Jumping Mouse
• A job training program for first-time juvenile offenders with NW Maritime Center
• Arts classes and festivals with Centrum, Northwind and PT School of the Arts
• Protection of animal welfare with Humane Society and Central Valley Animal Rescue
• Launch of a local Housing Solutions Network

Our organization is thriving and growing. In the last 3 years, we:

• Increased general grant-making from $135,000 to $450,000
• Raised and granted an additional $710,000 through the Covid Response & Recovery Fund
• Increased total assets from $1.58 million to $2.42 million
• Established 28 new Charitable Funds

JCF 990s: 2019, 2018, 2017

Become part of a network of people working together to help all who live here build thriving and vibrant lives. Your annual sustaining gifts fuel the programs and operations of the Community Foundation. Your generous gifts help make possible: