The end of the year is near, a time when people think about gifts and giving. One measure of the island is the wealth of opportunities to give to charities and non-profits. On an island with fewer than 100,000 people, there are over 264 charitable organizations listed with the IRS. The total number of charities is undoubtedly much larger, but those 264 charities are ones that list Whidbey Island as their address. Add in the national and international charities and finding places to donate becomes easy. Of course, giving can happen anytime, not just in December. See below for a list; but first, let’s see just how busy the island is.

Much of the island is rural, so postal addresses and populations don’t always match up with census data. Add up the populations of the “cities” and realize that as much as a half of the homes are in the outskirts. Working with and tweaking the US Census data shows that Oak Harbor is the main population center. (See Where Are The People for another perspective.)

• Oak Harbor 78.8%
• Coupeville 6.5%
• Greenbank 0.8%
• Freeland 6.9%
• Langley 3.7%
• Clinton 3.2%

That probably explains the great number of charities in Oak Harbor.

• Oak Harbor 90
• Coupeville 43
• Greenbank 11
• Freeland 47
• Langley 54
• Clinton 19

Don’t think that Greenbank isn’t doing much. It is impressive in terms of how many people there are for every non-profit. The only place that does more is Langley. Oak Harbor may be slightly skewed because the US Navy provides many services that don’t show up in the IRS tax reports.

• Oak Harbor 258
• Coupeville 45
• Greenbank 23
• Freeland 44
• Langley 20
• Clinton 49

Get a good-sized party together and you’ll probably find at least one founder in the group.

Equally impressive is the work that is harder to quantify. Several groups purposely don’t have official status. Bylaws, letters of incorporation, annual reports – some people would simply rather spend their time and effort doing the work instead of proving to someone else that they are sincere. There’s a lot of self-starters on this quiet island.

The unofficial groups may not make the list, but in case you are curious and feeling generous, here’s a list of the non-profits from the IRS database. There’s something in there for everyone and every cause. They probably look forward to hearing from you. (Pardon the lack of active links, but searching and testing all of the appropriate sites would take a lot more time. Maybe there’s a group that will take on that task as a charitable effort. It could happen.) If nothing else, it is an interesting insight into what interests islanders.

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OAK HARBOR

• Medical Safety Net of North Whidbey
• Animals in Need
• Anglican Fellowship of Whidbey Island
• Ethiopian Education Fund
• North Whidbey Soccer Club
• Oak Harbor Youth Sailing Inc.
• Deception Pass Park Foundation
• North Puget Sound Dragon Boat Club
• North Whidbey Christian High School
• Whidbey Playhouse Association
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Dist 15
• John E Obrien Chrtble Rel Ed Fd Org
• Whidbey Community Chorus
• Oak Harbor Musical Youth Boosters
• Beeksma Family Foundation
• Island Vineyard Community Church
• The Valley Calvary Chapel
• Positively Linked Inc.
• North Whidbey Community Harvest
• Craig McKenzie Team Foundation
• Swan Lake Watershed Preservation Group
• Mosaic
• Caleb-Joshua Education and Humanitarian Project
• Click Community
• Mighty to Save Ministries
• Pit Stops Here
• Ballet Slipper Conservatory of Oak Harbor
• Spin Cafe
• Oak Harbor Music Festival
• Garage of Blessings
• Oak Harbor Sister Cities Association
• Oak Harbor Football and Cheer League
• Whidbey Island Horse Trials Foundation
• Imagine – A Permaculture World
• Oak Harbor Main Street Association
• Pageant-Wyse
• North Whidbey Sunrise Rotary Foundation
• Hermetas
• Oasis Recreational Cafe
• Blue Heron Booster Club
• Word of Everlasting Life and Faith Ministries
• Keelworks Foundation
• Whidbey Audubon Society
• Veterans Transition Support and Development Center
• Friends of Saint Joseph
• Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society
• Whidbey Tales Animal Rescue and Sanctuary
• Whidbey Island Basketball Club
• Tiny Jade Inspirations
• Critter Conscious
• Knights Charities of Oak Harbor
• Periwinkle Press
• Oak Harbor Christian School Society
• New Leaf Inc.
• United Way of Island County
• Bible Baptist Church of Oak Harbor
• Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Assn Inc.
• Family Bible Church of Oak Harbor
• Island Thrift
• North Whidbey Help
• Grace by the Sea
• Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse
• Oak Harbor Church of Christ
• Toddler Learning Center Association
• Wildlife Care Clinic
• Pregnancy Care Clinic
• Suzuki Association of Washington State
• The Lords Garden Association
• Friends of the Oak Harbor Library
• Calvary Chapel of Oak Harbor
• Oak Harbor Wildcat Booster Club
• Development Companions International
• Oak Harbor Educational Foundation
• Impart Ministries
• Olympic View Orca Parent-Teacher Organization
• Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers
• Oak Harbor Rotary Foundation
• Oak Harbor Senior Center Foundation
• Prowler Memorial Park Association
• Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Island County
• Hillcrest Elementary PTA
• Pby Memorial Foundation
• Oak Harbor High School PTA 8 7 55
• Cascade Warbird Eaa Chapter
• Soroptimist International of Oak Harbor Foundation
• Oak Harbor Intermediate PTA 8 7 45
• Impaired Driving Impact Panel of Island County
• North Whidbey Middle School PTA
• Oak Harbor Lions Club
• Oak Harbor Christian School Foundation

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COUPEVILLE

• Capt Dans Farmstead
• Gifts From the Heart Food Bank
• Globan Ent Outreach
• Small Miracles Coupeville Medical Support Fund
• Auxiliary of Whidbey General Hospital
• Whidbey Island Kite Festival Assocation
• Coupeville Booster Club
• Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship
• Central Whidbey Hearts & Hammers
• Whidbey Island Youth Soccer Association
• Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association
• Friends of Ebeys Landing National Historical Reserve
• Historic Whidbey
• Meffert Family Foundation
• Island County Economic Development Foundation
• Coupeville Maritime Heritage Foundation
• Harbor Haven Childcare
• Magic Macintosh Appreciation Group of Island County
• Central Whidbey Soccer Club
• Whidbey Community Foundation
• Coer Charitable
• Penn Cove Water Festival Association
• Alcohol 24-Hour Help Line
• Island Ministries
• Whidbey Island Hospital Foundation
• Central Whidbey Cooperative Preschool
• Friends of the Coupeville Library
• Quilters on the Rock
• Coupeville Lions Foundation
• Concerts on the Cove
• Island County Amateur Radio Club
• Coupeville Arts Center
• Island County Master Gardeners
• Whidbey Animals Improvement Foundation
• Coupeville Elementary PTA 777 C/O Washington State PTA
• Lighthouse Environmental Programs
• Washington Imagination Network
• Community Foundation for Coupeville Public Schools
• Whidbey Weavers Guild
• Broken Arrow Memorial Fund
• The Wildlands Restoration Society
• Island County Historical Society
• Coupeville Community Bible Church

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GREENBANK

• International Association of Home Staging Professionals
• Native Plant Stewards
• Dg Foundation
• South Whidbey Yacht Club Youth Sailing Association
• Animals 24-7
• South Whidbey Youth Football and Cheer Association
• Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens
• Greenbank Garden Club
• Whidbey-Camano Land Trust
• Ulmschneider Educational Foundation
• Tinyblue Foundation

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FREELAND

• The Community at Holmes Harbor
• Zoe Foundation
• Island Affordable Housing Tr
• Association for Veterinary Family Practice
• Brothers of Saint John the Evangelist Osb
• Whidbey Orchestras
• Whidbey Island Therapy Center
• South Whidbey Parks and Aquatics Foundation
• Veterans Resource Center
• Awakening Life Inc.
• Transferware Colectors Club Inc.
• The Circle Way
• Island Rowing Association
• Friends of Holmes Harbor
• Rotary Foundation of Whidbey Westside
• Whidbey Western Games Association
• Safe Ride Home
• South Whidbey Homeless Coalition
• Common Wisdom Foundation
• South Whidbey Bible Chapel
• Senior Services of Island County
• Christian Life Ctr of Whidbey Island
• Enso House
• Service Education & Adventure
• Sound Water Stewards of Island County
• Otherworld Media Inc.
• Foundation of Senior Services of Island County
• Alongside Ministries International
• Helping Hand of South Whidbey
• Friends of the Freeland Library
• The Arise Charitable Trust
• One Drop Zendo Association
• South Whidbey Church of Christ
• South Whidbey Rotary Club Foundation
• South Whidbey Schools Foundation
• Mano Con Mano Health Beach
• Whidbey Island Garden Tour Inc.
• Organic Farm School Formerly Greenbank Farm Management Group
• Cru Institute
• Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island
• Northwest Venture Drum and Bugle Corps Inc.
• Whidbey Island Land & Shore Trust
• Friends of Freeland
• Orca Network
• Destination Paradise
• Mevlevi Order of America
• Impact Teams International

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LANGLEY

• Heartbeat Serving Wounded Warriors
• Jesusonline Ministries
• Giraffe Project Inc.
• Whidbey Childrens Theater
• Sister Island Project
• South Whidbey Good Cheer Inc.
• Oasis for Animals
• Saratoga Chamber Orchestra
• Island Christian Academy
• Heart Source Unlimited
• Apprentice Ministries Inc.
• Ryans House for Youth
• Outcast Productions
• Langley Main Street Association
• Whidbey Island Nourishes
• Elizabeth George Foundation
• South Whidbey Commons
• Responder Carenet
• Mother Mentors of Whidbey Island
• Power of Hope
• Hub – Youth Central
• Living Design Foundation Inc.
• Island Shakespeare Festival
• South Whidbey Lions Club and Foundation
• South Whidbey at Home
• Hedgebrook
• Rod and Gun Safety Education Club
• Wild Works Conservation Foundation Inc.
• Northwest Language Academy
• Pye Global
• Context Institute
• South Whidbey Childrens Center
• Island Arts Council
• South Whidbey Historical Society
• Baby Island-Saratoga Club
• South Whidbey Elementary PTA Island Co 7 7 15
• South Whidbey High School Performing Arts Boosters
• Hearts & Hammers
• Whidbey Island Center for the Arts
• Whidbey Environmental Action Network
• Whidbey Watershed Stewards
• Whidbey Island Dance Theatre
• Langley Middle School Ptsa
• Readiness to Learn Whidbey Foundation
• Northwest Institute of Literary Arts
• South Whidbey High School Ptsa
• Goosefoot Community Fund A Not for Profit Corporation
• Fetch
• Wellington Childrens Association
• Friends of Friends
• Island County Fair Association Inc.
• Friends of the Langley Library
• Micah
• Morris Family Foundation

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CLINTON

• Animal People Inc.
• Chinook Learning Community
• Kids First – Island County
• Whidbey Institute
• Coming Alongside
• African Entrepreneurship Collective
• Wica Foundation
• Citizens in Support of Useless Bay Community
• Clinton Community Council
• South Whidbey Garden Club
• Tiny Houses in the Name of Christ
• Lakeside Bible Camp Association
• Whidbey Island Waldorf School
• South Whidbey Youth Soccer Club
• Friends of the Clinton Library
• Shoes for Kids Foundation
• Progressive Association
• North American Motor Officers Association
• Moving Images Video Project

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