I attended a community potluck dinner at Whidbey Institute. In addition to an introduction by someone from Whidbey Institute, there were also presentations by the Organic Farm School, the Waldorf School and Aldermarsh, who are all members of the Maxwellton Valley Collaborative.
What I realized is that non-profit organizations still need to make money to keep going and provide their special services.
Whidbey Island is known for the number and quality of its non-profits, but it’s important to remember that, like for-profit business, they need to have money to continue to do what they do. A non-profit operates as a business, but with a primary goal of continuing to provide specific services instead of making a profit.
We are challenged to decide where we want to donate money to the non-profits that best respond to our values and interests (and a lot of us are donating time, as well).
On Whidbey Island, where there are so many wonderful non-profits doing so much good, that is a challenge.