Cortes Island’s little community foundation has turned to be a leader in terms of innovation. 

“Most community foundations have years and years of fundraising and millions of dollars of endowments behind them. They get to have their cake and eat it too,” explained Executive Director Manda Aufochs Gillespie.

“This idea that we’ve got – to just hit the ground running and figure out what the social profits on Cortes need and trying to help become a partner and getting that for them – turns out that’s really innovative in the community foundation world. It’s only the most up to date modern community foundations that are trying to figure that out.”