Community foundation forms to support islandwide efforts

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 7, 2026

A new nonprofit foundation born out of years of work at the Vashon Chamber of Commerce is seeking board members for a broader role in supporting islandwide projects, from transportation advocacy to community events and public spaces.

The Vashon Community Foundation has been established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing it to accept tax-deductible donations and apply for grants.

Cheryl Lubbert, one of the foundation’s founding board members and a past president of the Chamber, said the organization grew out of a need for a broader community vehicle — one that could support projects beyond the Chamber’s role as a business membership organization.

“We’re here as a vessel to help,” Lubbert said.

Lubbert said the organization received its nonprofit designation last year, has filed its first annual report and already has donations in the bank, including money connected to the Vashon Troll project.

The foundation is now working to expand its board and define its early priorities.

Lubbert emphasized that while the foundation grew out of work happening around the Chamber, it is a separate organization, with a separate board and mission.

The Chamber, as a 501(c)(6), can advocate and lobby on issues affecting businesses, but is limited in the kinds of grants and charitable donations it can receive. A 501(c)(3) foundation, by contrast, can serve as a charitable home for broader community projects.

The foundation’s emergence comes as the Chamber is also reassessing its role in producing some of Vashon’s signature events.

In October 2025, the Chamber board voted to redirect more of the organization’s limited staff and volunteer capacity toward business advocacy, lobbying and member support. Chamber leaders have said the 2026 event season will remain familiar, but that some events may eventually move to new homes or partnerships.

That could include efforts such as Islanders for Ferry Action, community events, placemaking projects, public art, signage, beautification, transportation access and other initiatives that benefit the island as a whole.

The foundation could also help raise, manage and distribute money for large community events, including Strawberry Festival, Lubbert said, though it does not currently plan to produce the festival itself — a distinction that comes as the Chamber explores a new long-term structure for the island’s largest summer event.

“What the Community Foundation can do for Strawberry Festival is it can accept donations that the Chamber could never accept in those kinds of amounts,” Lubbert said.

She said a major corporation or donor may be more likely to support an event or project if the gift is tax-deductible. The foundation could also apply for grants that support community-based events.

Kristin Flor Perret, one of the foundation’s early organizers, said in an email that she joined the effort after seeing a gap in Vashon’s civic infrastructure.

Perret, who moved to Vashon five years ago with her husband, said the island’s lack of municipal government means residents often must find their own ways to fund and organize community priorities.

“The Foundation’s mission should be built with the community, not for it,” Perret said in an email.

Perret said the foundation is seeking board members with experience in nonprofit leadership, finance, fundraising, communications, business and community engagement. But she said the most important qualification is a commitment to Vashon.

“We need people who reflect the full breadth of this community — not just business owners, not just longtime residents, not just one corner of the island,” Perret said.

Lubbert said the foundation is not looking for volunteers yet, but is focused on building a board with diverse experience and strong community ties. Once the board is in place, she expects the group to meet quarterly and begin listening more formally to residents about what kinds of projects the foundation should pursue.

Possible areas of focus could include transportation, public gathering spaces and ways to make it easier for residents and visitors to move around the island, Lubbert said.

She pointed to the Vashon Troll as one example of the kind of large, collaborative project the foundation could help make possible. The Chamber helped facilitate that project, but donations had to flow through the Scan Design Foundation because Vashon did not yet have its own community foundation.

Lubbert said the new foundation could give future projects a local charitable home.

“I like to support big initiatives, like the troll, the skate park, and go to Olympia and advocate for ferry improvements,” Lubbert said. “I love doing those types of projects, and that’s why the community foundation felt like something that would really fit.”

Perret said in the email that success in the coming years would mean building an organization that islanders trust and use — not just another board, but a lasting platform for community investment.

“Success looks like a Foundation that people can’t imagine the island without,” Perret said.

Community members interested in learning more about board service can contact Lubbert at cheryllubbert@mac.com.