By Tom Theisen, Board Member Since 2000

The Skagit Valley Food Co-op began in 1973, and while only conjecture, I am quite sure that as soon as they showed a profit, the original Board started to figure out ways to use a portion of that success to support the community that supported them. What I know for sure is that when I joined the Board in 2000, the Co-op was giving back to the community in many ways, although without structure or formality.

In 2004, after much consideration, the decision was made to implement a long-term strategy for returning a portion of profits to the underserved of our community with the adoption of our 4% Friday Community Shopping Day program, a donation of 4% of the net profit of sales on the 4th Friday of every month to a “like-minded” organization. Over all of these years, the process is still similar: a call for proposals goes out in early summer with a deadline of September 30th. A relatively minimal amount of information is requested, focusing on being clear on “what the money will be used for.” It was important for the evaluation committee to feel good about the funds benefiting a specific purpose or program and not just being added to a general budget. Selected groups are encouraged to staff a table in the Co-op to promote their organization and, in turn, increase the awareness of the Co-op within their sphere of influence. In those early years, preferences went to local children and food assistance programs. Often, we worked hard to reach out to organizations and encourage them to submit. Some years, we barely reached our goal of twelve groups that fit our loosely defined criteria. Then came the years that we were overwhelmed with the number of applications and the statements of need.

Our evaluation process has essentially remained the same. After the submittal deadline, a committee of Board members and staff spends an evening reviewing applications and sharing thoughts about the expressed needs and intentions on how the funds will impact our community. Priorities are developed after many rounds of “ranking”, eventually winnowing down the field to twelve, one for each month of the year. Additional consideration is necessary to try to match organizations with the month that makes the most sense for their specific needs: holiday food programs for November, seeds and garden tools for May, back-to-school backpacks for August, and so on, and so on. As might be expected, the selection process has become more challenging in recent years, with the number now approaching fifty applications.

A Few Notable Facts:

The first year of 4% Friday in 2004 raised over $11,000
2024’s donation total was over $38,000!
We’ve supported 85+ community groups
The largest donation was $5,539 to IRIS: (Immigrant Resources & Immediate Support Group) in December of 2023
Over $555,000 has been donated to date!

As a Board member, having been involved in many of those evenings of application evaluation, it was always humbling to read all of the many stories of need in our community. The growing success of this program is evident in the amount generated each month. In the beginning, the donation total was in the hundreds, and now, it is in the thousands. The amount has increased even more since the Board chose to increase the giving percentage from 4% to 5% in 2025.

Last year, we had a record 51 applications, and as you can imagine, it was hard to narrow it down to twelve. With so much need, groups that are not selected for 5% Friday are often chosen for the Tokens for Tomorrow program, the four jars at checkout. Each jar represents an organization, and shoppers who decline a paper grocery bag get a token worth 8 cents to deposit in the jar of the organization that they choose to support. Token totals often reach hundreds of dollars. These organizations change quarterly. Not only does this program provide valuable resources to community groups, but it also encourages shoppers to bring their own bags or use a box available nearby.

We anticipate the needs will only be more expansive as time moves forward, so if you represent or know of a community group that could use additional financial assistance, please encourage them to apply next year, as this year’s deadline has already passed. And, for all of you shoppers, please mark your calendars for a big shopping day on 5% Friday. And, while there, stop by the group’s table and learn a bit about the good things that they’re doing in your community with the money you just helped donate. You can learn more about the upcoming 5% Friday recipient groups here.

From the Board: 5% Friday & Community Giving