Each summer, the Bainbridge Island Rotary Auction grabs headlines with its staggering scale and community spirit. But it’s what happens after the tents come down that defines the event’s lasting impact.
Proceeds from the auction – typically totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars – are invested into local and global initiatives through a carefully structured grants system. Each category of giving is managed by a dedicated committee that uses tailored applications, site visits and a rigorous review process to assess both need and impact. Final results are posted online to ensure transparency.
Funds are allocated across several areas: approximately 30% supports small community grants, another 30% funds large capital projects, 15% goes toward global humanitarian efforts and the remaining 25% supports scholarships and youth programs.
“Rotary has a longstanding tradition of awarding community grants to support nonprofit organizations,” says Rosemary Shaw, co-chair of the Community Grants Committee. “A dedicated team of more than 20 Rotarians thoroughly reviews applications from nonprofits serving Bainbridge Island and the wider Kitsap community.”
These grants – which range from $500 to $15,000 – support over 30 organizations annually in areas including health, housing, education, the environment, the arts, recreation and animal welfare.
Larger investments are managed by the Rotary’s Huney Committee – the club’s large grants group, named in honor of founding member Judd Huney, who championed major community projects throughout his 57 years of service. The committee typically funds one to three grants each year, with awards of $50,000 or more.
In the 2023 – 24 Rotary year, the Huney Committee distributed an unusually high number of large grants due to a backlog of requests and funds following the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants included:
● $100,000 to Finch Green for an affordable housing project
● $50,000 to the Bainbridge Island Tennis Association for facilities at Sakai Park
● $100,000 to BIJAEMA for a new facility at the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
● $100,000 to Helpline House for an expansion project
For the 2024 – 25 year, grants include $100,000 to Housing Resources Bainbridge for a new Ericksen Avenue project and $65,000 to the Bainbridge History Museum for a major expansion. A challenge grant has also been issued to Olympic College to help purchase an ultrasound trainer for obstetrical instruction.
Beyond Bainbridge Island, auction proceeds fund urgent global needs — including in Uganda where Rotarians and their partners have established over 200 clean water systems, 120 member-run village banks, and annual health clinics that include an initiative that empowers girls in school. In Nepal, projects include funding a hospital and addressing malnutrition among children. In Nicaragua, they provide sign language training for the deaf community and therapy for victims of domestic violence. Finally, since the war in Ukraine began in 2021, Rotary has mobilized tens of thousands of dollars in aid through a Ukraine subcommittee co-chaired by Nena Peltin and Vicki Evans. The committee has sent funds for baby food, winter clothing, generators, power packs and paramedic backpacks – which Peltin describes as “wearable ambulances.”
“Our system is incredibly efficient,” Peltin says. “We hear the needs directly from Kyiv, send funds to Poland and ensure the goods are delivered discreetly. Not a single item has been lost or diverted.”
The club also supports Ukrainian refugees resettling locally. Each summer, leftover household goods from the auction are packed into a 20-foot U-Haul and delivered to families in the Seattle area. Toys and gift cards are donated to refugee children during the holidays.
Locally, the Rotary Club funds eight to 11 scholarships annually for graduating seniors at Bainbridge High School and Eagle Harbor High School. Two new scholarships – the Roy Murdoch Construction and Engineering Scholarship and another for Olympic College nursing students – reflect the club’s responsiveness to changing workforce and healthcare needs.
Another key local initiative is the “Kids’ Pantry Bag” program, which combats food insecurity during school breaks. In partnership with Helpline House and Safeway, Rotary volunteers pack and deliver food to more than 400 children. The program costs $25,000 to $30,000 per year and has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID, the federal government fed all youth nationwide through the USDA,” says Mary Frances Callan, outgoing chair of the Youth Food Committee. “After schools reopened, that support ended during breaks – that’s when we stepped in.”
Under Callan’s leadership, the program began enhancing bags with fresh produce from local farms. Each bag contains enough food to support one child for an entire week. But the road hasn’t been easy.
“It took us about three years to feel confident that we had a reasonably complete list of youth in need,” Callan says. “Then the steep rise in food costs starting in summer 2024 made things harder – not just financially but because it increased the number of families needing help.”
Today, Helpline House remains the program’s key partner while Safeway helps identify the best food prices. Volunteers handle ordering, pickup, packing and even home delivery for children unable to access Helpline directly.
The Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island invites the public to get involved in this year’s auction cycle. A volunteer open house will be held June 2 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Woodward Middle School.
Key Dates:
● Donation days: July 5–8 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and July 9 (9 a.m. to noon)
● Preview night: July 11 from 5 to 7 p.m.
● Sale day: July 12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To donate, volunteer or learn more, visit bainbridgeislandrotary.org.
