SOUTH FORK VALLEY
COMMUNITY FUND

The Whatcom Community Foundation has opened a $10,000 fund for people of the South Fork Valley, including Acme, Van Zandt and Welcome.

Now you and your neighbors can give as close to home as possible, and then help decide where the money goes!

Whatcom Community Foundation in South Fork Valley

One story among many—this video reflects just a small part of Whatcom Community Foundation’s work in the South Fork Valley over the past 30 years.

Did You Know?

The South Fork Nooksack is the only fork of the river that is not glacially fed, meaning its water is typically warmer and clearer than the North or Middle Forks — making it historically a gentler, slower waterway.

Van Zandt began as a lumber‑camp along the South Fork Nooksack River, with a post office established in 1892. Its 1927 schoolhouse still stands, serving as the Van Zandt Community Hall and home to the South Fork Valley Community Association and their low-power radio station.

The South Fork Valley follows the course of the South Fork Nooksack River, a roughly 50-mile-long river rising in the North Cascades and flowing past Acme, Van Zandt, and Welcome before joining the main stem. In the Nooksack language, this fork was called “Nuxw7íyem,” meaning “always-clear water.”

30 YEARS
of community building
in Whatcom County

0:

scholarships provided to Whatcom County highschoolers.

$86M:

invested in Whatcom County since 1996.

0:

local organizations supported to help fulfill their missions.

10K+:

grants and loans made to support mission driven work.

0:

Project Neighborly grants made to connect neighbors and build community.

$8.5M:

impact investment loans made in Whatcom County since 2015.

30 YEARS
of community building
in Whatcom County

0:

scholarships provided to Whatcom County highschoolers.

$86M:

invested in Whatcom County since 1996.

0:

local organizations supported to help fulfill their missions.

10K+:

grants and loans made to support mission driven work.

0:

Project Neighborly grants made to connect neighbors and build community.

$8.5M:

impact investment loans made in Whatcom County since 2015.