BTC Foundation

Foundation members

Welcome

The mission of the BTC Foundation is to change lives by expanding access to quality education for the students of Bellingham Technical College.

We could not fulfill our mission without the generosity of individuals and organizations in our community. Last year donations to the Foundation totaled more than one million dollars. Those gifts touched every aspect of student life on campus, from helping pay tuition in the form of scholarships, to providing vital equipment for programs, to filling campus food pantries, and much more.

Your donation to BTC puts people to work right here—and elevates the entire region.

Watch this short video to see what it means to students and donors to give and receive scholarships.

Our donors are diverse, but share a common goal: to see BTC students succeed and prosper. As a BTC Foundation donor, you can help change a student’s life and contribute to a stable, vibrant and prosperous community.

What is Needed

Scholarships and Endowments

No matter what their background, BTC students have a common goal: to create better lives by achieving their academic goals.

In the past few years, students’ financial hardships have increased, while state funding has substantially decreased. More students than ever are applying for limited scholarship dollars.

We can’t do it without you. The BTC Foundation offers several ways to help students through scholarships (any gift can be made in-full or installments):

Named Annual Scholarship - Minimum gift: $1,000

Honor a loved one, establish a legacy or celebrate success. A named annual scholarship creates a personal connection between BTC students and an individual, business, or organization. Donors may specify award criteria to reflect values and objectives.

Endowed Scholarship - Minimum gift: $25,000

Make a lasting difference in the lives of BTC Students. An endowment requires a minimum gift of $25,000, which may be pledged over several years. Created through a bequest, charitable remainder trust, existing life insurance policy, or current gifts, an endowment is the best way to ensure your gift honors your passions and values, and lives on in perpetuity. Each year, 4 percent of the fund balance is awarded to a BTC student, allowing the fund to continue growing.

General Scholarship Fund - Minimum gift: any size

This is easiest way to transform a BTC student’s life. Individuals, businesses, and organizations may donate any amount to our General Scholarship Endowment or Annual Scholarship funds.

Program Support

Your cash donation can help strengthen your profession and your community by training the next generation of skilled workers. Program funds allow BTC to quickly respond to industry innovations and changing demands through curriculum revision, equipment purchases, or student and faculty development. Just be sure to tell us which program you want to support.

Donations of new or used equipment: BTC instruction is hands-on. In our labs, hundreds of students get real-world experience and learn to safely practice their trade—and they wear out the equipment. Your gift can keep a lab fully equipped and functional, improving the quality of student education. Please contact us regarding your “in-kind” gift of equipment or materials.

Greatest Need

Unrestricted donations are vital to what we do! Large or small, the flexibility of unrestricted donations provides critical support for BTC students, and moves us closer to meeting our goals of student access, success, and retention, through:

  • Emergency funding
  • Campus food pantries
  • Support for Veterans, High School Completion, and other student populations
  • Purchasing equipment and classroom materials
  • Meeting ordinary and unexpected expenses
  • Improving faculty access to program research and development

Click How to donate to give: Cash or assets - Equipment or materials.

Who We Are

Building a strong and vibrant community is everyone’s job.

Our work is led by a volunteer Board of Directors and governed by BTC's Board of Trustees. We are grateful for their dedication and for that of the faculty and staff who make a difference in the lives of our students every day.

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Info for Students

The Foundation serves BTC students by awarding scholarships and endowments, funding campus food pantries, emergency grants, student clubs, program equipment, class trips, and campus events. Go to the Information for Students page to see how the Foundation can support you.

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Info for Donors

Ways To Give

Gifts of cash are always needed, but there are many ways to contribute to BTC! No matter your stage in life or your ability to contribute, there is a gifting type that will suit you. With the exception of purchased goods, gifts to the Bellingham Technical College Foundation are tax-deductible*. 

Pay now with a credit card

We receive approximately 97% of your credit card donation after fees are assessed by the bank. Please consider adding 3% to your gift to help offset this additional cost. To avoid bank fees, we welcome payment by cash or check.

Click here to access our secure credit card processing page

Mail a check

Payable to: Bellingham Technical College Foundation
3028 Lindbergh Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225

Be sure to designate how you would like us to use your gift. 

Designate an IRA distribution

Donate all or part of your mandatory individual retirement accounts (IRA) distribution to benefit the Bellingham Technical College and our students through a qualified charitable distribution. Annual withdrawals from IRA accounts are required after age 70½ and a qualified charitable distribution is an IRA withdrawal that is paid directly from your IRA to a qualifying charity, like the BTC Foundation. While income tax is normally due on each traditional IRA distribution, you do not need to pay taxes on the charitable amount transferred to our foundation. Simply work with your financial institution to direct the desired amount to:

Bellingham Technical College Foundation
Tax ID #91-1658027
3028 Lindbergh Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225

Donate stock or assets 

Please contact Dean Fulton at dfulton@btc.edu or 360.752.8378 to discuss gifts of stock, real estate, or other assets.

Plan a legacy gift
Donate equipment or materials

Volunteer your time

We need you! Whether you are a retiree trying to stay busy, a business owner looking for an intern, or a BTC Alumni wanting to stay connected – if you have time to give, we can find a way for you to serve.
  • Fundraising Events: We can always use extra help coordinating and hosting events such as the Gala Fundraiser or the Scholarship Celebration Breakfast.
  • Foundation Board: We are often looking for potential new members to join our board.
  • Advisory Committees: Our Advisory Committees make a critical difference in keeping BTC’s programming relevant and innovative. Share your ideas and expertise!
  • Mentoring, tutoring, offering Internships, hiring students, etc. We welcome help from many different industry & private partners in countless capacities.

To learn more about how you can help, contact Valerie Frank at vfrank@btc.edu or 360.752.8464.

Thank you for your support!

 

The Bellingham Technical College Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender identity or expression, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, marital status or genetic information in its programs, awarding of scholarships and/or other activities.


* Bellingham Technical College Foundation's Federal Tax ID Number: 91-1658027. This represents a 501 (c)(3) tax exemption status granted by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States. The following fees will be deducted to support our Greatest Need Fund and to further fundraising efforts on behalf of Bellingham Technical College. Gifts to endowments will be assessed a 1% annual management fee based on the fair market value of the endowment at fiscal year-end (June 30th). All other gifts (with the exception of unrestricted, in-kind donations and those with differing agreements) will be assessed a one-time 5% administrative fee.

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Foundation Scholarships

The Foundation awards nearly $500,000 in scholarships each year. The application period is throughout spring quarter, typically April 15 through June 30. Every BTC student is eligible, regardless of program or demographics. Go to the scholarship pages to learn more and get started.
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More Info

The Bellingham Technical College Foundation was established in 1987 as a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation. We began with just a handful of board members, dedicated to student success. Since then, the foundation has helped thousands of students achieve their career goals through education. Since hiring our first staff members in 1997, the Foundation has played an increasing role in supporting BTC’s pursuit of larger organizational goals.

Select a heading below to learn more.

  • Governance

    We achieve our mission with the help and guidance of our Foundation Board of Directors, College Leadership, and appointed Trustees.

    Foundation Board Officers
    • President, Lin Nelson – CRO, Lean Revisions
    • Vice President, Tiffany Blair - Branch Manager, Peoples Bank
    • Treasurer, Crystal Greear - CFO, Blythe Mechanical
    • Secretary, Norm Vigre – President, Bramble Berry, INC
    Foundation Board Members
    • Mike Burke- Senior Vice President, Banner Bank
    • Lance Calloway - Northern District Manager, AGCW
    • Augie DeLuca - CEO, Blue Dog Bakery
    • Dino Garcia - Branch Manager, US Bank
    • Debbie Granger – Program Manager, Working Waterfront Coalition
    • Walter Michelutti - Chief Operating Officer, Anvil Corporation (retired)
    • Casey Morriss - Technical Services Manager, Phillips 66
    • Mike Morse – President, Morse Steel Service
    • Manuel Pacheco - Operations Superintendent, BP Cherry Point
    • Celina Phair - Director of Finance, Lummi Commercial Company
    • Alyssa Willis - BTC Alumnus

    Emeritus Members
    • David Blair
    • Russ Whidbee

    Ex Officio Members
    • Dr. James Lemerond, Ed.D. 
    College Leadership
    • Dr. James Lemerond, Ed.D. – President 
    • Chad Stiteler – Vice President, Administrative Services
    • Michele Waltz – Vice President, Student Services
    • Heidi Ympa - Vice President, Instruction
    College Board of Trustees
    • Robert DeCoteau
    • Jim Groves
    • Richard Kaiser
    • Ann McQuade
    • Bradley Smith
  • Employees

    Dean Fulton

    DEAN FULTON, Foundation Director
    360.752.8378
    dfulton@btc.edu

      

    Valerie Frank, Foundation Coordinator
    VALERIE FRANK, Program Specialist
    360.752.8684
    vfrank@btc.edu
  • Forms

  • Location

    The Foundation offices are located on the second floor of Morse Center, rooms 201-202. Our physical location is on the corner of Nome and West Illinois Streets. For navigation purposes, use 3003 W Illinois St., Bellingham, WA. Park in the upper parking lot and enter the lobby in the Northwest corner of the building.

    For detailed campus maps visit:  https://www.btc.edu/AboutBTC/HowtoFindUs.html#3

     

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Community Report

Learn more about BTC's students, programs, and donation opportunities through our annual report.

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Alumni

An active and engaged group of alumni is vital to BTC. We encourage our alumni to stay involved by serving on advisory committees, attending campus events, mentoring, volunteering and donating to support BTC and Foundation initiatives.

It is our hope to keep BTC alumni connected to the college by providing ongoing information about Bellingham Technical College and specific news/information about their graduating program. We plan to do this through alumni-specific newsletters as well as an annual alumni event on campus reconnecting former students with their peers and faculty.

If you are a BTC alumnus, please volunteer to serve on an advisory committee, join us at our biennial Foundation Gala, or contribute to our Scholarship or Program funds.

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Hours & Contacts

Regular Hours


Mon to Fri: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat-Sun Closed

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