How the Olympic College Foundation Turns Community Generosity Into Life-Changing Opportunity
For 30 years, the Olympic College Foundation has stood as a guiding force, bridging donors’ support with the aspirations and necessities of students, faculty, and the broader Kitsap County community.
The foundation, an institutionally related philanthropic partner of Olympic College, “supports several pillars of success at OC,” said Kimberly Cizek Allen, the foundation’s executive director.
“One of those is through direct student aid, through scholarships and grants,” Allen said. “And then part of that is through programmatic and campus support, and also supporting campaigns for projects, buildings, or other initiatives.”
But the Foundation is more than a financial resource. It is a driver of transformation—connecting donors to students, responding to urgent needs, and fortifying the college and the region. It is a story of impact, leadership rooted in empathy, and an unwavering commitment to student success.
Understanding and Meeting Local Need
“All community college foundations are unique in that they work to support what’s important to their college,” Allen said.
“Every community college is a little different in its priorities, based on who they’re serving and what they’re seeing in the community,” she said.
For Olympic College, which serves a diverse and sometimes underserved population across Kitsap County, that means being attuned and responsive.
“Part of what we strive for is being nimble and responsive to the needs that we see with our college partners,” she said.
One stark example is student hunger.
“Nearly 40% of OC students suffer from food insecurity. If they can’t eat, they can’t learn, they can’t stay in school, they can’t succeed, and that’s really what we’re here to help with,” she said.
When Resource Center partners reported, “the food pantry shelves are bare, we don’t have any Grab and Go packs… can you help?” the Foundation pivoted quickly to address the immediate need.
But the Foundation’s work extends beyond emergency interventions.
“We serve as the way that people who care about Olympic College… can support financially what’s happening here and the students who are transforming their lives,” she said.
The Foundation acts as a bridge—translating donor intent into tangible student and campus benefits while maintaining a deep understanding of the local context.
Mission in Motion
The Foundation operates around three pillars: student access, achievement, and success.
“Access is through direct student support,” Allen said. “Achievement is helping students with persistence, often through emergency funds or grants. Success is that sense of belonging that helps students find their place here, which we foster through many campus endeavors.”
The Foundation’s influence spans academic programs, athletics, and community initiatives.
“We offer several hundred scholarships to students, all different kinds,” she said. Donors may create scholarships for future engineers, nurses, journalists, or for students facing food insecurity or homelessness.
“We have scholarships for prospective journalists, engineers, people who like math, and many healthcare scholarships,” she said. “On top of that, we have several funds set up to support students with all sorts of emergency needs: housing, transportation, child care, food assistance, and most of that is managed in partnership with the Resource Center or food pantry.”
Adapting in a Changing World
Kitsap County is geographically large and diverse, and understanding its unique challenges is essential.
“Understanding what Kitsap is and how to support students is something we’ve had to do,” Allen said.
The Foundation’s responsiveness has been tested during leadership transitions. Allen’s own journey illustrates this resilience.
“I started as director of fund development, and then stepped into the Interim Executive Director role,” she said.
At that time, “there was actually only one other person working in the foundation then that person left. So it was just me for about a week, and then I hired someone. A lot of the functions of the executive director started coming my way.”
The experience galvanized her vision.
“One of our primary priorities is shoring up the foundation,” she said. “We want it to be strong and stable for decades to come. It’s rebuilding relationships with donors, letting people know, ‘We’re here. We’re back. We want to connect you with what excites you about supporting OC and the students we serve.’”
Supporting Opportunity and Growth
The Foundation aligns its work with the college’s present and future strategic ambitions, currently that is particularly healthcare and athletics.
“As the college executes its strategic plan we want to come alongside and support with funding. We’re prioritizing the healthcare expansion, particularly the EMT and paramedic, dental hygiene, dental assisting, respiratory therapy programs. We want to run a campaign alongside the college to fund the launch of these programs and potentially a building to house them,” Allen said.
Athletics is also expanding.
“Athletics here at OC has a new director, and he’s focused on building a robust athletics program,” she said. “We have many exceptional student athletes, so ensuring facilities and programs meet their potential is critical.”
Measuring Impact and Stories of Success
The Foundation’s success is measured not only in dollars but in lives transformed. “We have very direct qualitative impact, usually expressed through letters from scholarship recipients that we pass along to donors,” Allen said.
There is also a growing focus on quantifiable data. “We’re starting to track if students are completing their education,” she said.
The OC Promise Program is a signature initiative.
“We fully support the OC Promise Program, which helps high school students who might not consider higher education,” she said. “We take about 30 students from each of those two (Bremerton) high schools, and they’re part of a program where they get their tuition covered, it’s a last dollar scholarship. So most of these students do qualify for federal aid or other types of aid, but any remaining tuition and fees the foundation covers.”
“We also offer a more holistic support program for that first year, so there’s coaching, mentorship, check ins, etc.,” she said.
The Power of Donors and Community
The Foundation is built on generosity.
“The Foundation takes donor support and converts it into a student’s ability to transform their life and our broader community,” she said. “We serve over 200 students a year with scholarships, many of whom would not otherwise obtain higher education. Receiving a scholarship from Olympic College Foundation is life changing.”
Partnerships amplify the Foundation’s impact.
“Our primary partner is Olympic College – college leadership, the Board of Trustees, the Resource Center, the food pantry, athletics, and faculty,” she said. “Externally, Kitsap Bank sponsors The Community Lunch annually and provides a scholarship we distribute each year.”
A Leader Grounded in Community
Allen’s path to leadership mirrors the Foundation’s mission of supporting nontraditional journeys. A former registered nurse who faced burnout, she found purpose in nonprofit work with animal welfare organizations, eventually advancing into leadership.
Her approach to leadership emphasizes trust and empowerment.
“I’m deeply interested in how we relate to one another and to the environment. I like to lead people-first, allowing them to use their skills to the fullest. It’s empowering,” Allen said.
She champions diverse leadership styles, noting, “If we want things to change, we have to accept, even champion, other styles and types of leadership.”
Challenges and Looking Forward
The Foundation faces the same uncertainties as other nonprofits and higher education institutions.
“There’s a lot of economic uncertainty, which makes it challenging to know when the best time is to invest,” Allen said. “Tax law changes, political shifts, and whether higher education is prioritized all affect philanthropy.”
Balancing immediate needs with long-term goals is a constant challenge.
“It’s about building a long-term plan while being nimble—focusing on what’s happening now, supporting that, then returning to the bigger path,” she said.
Still, optimism is strong.
“We’re fully staffed for the first time in over three years,” Allen said. “Over the next two to three years, we’ll see a lot of improvement in building this as an effective philanthropic office. We’ll also advance a campaign around the healthcare expansion.”
Making a Difference, One Student at a Time
Allen emphasizes the proximity of impact.
“OC students are our neighbors and friends, family members, co-workers, now and in the future. They’re the leaders of our community. When you donate to a student at Olympic College, you’re directly impacting, very likely, someone you know, or someone just a couple degrees removed,” she said.
For Allen, the work is deeply rewarding.
“What I find rewarding about working at the Foundation is that you provide service. It’s knowing the work I do each day contributes to a student’s success and to a more vibrant, healthy community that benefits all of us.”
As the Foundation looks to the future—expanding support, building new campaigns, and deepening community ties—Allen envisions a more equitable and thriving society. “If we want businesses, systems, and society to function differently, we have to recognize different types of leaders… which will help us all thrive.”
With Allen at the helm, the Olympic College Foundation continues to transform lives, build community, and power opportunity across Kitsap County.
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