The Whidbey Institute in Clinton recently received a $210,000 grant to build capacity.

Awarded by the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, the funds were provided to increase the group’s staff with a full-time development manager who will oversee growth. According to a news release from The Whidbey Institute, an educational nonprofit in Clinton which works on social justice and environmental issues, the grant will also provide for website development, grant writing and capital campaign consultants.

“This grant makes it possible to take a much-needed step into long-term financial, programmatic, and operational stability,” Whidbey Institute Executive Director Heather Johnson said. “… With this support, we can create the kind of sustainable fundraising program an organization of this size needs in order to thrive, while increasing the impact of our donors’ contributions on the lives of those we serve.”

This is the second time the Clinton nonprofit has received money from the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust in the past decade. In 2010, the trust partnered with the Whidbey Institute for a three-year grant that enabled collaborative programming, earned income, impact, and reach. This newly awarded grant is also for three years and will be delivered incrementally.

The new development office will build relationships with donors, expand the grant-seeking program, revitalize the Rising Leaders Scholarship Fund, and help with the launch of a capital campaign for additional onsite housing.

The M. J. Murdock Trust was founded through a bequest by Melvin J. Murdock, co-founder of Tektronix, Inc. He was an entrepreneur in the Pacific Northwest and created the trust to “enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants and enrichment programs to organizations seeking to strengthen the region’s educational, spiritual, and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways,” according to the trust’s mission statement.