An anonymous donor has donated around $250,000 to create a one time, experimental grant program that gives directly to the Cortes community.

The Cortes Island Community Foundation (CICF) was chosen to create the program and distribute the funds in the form of one time, cash "gifts" to individuals. The gifts never have to be paid back, and the CICF do not need receipts of how the cash was spent.

"We want people to apply for money for their specific needs instead of trying to fit their needs into a box like most other grants," says Isabelle McKnight, executive administrator for the CICF. "What the Cortes Foundation wants to do is just have people apply for what they actually need, whether that's a car to get their kids to school or dental work that they need to get to town for, whatever it is."

The funds will be distributed in gifts ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and aren't taxable. The program is looking to focus on families and individuals that are in acute financial need.

"It's a very generous, one time thing that the donor has offered and they wish to remain anonymous," says McKnight.

"And it's a pilot program, so if we can figure out how to run this and it's really successful, we're hoping to attract other donors to do projects like this, because this is the core of what we want the foundation to be, is to provide whatever people in the community actually need."

More information can be found at the CICF's website.

Listen below for more from CKTZ: