Real impact. Real kids. Real change

Pictured: Athletes from Pocock Youth Rowing Program after the 2025 Power Hour Fundraising Event

A few years ago, a friend asked me a question that caught me off guard:

"Why should I give to the Pocock Foundation instead of any other nonprofit? There are a lot of good ones out there."

At the time, I didn’t have a great answer.

I think I mumbled something about helping kids — which, of course, is important — but I was new to the George Pocock Rowing Foundation then. I hadn’t had the chance to really step back and think about it. As a coach for the Foundation, I was focused on getting the boats back safely, bonus points if all the kids stayed dry and were still in the boat when it reached the dock.

Now, after five years employed with the Pocock Foundation, I hope someone asks me that question again.

In fact, today I’m going to pretend that you are the friend who asked me.

Let’s set the scene:
Imagine you grew up on a small island in Washington State.
Everything costs more there — groceries, gas, sports — because it’s all got to make it across the water from Seattle.
You work hard. You spend most of your money on your kids’ education, commuting, and just trying to make life a little better.

And you ask me:

"Why would I give to the Pocock Foundation instead of any other nonprofit?"

Here’s what I would tell you now — three reasons, for three kinds of thinkers:

First, for the practical thinkers:
Eighty cents of every dollar donated to the Pocock Foundation goes directly to support young people.
That’s right up there with some of the most trusted organizations in the country — St. Jude’s, United Way, The Nature Conservancy.
When you give to us, you can trust your money is going exactly where it should go: to the kids.

Second, for the community-minded thinkers:
When we support a boathouse, we’re not just helping a few kids — we’re strengthening entire communities.
We invest in young people who turn around and lift up their schools, their neighborhoods, their families.
It’s a ripple effect, and it’s real.

And third, for the emotional thinkers:
Rowing changes lives.
I’ve seen it.
I’ve watched a shy, unsure kid — the one who flipped their boat again and again that first season — grow into the steady, confident team captain who leads their team to Nationals.
I’ve seen faces light up when kids walk into a boathouse that feels like home.
I’ve seen parents cry tears of relief when a scholarship made it possible for their child to stay in a program they love.

So, why give to the Pocock Foundation?
Because we are a reliable organization that puts kids first, strengthens communities, and changes lives.

Plain and simple.

Written by Rachael Arand, Event Coordinator and Executive Assistant