Two landmark gifts — totaling $7 million — have brought the new Washougal Community Library within reach.
The FVRL Foundation announced today that The Endeavour Fund has committed $6 million to the campaign for a new Washougal Community Library, the largest single gift in the Foundation’s history. Combined with a $1 million anonymous gift, the campaign has now secured $10 million of its $10.4 million private fundraising goal — leaving just $400,000 remaining.
For the people behind these gifts, the decision was personal. The Washougal community has waited more than four decades for a library that truly fits its needs. The current facility — a 2,300-square-foot space tucked inside the city’s administrative complex since 1981 — serves nearly 18,000 residents. It is a library that has done remarkable work in an impossibly small space. The new 14,000-square-foot building will change everything.
The new library, set to open in early 2028, will be built on a donated property in the heart of downtown Washougal — a gift in its own right, received in 2021. The building will feature dedicated spaces for children and teens, meeting and programming rooms, study areas, expanded collections, and public computer access for residents without home internet. It will serve as an anchor for downtown economic development, drawing residents and visitors to the city’s core alongside a new community center, splash park, and dog park.
The project reflects years of community-driven planning and a shared belief that Washougal deserves more.
“These remarkable gifts bring us into the homestretch for the new Washougal Library,” noted Jenny Wilkerson, Executive Director of the FVRL Foundation. “We stand within $400,000 of our $10.4 million objective, and we invite the entire community to help us cross the finish line.”
That final gap is an invitation.
The FVRL Foundation is calling on community members, local businesses, and philanthropic partners to help close the campaign and make history for Washougal. Every gift — at every level — brings this library one step closer to the people who need it most.