Giving to a Spokane nonprofit, in Emerson-Garfield since 1967
Keep the Lights On and the Soup Hot
The City covers about $2,600 of the $45,000 it takes to run Corbin each month, and your gift helps cover the rest, so lunch stays a suggested $5 and the heat stays on.
Rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator - EIN 91-1001680 - serving Spokane since 1967
Here is where your money goes. Corbin Senior Activity Center is a nonprofit at 827 W Cleveland Ave in Spokane. The City pays $31,500 a year, the same as in 2013. It costs $45,000 a month to run (Spokane Journal of Business, Nov 2025). Tours, events, rentals and the people in the room make up the rest, which is why lunch is a suggested $5 donation. Give once, and you are one of the people in the room, even if you never make it to lunch.
What does it cost to run Corbin?
Every figure here comes from the same Journal article. The gap is simple subtraction.
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| Running Corbin | about $45,000 a month |
| The City of Spokane’s share | $31,500 a year, about $2,600 a month |
| Change in the City’s share since 2013 | none |
| The gap after the City’s share | about $42,400 a month |
| Tours, the largest income source | about $90,000 a year |
| One suggested lunch donation | $5 |
The biggest pieces of that $45,000: to confirm: the largest monthly costs, in order, for example staff, utilities, food and building repairs.
Lunch is soup, a salad bar, a hot entree, dessert and drinks for a suggested $5. Nobody is turned away. "If they can pay, great," says Claudia Ouwerkerk, Corbin’s Executive Director. "If not, we take care of it." Gifts are part of how Corbin takes care of it.
What happens when the building breaks?
All eight of the building’s furnaces once failed at the same time. The replacement cost $136,000. Donors gave $27,000 through a fundraiser. Cline’s Air Conditioning Service, a Spokane company, donated the labor and a furnace. Avista connected Corbin with three assistance programs and awarded $98,000 toward the rest. That is how Corbin works: when something breaks, Spokane shows up. A gift today is how you show up before the next thing breaks. Read the full story in Claudia’s account on the About page.
An honest note about the building
Corbin is a 1910s church building to confirm: build year of the former Corbin Park Methodist Church. The floors creak, the lot fills by 12:30 on Wednesdays to confirm: Wednesday lot-full time, and the soup is better than anything on Monroe.
An old church costs money to heat and repair, and the furnaces proved it. Heat, repairs and upkeep are part of what your gift pays for.
What does my gift do?
- $25. The same as 5 suggested lunch donations. It pays for to confirm: what a $25 gift pays for at Corbin.
- $60. The same as 12 suggested lunch donations. It pays for to confirm: what a $60 gift pays for at Corbin.
- $150. The same as 30 suggested lunch donations. It pays for to confirm: what a $150 gift pays for at Corbin.
- $500. The same as 100 suggested lunch donations. It pays for to confirm: what a $500 gift pays for at Corbin.
- $1,000. The same as 200 suggested lunch donations, or more than a third of what the City pays Corbin in a month. It pays for to confirm: what a $1,000 gift pays for at Corbin.
Any amount helps. Five dollars is one suggested lunch donation.
How can I give?
- Online. Give by card through Givebutter at givebutter.com/corbindonation. Givebutter emails you a receipt.
- Every month. A monthly gift lets Corbin plan ahead. $25 a month adds up to $300 a year. Monthly option on Givebutter: to confirm: is the monthly option turned on in Corbin’s Givebutter form?.
- By check. Make it out to to confirm: payee name; candidates Corbin Senior Activity Center or Corbin Community Center, Inc.. Mail it to Corbin Senior Activity Center at to confirm: mailing address for gifts; candidate 827 W Cleveland Ave, Spokane, WA 99205.
- In memory or in honor. Memorial gifts: to confirm: whether Corbin accepts gifts in memory and how they are acknowledged.
- Stock or a gift in your will. Stock and legacy gifts: to confirm: does Corbin accept gifts of stock and bequests, and who should donors contact?.
- Employer match. Many employers match gifts to nonprofits. Their form will ask for Corbin’s EIN, 91-1001680. Matching platforms Corbin is set up on: to confirm: employer-match platforms Corbin is registered with, if any.
- Things. The Boutique sells donated clothing and accessories. What it accepts and when to drop off: to confirm: Boutique donation guidelines and drop-off times.
- Time. About 40 volunteers help run Corbin. See how to volunteer.
Questions about any gift? Call Claudia Ouwerkerk, Executive Director, at (509) 327-1584 ext. 406.
Can I trust Corbin with my gift?
- Charity Navigator: 4 stars. Corbin scores 92% and meets 10 of 10 key metrics. See Corbin’s Charity Navigator profile.
- Public filings. Corbin’s profile is on GuideStar. The legal name is Corbin Community Center, Inc., EIN 91-1001680.
- Spokane Parks and Recreation affiliate. Corbin is a nonprofit affiliated with Spokane Parks and Recreation.
- Here since 1967. Corbin has owned its building outright since 1978.
Frequently asked questions
Is my gift to Corbin tax deductible?
Corbin is a nonprofit, legal name Corbin Community Center, Inc., EIN 91-1001680. Tax-deductible status: to confirm: 501(c)(3) status; EIN 91-1001680 is listed on Charity Navigator. Givebutter emails a receipt for online gifts. Ask your tax adviser how it applies to you.
Where does my money go?
It goes into running Corbin, which costs about $45,000 a month. The City pays about $2,600 of that. Your gift helps cover heat, repairs, lunch for people who cannot pay and the rest of the gap.
Can I give in memory of someone?
Memorial gifts: to confirm: whether Corbin accepts gifts in memory and how they are acknowledged. Families planning a memorial can also hold a celebration of life at Corbin.
Can I give every month?
Monthly option on Givebutter: to confirm: is the monthly option turned on in Corbin’s Givebutter form?. $25 a month adds up to $300 a year. A steady gift lets Corbin plan ahead.
Can I donate clothes instead of money?
The Boutique sells donated clothing and accessories. It is open 10 AM to 2 PM on to confirm: Boutique days. What it accepts and when to drop off: to confirm: Boutique donation guidelines and drop-off times. Call (509) 327-1584 before you bring a load.
Can I give time instead?
Yes. About 40 volunteers help run Corbin, and volunteers serve lunch four days a week. See how to volunteer at Corbin.
Ready to give?
Pick an amount that feels right. It keeps lunch at a suggested $5 and the heat on for Wednesday pinochle.
4-star Charity Navigator - EIN 91-1001680 - Corbin Community Center, Inc.
Global blocks on this page, from 00-global.md, not rewritten here: Announcement bar, Header navigation (Donate stays a text link; Give to Corbin is this page’s primary button), Mobile call bar, Newcomer’s Guide signup block (after the FAQ), Footer.