Member News

November 2011

Dr. Phillips Charities Helps Build Innovative In-Kind Donation Center for Domestic Violence Facility

Harbor House of Central Florida, a nonprofit anti-domestic-violence agency in Orlando, received a challenge grant from Dr. Phillips Charities for its campaign to help build an In-kind Donation Center that will allow survivors entering the Harbor House emergency shelter to bring valuables with them, making them more comfortable with entering the shelter. It will also ensure Harbor House is able to accept more donations such as perishable food, construction materials, cleaning supplies, etc. and will cut expenses for these items. [Read More]

October 2011

EITC Campaign Supported by Jessie Ball duPont Fund Has Major Economic Impact on Community

An Earned Income Tax Credit campaign supported by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund has had a major economic impact in Duval County, according to a new study by Jacksonville University researchers. The study found that the Real$ense Prosperity Campaign has helped low-income taxpayers capture more than $18 million in credits and refunds and save more than $3 million in tax preparation fees. The additional income in the pockets of these taxpayers has been responsible for creating 204 new jobs, generating $8.1 million in new labor income and creating $23.2 million in total economic output across Duval County. [Read More]

 
Community Foundation of Tampa Bay's New Grants Support Employment/Job Training

The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay has awarded new grants totaling $315,000 to support at-risk youth and employment/job training initiatives. The grants come from the Community Impact Fund set up by the foundation's trustees to meet compelling needs within the Tampa Bay region. [Read More]

Publix Tops List of 50 U.S. Companies With Best CSR Reputations

Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets earned the No. 1 spot, followed by Google and UPS, in the 2011 ranking of the 50 companies with the best corporate citizenship reputations among the U.S. public, as compiled by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and Reputation Institute. The Walt Disney Company came in at No. 12. [Read More]

September 2011

Walt Disney World Resort Named Among 10 Best Companies for Supporting the Arts in America

Walt Disney World Resort has been named one of the 10 best companies supporting the arts in America for 2011 by the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA), a division of Americans for the Arts. BCA praised Disney's multi-faceted approach in supporting arts, citing its $12.5 million capital investment in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and its 2010 grants totaling $565,000 for the local arts community, including Disney Helping Kids Shine grants to support local youth arts programs. [Read More]

   
Community Foundation for Brevard Launches First-of-its-Kind Website for Nonprofits

The Community Foundation for Brevard has launched a new web-based tool that enhances community education about Brevard's not-for-profit organizations. The site - www.ConnectBrevard.org - is designed to be a resource to community volunteers, organizations and donors. The Urban Institute, National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) teamed with the Community Foundation for Brevard last year to shape and pilot the site in Brevard County. [Read More]

August 2011

Jaguars Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Award Grants for Teen Health

The Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and the Weaver Family Foundation have awarded $135,000 in Straight Talk funding. Straight Talk grants are part of the foundations' partnership to reduce and prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens. [Read More]

The Mosaic Company Provides Leadership Gift for The Florida Aquarium's New Education Center

The Mosaic Company made a $2.5 million leadership gift to The Florida Aquarium in Tampa for the creation of an education, conference and event facility - Mosaic Center. Mosaic's gift, part of the Aquarium's new Rising Tides capital campaign, is the single largest donation in the Aquarium's 16-year history and helps pave the way for a new round of sound business growth for the facility. [Read More]

The Miami Foundation Launches New Engaged Youth Leadership Program

The Miami Foundation is accepting applications for the inaugural class of Engaged Youth, a leadership development program geared toward high school juniors and seniors in Miami-Dade County. Engaged Youth will directly connect 75 students from diverse backgrounds with mentors and role models who also share a commitment to building a Greater Miami. Applications are due by Sept. 26. [Read More]

Helios Education Foundation Invests Over $1.4 Million in STEM Education

Recognizing the critical role STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education plays in better preparing students for postsecondary education and career success, Helios Education Foundation is investing over $1.4 million in two new Tampa Bay programs focused on teacher quality and content knowledge in STEM in Polk and Citrus counties. [Read More]

July 2011

VA Approves Enhancement to Sarasota National Cemetery Funded by The Patterson Foundation

The Patterson Foundation's proposed $5.5 million ceremonial enhancement to Sarasota National Cemetery has been approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The 1.77-acre enhancement design within the cemetery's 295-acre compound will allow veterans' families and veterans groups to use the grounds in honor of their fallen military loved ones. [Read More]

Jacksonville Foundations Support Safety Net Groups for Third Year

Jacksonville foundations have come together for a third year to provide critical support to nonprofits helping people impacted by the ongoing recession. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund committed $600,000 to re-open the Community Safety Net Fund at The Community Foundation in Jacksonville; that gift was matched by $300,000 from the Lucy Gooding Charitable Foundation Trust. The Community Foundation is soliciting additional gifts. [Read More]

The Miami Foundation Launches Class VI of Miami Fellows

The Miami Foundation has launched Class VI of its Miami Fellows, a leadership development program designed for individuals who have demonstrated leadership and have the dedication to do more. The program will engage a new generation of leaders in building a Greater Miami, and received funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Application deadline is August 12. [Read More]

Jaguars Foundation's Straight Talk Show Airs

Straight Talk, a partnership of the Jaguars Foundation with local media, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, aired its 2011 show in June to help prevent teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections among teens. [Read More]

June 2011

FPN Members Help Make New Eatonville Boys & Girls Club a Reality

For more than a decade, the Eatonville Boys & Girls Club has operated in a cramped portable classroom with threadbare carpet, broken window blinds and a crammed computer area with a handful of aging terminals. But on June 17 the charity officially unveiled its new $1.4 million, 9,000-square-foot Joe R. Lee branch with state-of-the-art equipment and dozens of exhilarated kids who rushed in to explore it. The facility is named for the retired Darden Restaurants executive who helped make it possible, and was made possible thanks to major funding from Darden as well as support from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation and Walt Disney World among other funders. [Read More]

Community Foundation Announces Million Dollar Matching Opportunity: Alleviate Hunger and Affordable Housing Challenge

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties approved $489,000 in grants for the Alleviate Hunger and Affordable Housing Initiatives. The two initiatives help build partnerships between the agencies in the food and housing systems, with the ultimate goal of improving the access to food and affordable housing in our communities.  In order to leverage the foundation’s investment, it has issued a one-to-one matching challenge.  Organizations who received the grants will have until October 2011 to meet their match opportunity.  Currently, over 1,700 children in the Palm Beach County School District are homeless and over 50% of children receive free or reduced price lunches.  [Read More]

Allegany Franciscan Ministries Addresses Health Care Needs in Six Florida Counties

Allegany Franciscan Ministries awarded grants totaling nearly $900,000 to 59 nonprofits in June to increase access to health care and improve the health status of underserved and marginalized persons, with most of the projects focused in Hillsborough, Pinellas, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. Allegany plans to award an additional $5 million in grants by December 2011. [Read More]

New Blue Cross Social Media Campaign Rewards Florida Nonprofits That Net Most Public Votes

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has launched a new social media program, called The Pursuit, that will award $3,000 each month to a different Florida nonprofit that receives the most public votes. Runners-up get $1,000 each.  Each month a different group of organizations that have created health, wellness, educational or social empowerment opportunities throughout the state are posted on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Facebook page, and Florida residents can vote for the nonprofit they like best.  [Read More]

AT&T Contributes to Joplin Storm Relief and Care

The AT&T Foundation announced a $50,000 grant to the Greater Ozarks Regional Chapter of the American Red Cross to support storm relief efforts in Joplin, Mo.  The funds will be presented to the local chapter to help restoration and relief efforts that will benefit victims of the severe weather that affected the Joplin community.  [Read More]

Community Foundation of Broward Reaches $100 Million in Assets

The Community Foundation of Broward has reached $100 million in assets, which represent the donations of more than 700 philanthropists interested in supporting critical causes in the local community through the establishment of individual funds.
The foundation has taken on a leadership role in past years on a number of critical issues, including HIV/AIDS education, children aging out of foster care and homelessness.  [Read More]

 
May 2011

Walt Disney World Ends 40-Day Journey to Benefit Central Florida's Children

Arriving at the Hope CommUnity Center with a Disney grant for $41,000, Walt Disney World cast members awarded the organization its top grant as it marked the end of a 40-day celebration to surprise, recognize and reward organizations that improve the lives of local children.  Since April 13, Walt Disney World has given more than $1.2 million in Disney Helping Kids Shine Grants on its journey across Central Florida to shine a spotlight on organizations that educate, develop and care for local youth.  [Read More]

The Patterson Foundation Increases Alabama Tornado Relief Match

The Patterson Foundation will match donations made through The JOY FM’s “Gift Cards for Alabama” drive up to $50,000, benefiting communities in rural Calhoun County, Ala., impacted by the April tornadoes.  Matching funds will be used to seed a tornado relief fund benefiting Calhoun County.  The funds will be leveraged for the permanent needs of the community, including construction of permanent structures.  [Read More]

  
April 2011

Gainesville Community Foundation Gives Inaugural Legacy Awards

With $10 million in assets raised to support the arts, education and other community needs, the Gainesville Community Foundation celebrated its success in its first decade by giving the first Gainesville Legacy Awards to honor a donor, a professional advisor and a nonprofit.  [Read More]

New Initiative Aims to Revitalize Jacksonville Neighborhoods in Need

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund and The Community Foundation in Jacksonville have come together to invest $900,000 in LISC Jacksonville to support a new broad-based effort to revitalize communities in Duval County.  Leaders of both foundations are challenging the community to raise an additional $2 million to fully fund LISC Jacksonville's EPIC (Empower People and Inspire Change) Communities initiative, which will take a holistic approach in addressing everything from education and healthy recreation to financial literacy and business development, starting in two pilot communities.  [Read More]

Southeast Florida Nonprofits Win Awards for Going Green

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties has announced five local nonprofit organizations as winners of its Fourth Annual Nonprofits Going Green Contest.  The top award, the Barbara Groves Eco-Impact Award for $7,500, went to Faith Farm Ministries (Boynton Beach) for showing the greatest commitment to greening efforts.  The Sustainable Communities Award, for $6,000, went to Prime Time Palm Beach County (Boynton Beach) for Project Grow, which provides opportunities for afterschool programs to plant, grow and eat organic food.  [Read More]

Walt Disney World Kicks Off 40-Day Celebration to Reward Nonprofits Improving Children's Lives

In honor of its 40th anniversary, Walt Disney World Resort has kicked off a 40-day “Shine On” celebration across Central Florida to surprise, recognize and reward nonprofits and organizations that improve the lives of local children. Between now and May 22, Disney will award more than $1.2 million in Disney Helping Kids Shine Grants, starting with $290,000 announced for school districts and early learning coalitions in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake and Polk counties.  [Read More]
  

 
Jessie Ball duPont Fund Releases Latest Round of Research on Florida Medicaid

In the fall of 2006, Florida launched an experimental five-year Medicaid program in Duval and Broward counties that replaced traditional Medicaid with a managed-care model, with the goal of improving efficiency and reducing costs.  The Jessie Ball duPont Fund has commissioned researchers at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute to update their previous research on the impact of the current Medicaid reform pilot program, which expires this summer, and assess the impact of federal health reforms on the state’s Medicaid program.  Among the report’s findings: The five-year pilot Medicaid program has yielded little in the way of concrete evidence of either efficiencies or cost reductions.  In fact, the pilot has raised significant questions about the ability of its managed care model to effectively meet the needs of beneficiaries, particularly in a turbulent market.  [Read More]

FPN Members Honored for Excellence in Communications

Two FPN members – the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation and The Community Foundation of Sarasota County – have been honored for excellence in communications as recipients of 2011 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards. Presented by the Council on Foundations, the awards recognize grantmaking foundations and corporate giving programs across the country for excellence in communication strategies and techniques that advance their grantmaking goals.  Both Florida organizations were recognized in the annual or biennial reports category.  [Read More]

March 2011

"Gulf Coast Gives" Lets Anyone Be a Philanthropist

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice has launched a new online giving site - Gulf Coast Gives - that connects the needs of local charities with people in the community who want to help. Visitors can shop online for charity projects and buy nonprofits exactly what they need - clay for children's art classes, scholarships for Little Leaguers, food for struggling families and much more.  [Read More]

February 2011

The Patterson Foundation Issues Matching Gift, Inspires Philanthropy for Arthritis Foundation

The Patterson Foundation recently announced that it would match every dollar raised by the Arthritis Foundation Florida Chapter (AFFC) through its series of seven 2010 Jingle Bell Run/Walk events and online “virtual” event up to $250,000, which was later increased with a stretch goal of $500,000. The matching funds will create an endowment to advance the mission of AFFC.  [Read More]

Helios Announces $1 Million Gift to Teach For America Miami

Helios Education Foundation has announced a $1 million matching gift to Teach for America's Miami-Dade region.  Teach For America began placing corps members in Miami-Dade Public Schools in 2003 to help address disparities in educational outcomes between students in the county's low-income neighborhoods and their higher-income peers.  In the 2010-2011 school year, nearly 150 Teach For America corps members will reach more than 10,000 students in approximately 20 schools throughout Miami-Dade County. [Read More]

     
January 2011

Sarasota’s Season of Sharing Campaign Surpasses $1.5 Million for People in Need

For the second straight year, the Season of Sharing campaign - an 11-year partnership of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Herald-Tribune Media Group - surpassed its annual $1.5 million goal for donations.  That level of support allows the program to continue helping families at risk of homelessness.  Matching dollars from The Patterson Foundation are still available for contributions to the campaign, which ends in March.  [Read More]

Applications Now Being Accepted for Knight Arts Challenge Miami

Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 Knight Arts Challenge Miami - a community-wide contest to fund the best ideas for the arts. A program of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Knight Arts Challenge Miami seeks to draw the best and most innovative ideas out of local organizations and individuals seeking to transform the community through the arts.  [Read More]

 
December 2010

Florida’s Largest Community Foundation Refreshes Brand, Launches New Web Site

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice has refreshed its brand identity with a bold look and new voice to more effectively tell the story of its work.  The brand refresh for Florida’s largest community foundation includes a modern logo and a completely redesigned Web site at GulfCoastCF.org.  “Everything that we do at Gulf Coast is about the community,” said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO. “Our refreshed brand reflects our proactive nature and that of our donors.”  [Read More]

   
November 2010

Dade Community Foundation Announces New Vision & New Name: The Miami Foundation

The Dade Community Foundation has unveiled a new vision and a new name: The Miami Foundation.  The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced a $6 million gift to The Miami Foundation during the unveiling of The Miami Foundation name and vision.  The name change reflects The Miami Foundation’s plan to invest in and “help grow a greater Miami,” one in which 50% of its residents moved in well after the county’s name was changed to include Miami.  The Miami Foundation’s new logo symbolizes its commitment to leadership, community and philanthropy.   [Read More]

Chartrand Foundation Helps Fight Anti-Gay Bullying in Schools

The Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network (JASMYN) received an $85,000 grant from The Chartrand Foundation to encourage safer school environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.  The grant will allow JASMYN to hire a director of student support services to help high school students build a network of gay-straight alliances.  [Read More]

 

 
October 2010

Knight Foundation Receives Google Grant to Support Media Innovation Work

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has received a $2 million grant from Google Inc. to support the foundation’s media innovation work.  Half of the grant will be used to support the fifth year of the foundation's Knight News Challenge, a $5 million media innovation contest.   [Read More]

Helios Education Foundation & Open Society Foundations Fund Largest Scholarship Partnership in Hillsborough Community College's History

Hillsborough Community College announced the launch of the largest scholarship partnership in the college’s history, a four-year performance-based scholarship demonstration designed to assist 750 low-income students succeed in math.  Helios Education Foundation and the Open Society Foundations have contributed $2.4 million to this initiative, with HCC receiving $1.5 million.  [Read More]

Grants Will Help Nonprofits Boost Revenues, Cut Costs

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice awarded more than $200,000 in operating grants to help seven local nonprofits diversify their revenue streams or cut costs through new efficiencies amid the tough economy.  The foundation also approved grants to produce a new season of a popular television series that showcases Venice and surrounding communities, and to help teachers in southern Sarasota County create innovative classroom learning projects.  [Read More]

September 2010

Sarasota/Manatee Workforce Collaborative Receives National Designation

Manatee and Sarasota County will become the nation's newest National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS) site, and the only one in Florida, thanks to work by CareerEdge Funders Collaborative of Manatee & Sarasota. CareerEdge will receive $450,000 in new grant money from NFWS.  Investors in CareerEdge include the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  [Read More]

Dr. Phillips Charities Helps Women Make Successful Transition After Incarceration

Women who want to change their lives after being released from incarceration will continue to receive support toward achieving that goal thanks to a recent $100,000 grant from Dr. Phillips Charities to First Orlando Foundation Inc. to fund the operation and maintenance of Lydia House, a nine-month transitional housing program that provides medical support, counseling and job skills training for non-violent female offenders who have nowhere else to go.  The grant was among $2.35 million in grants and pledges awarded in July and August to local nonprofits by Dr. Phillips Charities.  [Read More]

August 2010

South Lake County Nonprofits Get Financial Boost

Twenty-five nonprofits serving the South Lake County area received funding from the Community Foundation of South Lake County in the areas of education, health and community development.  The foundation's recent grants totaled $88,000.  [Read More]

Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation Supports Local Youth-Serving Agencies

The Jaguars Foundation awarded $764,000 in its first grant cycle of 2010 to 27 local nonprofits serving economically and socially disadvantaged children and families in Northeast Florida.  The grants included general program grants, youth anti-obesity grants, and “straight talk” grants for comprehensive educational programs to help prevent teen pregnancy and the spread of HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections among teens.  [Read More]

Quantum Foundation Announces 2010 Quantum Neighborhood Initiative Grantees

The Quantum Foundation has announced the 2010 grantees of its Quantum Neighborhood Initiative Fund (QNI Fund), which was established in 2008 to support community health improvements within the neighborhood surrounding its new administrative headquarters.  The grants support collaborative grassroots and innovative projects with the potential for transformational and sustainable impact on the health of the neighborhood.  [Read More]

Community Leaders Graduate From Gulf Coast Leadership Institute

Twenty-seven emerging and experienced community leaders have gained valuable skills to better serve their region thanks to training provided by Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. The group graduated recently from the third class of Gulf Coast Leadership Institute, a comprehensive leadership development program created and funded by the foundation. They join 54 leaders from across the region who previously completed the program.  [Read More]

Community Foundation of Sarasota County Accepting Applications for 2010 Capacity Grants

An online grant application is now available at www.CFSarasota.org for charitable organizations to apply for the 2010 BOOST grants.  This 2010 BOOST cycle of $500,000 represents the second year of a 2009 initiative that focuses on building capacity across the nonprofit sector with a goal of elevating nonprofit management and business practices to the next level of performance.  [Read More]

Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Announces New Mission, Focuses on Homelessness

After 37 years, the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation has announced its new mission: “Creating Innovative Civic Solutions Helping People Help Themselves.”  In line with this mission, the foundation reached out to homelessness experts in Central Florida to develop an innovative solution to help a community affected by joblessness, home loss, and a continued weak economy. The result was more than $661,000, strategically targeted to make a positive impact on the issue, including funding a new staff position at the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida.  [Read More]

July 2010

Kids Aging Out of Foster Care Getting the Help They Need

Together with fundholders Nancy Bryant and Jerry Taylor, the Community Foundation of Broward recently raised $100,000 to help young people leaving the foster care system find stability and success in their lives.  Bryant and Taylor, two Community Foundation donors, worked with their philanthropic advisors at the foundation to create a $50,000 challenge grant, the Foster Success Challenge.  In five short weeks, foundation staff turned $50,000 into $100,000 to help former foster youth throughout Broward County make the difficult transition to independence.  [Read More]

Sea Turtles Injured by Gulf Oil Spill Arrive for Care at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Eight sea turtles injured by the Gulf oil spill are being rehabilitated at Walt Disney World Resort under the care of Disney animal experts. In addition, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) has donated $100,000 to help with environmental and animal rescue efforts, including $50,000 to The National Audubon Society for their response in the Gulf. Another $50,000 in grants from the DWCF Rapid Response Fund is being awarded to various grassroots organizations assisting with the cleanup.  [Read More]

Bank of America Invests in Youth Leadership

Bank of America is partnering with 90 nonprofits and putting 230 civic-minded high schoolers to work this summer as part of its Student Leaders program. The Student Leaders, selected in recognition of their service to the community, participate in eight-week local nonprofit internships, funded by $1 million from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, where they gain hands-on experience and learn the finer points of nonprofit management and leadership while providing valuable service to nonprofits in need of resources.  [Read More]

Community Foundation of North Florida Fosters Local Philanthropic Efforts

The latest issue of Tallahassee Magazine describes how the Community Foundation of North Florida benefits nonprofits in the Big Bend region and facilitates local donors' charitable giving. "The Community Foundation of North Florida makes it possible for Average Joes to create lasting charitable legacies," the magazine writes.  [Read More]

Gulf Coast Community Foundation Invests in STEM Education

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice has announced a five-year project to jump-start improved teaching and learning results in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  The innovative program will invest up to $2.5 million at five middle schools and three high schools in Sarasota and Charlotte counties.  The project is designed not only to benefit the targeted schools and children but also to act as an impetus for community-wide involvement in STEM-related activities.  [Read More]

Helios Foundation Invests in Florida's Early Childhood Education

With the ages of birth to five being the most critical stage in the growth and development of young children, Helios Education Foundation is investing close to $1 million in three early childhood education (ECE) initiatives that will expose children to positive learning environments and provide high quality training for ECE teachers in Florida and Arizona.  The largest grant recipient was the Early Learning Coalition of Polk County, Florida, which received $497,608 to support ECE teacher professional development programs that, over time, will help teachers better understand how children learn to read and develop vocabulary.  [Read More]

June 2010

Jacksonville Grantmakers Relaunch Community Safety Net Fund As Needs Continue to Soar

As the number of needy persons in Jacksonville continues to grow, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and other private donors in the Jacksonville area have come together to reopen the Community Safety Net Fund, which sustains nonprofit organizations providing food, shelter and emergency assistance.  The Jessie Ball duPont Fund has invested $500,000 in the Safety Net Fund, the Lucy Gooding Charitable Foundation has contributed $200,000 and other private donors have added an additional $110,000.  [Read More]

Eckerd Family Foundation to Spend Last Dollar, Close Up Shop

The Eckerd Family Foundation, endowed with $100 million from Jack Eckerd's fortune from his Eckerd Drugs store chain, is winding down its long-held mission to help troubled youth and foster children, the St. Petersburg Times reports. The Tampa-based foundation plans to spend the remainder of its funds by 2012 and close its doors no later than 2014. The foundation's board met to approve that decision this month.  [Read More]

Dr. Phillips Charities Helps Ready Students for the Workforce

More middle and high school students could be financially literate and ready for the workforce by their graduation thanks to a new grant from Dr. Phillips Charities to Junior Achievement of Central Florida.  That grant, along with funding for extensive additions and renovations to three YMCAs are just a few of the benefits from more than $4.6 million in grants and pledges awarded in April and May to local nonprofit organizations by Dr. Phillips Charities (The Dr. P. Phillips Foundation and Dr. Phillips Inc.).  [Read More]

Gulf Coast Community Foundation Awards Scholarships to Deserving Students

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice awarded 366 scholarships totaling more than $450,000 to students from Sarasota and Charlotte counties and Boca Grande for the 2010-11 academic year.  Through its scholarship program, the foundation assists students of all ages who will be pursuing higher education at a vocational school, two- or four-year college, or graduate institution.  [Read More]

May 2010

Southeast Florida Nonprofits Still Feeling Impact of Tough Economic Times, New Survey Finds

Many nonprofits in Palm Beach and Martin counties and surrounding areas are struggling to keep their organizations running at full capacity at a time when needs have increased dramatically, according to a new report by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and Allegany Franciscan Ministries.  But tough times have also sparked ingenuity in the sector, with organizations reporting they are collaborating more with other nonprofits and building endowments needed to weather future storms.  Nonprofits cited obtaining funding, recruiting donors and covering employee payroll and benefits costs among their top challenges.  [Read More]

April 2010

Martin County Community Foundation's Giving Day Raises Nearly $200,000

In an eight-hour flurry of philanthropy, 74 local nonprofit agencies raised nearly $200,000 as part of the Martin County Community Foundation's second annual Giving Day.  Matching donations by the Frances Langford Foundation, the Shirley Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Lon Kight and the foundation's board raised the total to nearly $300,000.  [Read More]

FPN Members Win National Awards for Communications Excellence

Two FPN members received 2010 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program for Excellence in Communications, which recognize grantmaking foundations and corporate giving programs for excellence in communication strategies and techniques that advance their grantmaking goals.  In the Public Information Campaigns category, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice took home a gold award for its Because It Matters regional civility campaign, and the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties received a bronze award for its Nonprofits Going Green campaign.  [Read More]

Southwest Florida Community Foundation A Key Partner in New Project to Help Business Start-Ups

A new community project, the Southwest Florida MicroEnterprise Project, will provide training and loans to make it easier for people of low to moderate income to start a new business in Southwest Florida.  The Southwest Florida Community Foundation is fundraising for the project, and is a partner in the project with Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida and Accion, USA.  [Read More]

Haitian Community Receives Help to Ease Earthquake Repercussions in South Florida

South Florida's Haitian community will receive new resources to cope with the severe local stresses resulting from the earthquake in Haiti, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  The grants, totaling $600,000, will go to five Miami-based nonprofit groups to address both short- and long-term challenges facing Haitians in South Florida.  According to FPN estimates, Florida grantmakers have contributed more than $20 million for Haiti earthquake relief and recovery efforts to date.  [Read More]

March 2010

Community Foundation of North Florida, Knight Foundation Partner to Advance "Informed, Engaged" Tallahassee

The Community Foundation of North Florida will receive up to $2.5 million over the next seven years from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to foster an "informed, engaged" Tallahassee.  The effort is part of Knight's Community Foundation Initiative to deepen its focus on ensuring communities have the information they need to make decisions about their lives.  [Read More]

Patterson Foundation Helps Partnership for Needy Reach New Milestone

Season of Sharing, a 10-year community-wide fundraising partnership for the needy in Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee and DeSoto counties, reached an unprecedented $1.5 million in donations in March, thanks to a $250,000 outright grant and a $250,000 matching challenge from The Patterson Foundation.  Season of Sharing was created by the Herald-Tribune Media Group and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.  [Read More]

Community Foundation of Tampa Bay Ranked Among Nation's Most Efficient Charities

A recent editorial in the Tampa Tribune praised the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay for once again being ranked among the most efficient charities in the country, according to Charity Navigator.  [Read More]

Jessie Ball duPont Fund Helps Florida Girl Scouts Go Green

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund awarded $132,000 to Girl Scouts of the USA to pilot environmental projects in five Florida Girl Scout councils.  The grant was among 14 awards totaling $1.9 million made by trustees in February, of which four grants totaling more than $530,000 supported work in Florida.  [Read More]

Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Backs Orlando's Google Push

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation has committed up to $100,000 to help community nonprofits fully implement an ultra-high-speed Internet network if Google selects Orlando as a test site for the company's experimental network.  City residents and businesses can lobby Google to choose Orlando by going to GetGoogling.com.  [Read More]

February 2010

Manatee Community Foundation, Knight Foundation Partner to Increase Local Impact

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced that it will invest up to $2.5 million to foster an "informed, engaged" Bradenton over the next seven years through the Manatee Community Foundation.  The new approach will modify how the Knight Foundation works in the Bradenton region and other Knight communities. Grantseekers in Bradenton will apply for funding through the Manatee Community Foundation, and an advisory committee in Bradenton to guide the community foundation on how to use the funds.  [Read More]

January 2010

Florida Charities Feel Disney Boost

Space Coast nonprofits report boosts in volunteerism thanks to Walt Disney World's "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" promotion, which offers volunteers who donate a day to designated charities a free pass into a theme park. [Read More]

Four Florida Foundations Are Knight Community Information Challenge Winners

Four Florida foundations are among 24 winners of the second Knight Community Information Challenge, a five-year, $24 million contest of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation that helps community and place-based foundations find creative ways to use new media and technology to keep residents informed and engaged. Florida winners are Community Foundation of North Florida, Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Health Foundation of South Florida and Coral Gables Community Foundation.  [Read More]

The Patterson Foundation Launches Vision

With a blank charter from the late Dorothy Patterson to do good throughout Sarasota and beyond, The Patterson Foundation has launched with a mission to inspire individuals and organizations to transform communities through innovative, collaborative and efficient philanthropy.  With no grant cycle or application process, the foundation will honor the Patterson family history through nine areas of focus.  [Read More]

Health Foundation of South Florida Supports Health Services Reaching Nearly 73,000 Residents

The Health Foundation of South Florida announced $650,000 in new grants focused on increasing access to quality, primary health care; healthy lifestyles promotion; preventive health-measures and oral health.  The grants, which typically range from $30,000 to $100,000, were awarded to 14 nonprofit health-related organizations in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The combined impact of the funding is expected to reach and improve health for 73,000 residents.  [Read More]

December 2009

Knight Foundation Continues Investment in Community Foundations Nationwide

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced that it intends to invest $70 million over the next seven years to community foundations serving cities and towns where the Knight brothers owned newspapers.  The new Community Foundation Initiative will deepen the Knight Foundation's focus on fostering informed, engaged communities.  [Read More]

Edyth Bush Foundation Teams Up With Community Leaders to Deliver 250,000-Pound Food Basket

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation helped community cupboards meet the demands of hungry families during the holiday season through grants of $15,000 each to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Catholic Charities and Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando, which used the funds to provide more than 250,000 pounds of food to families facing hunger.  [Read More]

Blue Foundation Honors Nonprofits for Improving Health of Floridians

Seven Florida nonprofits were honored for their work to improve the health of Florida's uninsured and underserved as recipients of The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida's 2009 Sapphire Awards. The top awards went to the Ann Storck Center, Fort Lauderdale, and The Education Fund - Plant a Thousand Gardens Collaborative Nutrition Initiative, Miami-Dade County.  [Read More]

November 2009

Sarasota Community Foundation Awards 30 Grants to Celebrate 30th Anniversary

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County culminated its 30th anniversary celebration in November by announcing 30 BOOST capacity-building grants totaling more than $831,000 and a new grantmaking focus on helping improve nonprofit fundraising.  [Read More]

Knight Foundation Awards Infuse South Florida Arts Scene With New Funding

Emerging from 1,562 applications, 20 winners received $3.7 million in the 2009 Knight Arts Challenge, a community-wide contest by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to find the best ideas for the South Florida arts.  [Read More]

Gates Foundation Supports New Teacher Effectiveness Initiative in Hillsborough Schools

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a $100 million grant to the Hillsborough County School District to support an ambitious new effort to improve teacher effectiveness.  Over the next seven years, the Hillsborough schools plan to use the funds, which will be matched dollar for dollar, to transform the way the district recruits, trains and retains high-quality teachers.  [Read More]

Bank of America Supports Florida Nonprofit Leaders

Fourteen Florida nonprofits received $200,000 each from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to participate in the Neighborhood Excellence Leadership Program with other nonprofit leaders from 45 communities in the U.S. and London.  [Read More]

Miami Nonprofits Report Growing Demand for Services, Declines in Funding

While 75% of Greater Miami nonprofits report an increased demand for their services, an equal share report their funding being down by 11% or more, according to the Dade Community Foundation's new Nonprofit Economic Impact Survey Report. The report also shows that 45% of nonprofits had to lay off staff in 2009. Yet these groups maintain a resolve to keep up with demand for their services - somehow.  [Download the Report (PDF)]

October 2009

Community Foundation Leads in Helping Nonprofits "Go Green"

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties was named the first nonprofit to be certified by GreenNonprofits.org, the new gold standard for nonprofits seeking to "go green" while making a difference. [Read More]

Eckerd Family Foundation Urges Full Implementation of Fostering Connections Act

The Eckerd Family Foundation in Tampa is part of a nine-foundation coalition that has announced a nationwide effort to fully implement the Fostering Connections Act, the most comprehensive federal reforms to child welfare policy in over a decade. The announcement, which includes the launch of the Fostering Connections Resource Center, was made on the first anniversary of the passage of the law that requires safe, permanent families for foster youth, and improvement in their overall well-being, by addressing health care needs and educational stability. [Read More]

Libraries to Enrich Lives in 12 U.S. Communities Through Expansion of Digital Access

A new initiative by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation expands digital access and training through local libraries in 12 U.S. communities, aiming to enhance citizens' ability to use the power of the Internet to improve their lives. The effort comes on the heels of sweeping recommendations by the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. [Read More]

Health Foundation to Help Older Adults Stay Healthy and Independent

Nonprofits in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties will be able to help older adults stay healthy and independent by offering programs recently funded by the Health Foundation of South Florida, as part of the foundation's Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative. [Read More]

September 2009

Chiles Begins "Journey of One Million Steps"

Bud Chiles of the Lawton Chiles Foundation kicked off the "Journey of One Million Steps" in Escambia County.  Through his walk across the state, Chiles hopes to raise awareness about Florida's challenges, with education being a primary focus, and to bring a call to action on the part of Florida leadership. [Read More]

 

Jacksonville Nonprofits Making Strategic Changes to Cope With Recession, According to New Report

Jacksonville nonprofits have made numerous changes in how they operate in response to the current economic downturn, according to a new report by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. 76% of nonprofits surveyed have made strategic organizational changes, with the most common change being a shift in target client base or programmatic focus, while 59% have increased advocacy with government, 52% have changed board operations, 46% have reduced or frozen wages and benefits, and 35% have reduced staff. [Download the Report]

  
Economy Not Key in Residents' Love for Where They Live, New Study Finds

A Gallup study of 26 U.S. communities finds that the worst economic crisis in decades is not a key factor in attracting and retaining residents. The Soul of the Community survey, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, reveals that a community's social offerings, physical beauty and openness to new and different people are most important to making residents love where they live. Bradenton, FL has the most resident attachment of all communities surveyed. [Read More]

  
Community Foundation Loan to Spur Affordable Rental Housing in Palm Beach and Martin Counties

In response to the growing need for affordable rental housing, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties has announced a $4 million low-interest loan to the Florida Community Loan Fund (FCLF), a nonprofit statewide lending institution. It is one of the largest investments in affordable housing ever made nationwide by a community foundation to a Community Development Finance Institution.  [Read More]

 

  
New Gulf Coast Foundation Report Recommends Improvements to Florida's 911 System

A first-of-its kind analysis of 911 in Florida identifies numerous vulnerabilities and offers specific recommendations for shoring up a fragmented emergency response system. The independent study was commissioned by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice following the 2008 murder of Denise Amber Lee of Sarasota County. The study found that Florida's 911 system is not a "system" at all, but rather a patchwork of state and local agencies, protocols and technologies cobbled together to respond to 911 calls. [Read More]

2,000 Miami-Dade School Children to Hear Live Classical Music Through New Knight-Funded Project

The newly created Miami Music Project Ensemble will perform at 10 adopted Miami-Dade middle schools, reaching the ears of over 2,000 children, thanks in large part to support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Miami Music Project is a dynamic ensemble of musicians from all over the country, who will perform exciting classical music concerts onsite at the schools. By teaching the students from the stage they will place the art form in a historical, political and social context.  [Read More]

Dade Community Foundation Supports Military Service Members, Veterans and Families

Twelve nonprofits have received $1.9 million from Dade Community Foundation to serve and support troops and veterans on the homefront who have served our country in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11.  The foundation awarded the grants through its BRAIVE Fund Initiative, which is funded by a $5 million, two-year grant from the California Community Foundation.  Two other Florida foundations are partners with Dade in the Florida BRAIVE Fund and have also awarded recent grants through the initiative: The Community Foundation in Jacksonville and Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice.  [Read More]

August 2009

Blue Foundation to Help Address Nursing Shortages

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida is one of 10 foundations nationwide to receive funding from Partners Investing in Nursing's Future, a unique national initiative to help address the long-term shortage of available nurses across the country. The Blue Foundation will use the two-year, $250,000 grant, which will be matched by funds from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, to promote the use of simulation technology in Florida nurse education. [Read More]

Collaboration to Help Pinellas Seventh-Graders Master Algebra I

Helios Education Foundation, SRI International, and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg will partner with the Pinellas County school district in a half-million-dollar project to get more kids ready for Algebra I by the end of seventh grade. The initiative will merge high-tech software with cutting-edge curriculum and top-notch teacher training. Helios will provide $400,000 for the first year of the five-year project. [Read More]

Web Site Rallies Support for Jacksonville Nonprofits

The Jacksonville nonprofit community has launched a new Web site, www.IGetItJax.com, to capture responses of support for arts and social services as part of the city budget.  Operated by the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida, the site was created in response to the City Council's recent cuts to public service grants for social service agencies and to the Council's indication that it will cut an additional $50 million from the budget.  Social service and cultural organizations worry that those cuts could mean fewer dollars for vital safety-net services for the poor and underprivileged. [Read More]

Community Foundation of Sarasota County Launches Initiative to Boost Capacity of Local Nonprofits
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has announced the launch of a $1 million initiative to help local nonprofits maintain their levels of service during these difficult economic times.  The multi-tiered initiative, called BOOST: Building Organizations' Operational Strength Today, will provide fundraising training, promote increased volunteerism, provide grants to help nonprofits sustain core services, and help meet the critical demand for direct human services. [Read More]

AT&T Increases Investments in Education, Environment, Volunteerism
AT&T announced that it has increased its social and environmental investments during the economic downturn, with commitments totaling $865 million for education, environmental, and volunteerism programs that strengthen communities, stimulate economic growth, and ensure the nation's global competitiveness. [Read More]