01 Feb 2019 Southwest Florida Community Foundation grants $596,923 to local nonprofits in annual Community Impact Grants
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has awarded $596,923 to both established and new programs that are designed to increase the quality of life in sustainable and equitable ways for Southwest Floridians.
Twenty-one local nonprofits were granted money from the community foundation’s available Field of Interest funds, as well as individual and corporate donations resulting from foundation’s Compassionate Shark Tank audience.
The nonprofits include: American National Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, CAIR, Calusa Waterkeeper, Cape Coral Animal Shelter, Catholic Charities Diocese, Christian Medical Ministries, CROW, Family Health Centers of SWFL, Feeding Children Everywhere, FGCU, Florida Department of Health – Charlotte, Glades Education Foundation, Gulf Coast Symphony, Home Base, LARC Inc., Naples Senior Center at JFCS, New Horizons of SWFL, Shelter for Abused Women Naples and Shipley Cardiothoracic Center.
Some examples of the regional funding include:
- Swim lessons and aquatics safety training for 250 students at the TICE community pool
- Workplace mentoring initiative; matching 65 students with local businesses to facilitate the exploration of career opportunities
- Increasing community awareness and engagement in response to Harmful Algae Blooms; funding for field personnel, data collection, video production, and participation in regional conference
- Purchase of a customized mobile van, for the safe transit of animals
- Purchase of specialized medical equipment for clinic, staff training and transit for 200 patients
- Expanding a national food distribution program for low income families
- STEM Summer Camp; a total of ten days serving 20 girls from 10th, 11th and 12th grade. Field research and lab work studies
- Training three visually impaired youth for a career in the arts
- 6-month health and fitness program for 60 Post-9/11 SW Florida Veterans
- Purchase of technology for 25 special needs students
- Medication assisted therapy for clinically supervised substance abuse recovery services
To review the details of the grants, please visit floridacommunity.com/portfolio/community-impact-grant/
“Once again we have an amazing group of nonprofits joining our Community Impact Grants 2019 Tribe,” said Sarah Owen, Southwest Florida Community Foundation president and CEO. “These relationships are true partnerships and we are grateful to our donors and those who have made these grants possible, many of whom are generous people who have left resources in their will or estate because they cared deeply about the region and want to be certain that nonprofits serving their causes have the resources they need to create change and opportunity in Southwest Florida.”
About the Southwest Florida Community Foundation
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation, founded in 1976, cultivates regional change for the common good through collective leadership, social innovation and philanthropy to address the evolving community needs in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Foundation partners with individuals, families and corporations who have created more than 400 philanthropic funds. Thanks to them, the Foundation invested $6.8 million in grants and programs to the community. With assets of more than $126 million, it has provided $78.2 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves since inception. The Foundation is the backbone organization for the regional FutureMakers Coalition and Lee County’s Sustainability Plan. The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s regional headquarters are now located in the historic ACL Train Depot at Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers, with a satellite office located in LaBelle (Hendry County). For more information, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com
-30-