Cone of uncertainty. The term crossed my mind as I watched reports on Tropical Storm Arthur, which flared up before hurricane season even officially began. We’ve grown accustomed to hearing...
When the service missions end for local military veterans and their families, the mission of the nonprofit Home Base Southwest Florida begins. With the latest figures from the U.S. Department of...
There is a great deal of talk these days around adaptability. Personal, professional, business, government and healthcare adaptability are top of mind as we navigate the pandemic in all aspects...
Strengths and vulnerabilities across and within systems are magnified during times like these. Our systems – healthcare, education, and the economy - are struggling under the weight of a virus...
I spend a good portion of my time these days virtually connecting with people who desperately want to do something to help those suffering as a result of the pandemic. ...
These are anxious times. COVID-19 has impacted global and local communities and disrupted our everyday lives in ways large and small. As we work together to adjust to quickly changing...
This column is difficult for me to write as it hits close to home. My birth year of 1963 places me on the cusp of the baby boomer generation, and...
by Christian Bell, Marketing Manager Ray Charles, Art Tatum, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli—these great performers, who are all immediately recognizable for their amazing talent, all dealt with visual impairment. Many singers,...
I have always been perplexed by people who become upset with inanimate objects. Someone who stubs their toe and is mad at the table, or unattended burned cookies become the...
Talking and writing about generosity and philanthropy in the month associated with love should come easy. By definition philanthropy is the love of humanity, and maybe that is all that...
The woman sat awkwardly on the folding chair outside the dark office of a small business, continually checking the posted hours of operation and the calendar housed on her phone. Without...
It has been four years since I sent a family holiday card. Around October my expectations and intentions reach a pinnacle and I believe that a festive greeting and a...
When I was a kid there was a corny saying that worked its way into conversations whenever someone said something that rhymed. I am guessing most of you have uttered it at...
120 people from 32 nonprofits from throughout Southwest Florida gathered on Saturday, Nov. 3 for Dan Pallotta's Bolder Board Training at Collaboratory located in midtown Fort Myers. The event was...
by Jack Ham, Principal, The Academy, Port Charlotte, Fla. Another school year has come to a close, and The Academy has even more reason to celebrate than usual. Given the school's...
The sights and sounds of commencements are all around us this time of year. I remember my own graduations and the sense that the whole world had stopped and noted...
I decided to work from home today, so I am not wearing my business attire and am writing this from my comfortable couch with a very different view out the...
by the Team of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation What on earth do you plan to do in honor of Earth Day this week? While the official Earth Day is April...
I have been a life long environmentalist. As boy, I sailed with my family all along the East Coast from New York to Maine. As a young adult, I took...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has launched an Earth Day campaign to raise awareness and funds for the environment in Southwest Florida. The “Earth Day the SWFL Way” campaign is meant...
Wandering into the Chapultepec Forest seemed a bit mysterious. As I stood at the gates leading into one of the largest parks in the Western Hemisphere, I didn’t have a plan. I...
The plates of cookies and pitchers of fruit-infused water went untouched for weeks. This surprised me as I thought the smell of warm chocolate chip wonders and refreshing thirst quenchers...
There was something very special about Mary. She lived to be 96 and during her lifetime she was educated, married a wonderful man, was well-traveled, had children and grandchildren she...
In just a few short weeks Southwest Floridians will be gathering around Thanksgiving tables with friends and family. I am in the gratitude business so you can imagine that Thanksgiving is...
Brace yourselves for the onslaught of back to school promotions. For those of you who grew up when school started after Labor Day the abundance of ads for all things...
by Anne M. Chernin, MBA, MSW, Director of Client Services JFCS of Southwest Florida Last month I had the opportunity to travel to the University of Florida in Gainesville to participate in...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently added Frederick Moon to its board of trustees....
I enjoy the challenge of navigating a new city, particularly as a solo traveler. I feel empowered when I am able to get from point A to point B on...
I went to a new gym last week. I realize lots of people went back to gyms over the past few weeks as part of a blurry eyed pact they...
How are you going to change the world? It was an innocent enough question that I asked each of the young professionals who visited our office last week. These six young...
My sister-in-law has a decorative plaque hanging in her house that begs the question, “What if tomorrow you had only the things you gave thanks for today?” Inspirational quotes show up...
“Britt Is It” for President is my all-time favorite political slogan. You won’t be seeing Britt on next week’s ballot but this candidate did make a successful presidential run back...
by Renee Waller, Communications Coordinator, Naples Botanical Garden At Naples Botanical Garden, we strive to not only connect people with plants, but also to inspire and offer barrier-free access to the...
Congratulations to the Southwest Florida Community Foundation board of trustees and senior advisors celebrating 40 years of philanthropy. The anniversary events were kicked off tonight with the awarding of the...
My youngest child is 15 years old now so Easter egg hunts have gone by the wayside. I considered hiding cash in plastic eggs all over the yard this year...
I am wondering what your reaction is when you read the headline to this week’s column. Some of you might be thinking, “Are you kidding me, season in Southwest...
The next generation of philanthropists, those who fit into “Gen X” (born 1964-1980) or “Gen Y/Millennial” (born 1981-2000), will wield more philanthropic power than any previous generation, according to Nextgendonors.org....
I am generally a glass half full type of person. I am a delusional optimist about most everything including my work. A new year caters to this type of thinking,...
