I just returned from a series of meetings and a conference in New York City. I was traveling solo most of the week which provided me plenty of alone time...
I knew it wouldn’t be long before someone asked me about ghosts. When the Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently moved into our new home, Collaboratory, we were following in the...
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...
There are certain times it is not wise to search for information on the internet. I am reminded of this every time I google an unknown medical symptom, or the...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently welcomed two team members. Marina Nassif and Austin Brooks have joined the Foundation’s finance team. Nassif will serve as Controller and is a certified public accountant....
I noticed the Guide to Flipping Houses on the internet not too long ago, “5 Easy Steps to House Flipping.” I’m a closet fan of Flip or Flop, Flipping Out...
by Marianne Weiss, Vice President of Programs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast offers a unique opportunity for local companies to...
by Alex Olivares, M.S., Executive Director, The Center for Progress and Excellence Inc. The Center for Progress and Excellence Inc. (CPE) applied for a community impact grant in 2017. The proposed...
by Anne Chernin, MSW, MBA, Director of Client Services At Naples Senior Center we know that caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be challenging and,...
$30,000 Grant Check to be presented to help women with education for a career in healthcare The Women’s Legacy Fund (WLF) of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation will hold its 2018...
by Gina Frazier, board member, I Will Mentorship Foundation “What I liked about S.T.E.M this week is it tells young ladies that there is more to the world than phones, it...
The Washington Monument is beautiful at night and when I am on journeys to our nation’s capital I make a point to visit the iconic landmark in the moonlight. On...
I work alongside a team member who likes to ask “there are no bad ideas, right?” before she launches into an idea generating session at the office. I find myself...
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...
Preventing Dog Bites in Elementary Aged Children in Lee County By Nicole Ferguson-Morrison, DVM, MS, MPH, MRCVS Veterinarian, Lee County Domestic Animal Services Dog bites are a frightening experience for anyone, especially children....
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...
135 scholarships awarded through 91 scholarships funds for high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently granted $761,650 and 135 scholarships through a competitive process...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation will bring nationally renowned author and TED talk speaker Dan Pallotta to town on Saturday, November 3 for a one-day Board training seminar for nonprofit...
Last week I ran into now former Fort Myers city councilman, Mike Flanders in a downtown coffee shop. I flagged him down on his way out the door to introduce...
I found out last week that I am not the only one with a storied past. If you are a regular reader of this column you know that I share...
Can you imagine standing up on stage in front of a large rowdy crowd and reading excerpts from your childhood diary? It seems unimaginable to me, but last weekend I...
No doubt many of you are recovering from the recent Easter egg hunting season. Spring is in the air and for weeks leading up to the Easter Bunny’s annual pilgrimage...
When I was a kid, I fell in love with the band REM. It was the album Out of Time that changed the way I thought about music and made...
Plastics. This one word is actually ranked number 63 in the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie quotations in American Cinema. It appears in the 1967 movie...
Ardent community supporters Richard and Vicki Pitbladdo recently collaborated with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation to establish a virtual $1 million endowment. “This virtual endowment fund is reflective of the new...
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 theme of a recent conference I attended was delivered in the form of a question, “What Drives You?” Throughout the three days I spent with other grant makers and funders...
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...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has awarded $539,582.58 to both established and new programs that are designed to increase the quality of life in sustainable and equitable ways for Southwest...
This is a little bit of alphabet soup for you in the new year, but good news nonetheless. First, let’s just say that there are some nice benefits to being...
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...
I always enjoy watching a crowd stream into a room with unassigned seating. There are normally two distinct groups; the front row people who rush in and claim their spots in...
During this time of the year at the Community Foundation, our phone is ringing off the hook with people interested in expressing their philanthropy in the smartest, most effective ways....
Our community does an amazing job providing food for hungry people during the holidays. My email inbox and social media feeds explode this time of the year with stories of...
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...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation announces its new executive committee. Dr. Larry Hobbs will serve as the Foundation’s new chairman of the board of trustees; Craig Folk will serve as vice...
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 gentleman at the monthly meeting of the Southwest Florida Historical Society had a twinkle in his eye as he shared the mischief he had created on the grounds of...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently added Frederick Moon to its board of trustees....
Florida Weekly and I hit Southwest Florida right about the same time. I was a little bit ahead of them on the calendar but when they showed up on the...
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...
I recently heard a story in which a man was trying to break a Guinness World Record by rowing the distance in a boat made out of a huge, human-sized...
I just returned home from some summer travel. My youngest child is 15 and I am all too aware that there are only a few summer breaks left that will...
by Taylor Tringali, 2016 Florida Fellow, Southwest Florida Community Foundation In the eight short weeks of my fellowship with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, I have been immersed into the world...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently hosted more than 20 of its Women’s Legacy Fund’s Prima Donors for a dinner at its Community Hub. The evening featured dinner conversations exploring housing,...
by Mary C. Schoeffel, Development Director, The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) It is wild baby season! Are you one of the millions who watch YouTube videos of animals,...
by Anjali Van Drie, MA, MSW, BCBA, Vice President Family Initiative, Inc. Every Saturday, a few minutes after 1pm, Dylan comes running in to the gym smiling and giving hugs. After making...
Allows Donors to Focus on Progress and Results The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has earned the Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Profile Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar,...
