Community Foundation Awards Over $215,000 to Keys Nonprofits; Generous Donors Help Increase Support to Benefit Residents

Grantees from Upper, Middle and Lower Keys, including New Recipients

The Community Foundation of the Florida Keys is awarding grants totaling $215,266 to 35 Keys nonprofits for community collaborative projects that will directly benefit residents from Key Largo to Key West. Due to the generosity of donors and fund holders, the Community Foundation has significantly increased the amount of funding and number of projects supported from previous years through its annual grant program.

More than one-third of the recipients are new to the annual grant program this year.

The 2021 “Moving Forward, Better Together” Grants Program is boosting Keys communities with creative, interesting new activities to help communities move forward from the pandemic, support local nonprofits, and serve residents. The grants, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 each, provide needed support in areas including health and human services, arts, education, environment, and more.

Among the projects receiving support are housing assistance programs, outreach for homeless youth, environmental restoration projects, creation of community gardens, construction of new affordable housing units, technology training for seniors, literacy programs for new immigrants, youth sailing and science classes, culinary education programs, access to arts opportunities, pet care services for victims of domestic abuse, and much more. A complete list of grantees is attached.

“The Community Foundation is very excited to support these nonprofits working collaboratively in new and innovative ways,” said Jennifer McComb, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “These projects show not only the breadth of the programs and services offered by our incredible nonprofits in the Keys, but also the many ways we are working together with donors to help our residents, communities and environment.”

“Moving Forward, Better Together” grants are funded through generous donations to the Future Fund at the Community Foundation, as well as numerous legacy and field of interest funds.

New this year to the annual program, a number of grants are supported through five Donor Advised Funds at the Community Foundation, including a significant contribution from the Driftwood Fund, along with very generous support from the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam Fund, Beverly and Bill Goldner Charitable Fund, Landau Family Fund of the Upper Keys, and the Ron and Joyce Burd Fund.

The Community Foundation’s Grants Committee, comprised of board and community members, reviewed the funding requests from 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits and selected the proposals for funding.

Eligible applications were required to include a collaboration with another nonprofit serving the Florida Keys. Projects needed to have a new or different component from the nonprofit’s regular activities, including reaching new audiences, introducing new services, or implementing new strategies.

More information is available at cffk.org/grants or 305-292-1502.

Your Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, In Paradise for Good, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Since 1996, the Community Foundation has been connecting people, resources and needs through philanthropy. CFFK helps individuals and families leave a legacy in the Keys by inspiring giving and by investing in people and solutions to benefit every resident from Key Largo to Key West. Over $30 million in grants have been made to student scholarships, arts and culture, beautification and preservation of the Keys, health and human services, hurricane relief, and youth programs. The Community Foundation is known for its signature “Unsung Heroes” event which honors nonprofit volunteers. For more information, call (305) 292-1502 or visit cffk.org.

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