JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — January 27, 2025 — The A.L. Lewis Black Opportunity & Impact Fund, a collective giving initiative of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, has awarded eleven large grants totaling $220,240 to local nonprofits working to improve access to health, education and economic development in Jacksonville.
Established by 22 community stewards in 2022, the A.L. Lewis Fund has grown its membership by 36 percent as it continues in the philanthropic tradition of Abraham Lincoln Lewis, Florida’s first African-American millionaire and founder of American Beach.
Since inception, the A.L. Lewis Fund has made more than $600,000 in grants. Its steering committee is actively recruiting new members, whose annual memberships of $1,500 support its grantmaking.
“At a time when local non-profits are navigating unprecedented complexity, local philanthropy has never been more essential,” said Tim Johnson, Chair of the A.L. Lewis Fund. “Together with our members and donors, the A.L. Lewis Fund is advancing education, healthcare and economic opportunity – not as ideals, but as imperatives for community stability and generational wellbeing.”
The following grants are focused on supporting neighborhood-level projects in the ZIP codes including 32202, 32204, 32206, 32208, 32209, 32218, and 32254:
- ACE Mentor Program of Northeast Florida – $2,500 – to provide high school students with free, hands-on experiences with careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.
- Agape Community Health Center – $25,000 – to address health care disparities though the Care Connection Clinic.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, Inc. – $25,000 – to support Career Launch, a workforce development and career readiness program for ages 12 to 18 located at the Clanzel T. Brown Community Center in Moncrief.
- Girls Incorporated of Jacksonville – $20,000 – to support Project Accelerate, a program to equip young women and girls with the skills, experience, and connections to advance their education, careers, and future success.
- Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation – $25,000 – to expand youth arts and music programming at the Historic Eastside Cultural Center.
- Junior Achievement of North Florida – $10,000 – to support the JA Stock Market Challenge, a dynamic, fast-paced simulation that introduces high school students to the fundamentals of investing, financial decision-making, and market strategy.
- Level the Playing Field Leadership Academy – $25,000 – to support programmatic elements of the Mental and Emotional (ME) Wholeness Program, which provides mentorship and emotional support to boys ages 10 to 17.
- Operation Save Our Sons, Inc. – $22,500 – to support Bridging the Gap, a pilot initiative designed to promote safety, understanding, and mutual respect between male youth and law enforcement officers.
- Pearls of Perfection – $25,000 – to support the POP Workforce Development and College Readiness Program, a 12-month school-based initiative offering a comprehensive curriculum covering topics such as college and career planning, budgeting, and investing.
- Rebuilding Ex-Offenders Successfully Through Opportunities Rehabilitation & Education (R.E.S.T.O.R.E.) – $16,000 – to support the Optimism for the Future for Justice-Involved Women program, which combines transitional housing with holistic wraparound services that address trauma, foster independence, and reduce recidivism.
- YMCA of Florida’s First Coast – $24,240 – to support staff capacity at the Johnson Family YMCA Community Health Program, which uses a multi-generational approach to improve nutrition and food access and deliver evidence-based chronic disease prevention programs.
To learn more and become a member, visit jaxcf.org/al-lewis
About The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida (www.jaxcf.org), Florida’s oldest and one of its largest community foundations, works to stimulate philanthropy to build a better community. The Foundation helps donors invest their philanthropic gifts wisely, helps nonprofits serve the region effectively, and helps people come together to make the community a better place. Now in its 62nd year, the Foundation manages more than $750 million in assets and has made more than $925 million in grants since inception.
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Contact: Stephanie Garry Garfunkel
VP, Strategic Communications
904-224-7208 | sgarfunkel@jaxcf.org