Each year, The Community Foundation makes about $2 million in Foundation-directed grants to nonprofits in Northeast Florida, overseen by staff and the Program & Initiatives committee of the Board of Trustees. The grants are made possible by funds established by donors to support fields of interest and areas of community need. As we look back on 2024, we asked each member of The Community Foundation’s grantmaking team to share one grant that stood out to them among the many awarded by The Community Foundation. Here are their picks, listed in alphabetical order by grantee.
Bebette's Bunny Rescue
Picked by: Reagan Bass, MPA, Program Officer
Amount: $3,500
Funding Source: Jeffrey Edgar Endowment
Purpose: to construct an organic garden to provide rescue rabbits with fresh greens
What was meaningful about this grant to you?
This was a small grant with a big impact on how the organization can sustain itself going forward. Bebette’s Bunny Rescue used the funding to construct an organic garden, which allows them to sustainably feed all the rabbits in their care for a much lower cost than purchasing produce at the store. Additionally, they are located in a rural area of Nassau County with limited access to fresh produce, making this grant all the more meaningful to their mission.
Hope Haven Children's Clinic and Family Center
Picked by: Janet Allen, Program Director
Amount: $15,000
Funding Source: Jacksonville Children’s Endowment
Purpose: to support a pilot project to expand services to families of children with autism
What was meaningful about this grant to you?
I spent part of my professional life at a private school that enrolled children as young as 18 months old. I saw firsthand how the investment in early learning improves the lives of children and families, especially for children with developmental delays. Programs designed to address developmental delays or provide enriched experiences during early childhood can significantly improve outcomes for children at risk. Early learning providers across Northeast Florida, such as Hope Haven, have been hard at work diagnosing children with developmental delays as early as 18 months, and, more importantly, providing interventions during the sensitive periods for learning where the return on investment is highest.
LISC Jacksonville
Caption: North Riverside residents Linda Harris and Henry Scott discuss the effort to make sure Linda’s home stays in her family. Shirley Thomas (right), North Riverside Community Development Corporation President, led the group’s successful work.
Picked by: James Coggin, MBA, Senior Director, Grantmaking and Impact Investing
Amount: $60,000
Funding Source: Strategy and Capacity Funds for Supporting Neighborhoods, The Community Foundation’s Key Leadership Initiative
Purpose: to support LISC’s deployment of the Property Tax Relief intervention to address the heirs’ property issues in Northeast Florida
What was meaningful about this grant to you?
By funding the development of a property tax relief fund, The Community Foundation was able to support LISC in providing relief to 23 households, which preserved $2.3M in housing value. LISC and its partners have preserved over $6.5M in housing across the life of its heirs’ property and family wealth creation work here in Jacksonville. When we talk about preserving neighborhoods and building wealth for families, this is a big success! I’m also excited that in 2024 we were able to make a second grant to expand this work to more communities in Northeast Florida.
NAMI Jacksonville
Picked by: Amy Crane, Vice President, Programs
Amount: $30,000
Funding Source: Emerging Opportunities/Giving Forward Fund
Purpose: to fund expenses related to a merger of program and operations of NAMI Nassau and NAMI Jacksonville
What was meaningful about this grant to you?
When I first began working with NAMI Jacksonville shortly after I started at TCF, the organization was entirely run by dedicated volunteers, who provided mental health services to hundreds of families each year for themselves or family members. As we all know, mental health services can be difficult to access, leaving people extremely vulnerable. In a short time, NAMI Jacksonville has exponentially expanded their programs and grown to operating with a professional staff.
NAMI Nassau had also been operating with volunteers, and it became apparent that the model was not sustainable. They turned to NAMI Jacksonville with concerns that an entire county would be left without services if they ceased operations. Leveraging the dedication, expertise, and good will of all involved, this grant prioritizes delivery of services across the region, and is an example of how strong collaboration between nonprofits can elevate community needs.
Nassau Council of Arts and Culture
Picked by: Amy Palmer, Program Director
Amount: $11,500
Funding Source: Emerging Opportunities/Giving Forward Fund
Purpose: to expand the arts and culture infrastructure in Nassau County through support for the organizational development of Nassau County’s newly designated local arts agency
What was meaningful about this grant to you?
Prior to joining The Community Foundation staff last year, I worked for over 20 years at the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville (CCGJ). This professional experience with Duval County’s local arts agency gave me a first-hand view of the key role a local arts agency can play, both within the arts and culture sector and the greater community – as advocate, connector, collaborator, grantmaker, public art administrator, and so on. In fact, while at CCGJ, I consulted with Richard Restiano, president of Nassau Council of Arts and Culture, on the various local arts agencies’ operational models. At the time, the group’s structure as a county arts commission limited its efficacy and geographic scope. It is meaningful to see the group re-establish itself as a 501c3 with the support of local government and the organizations and artists within its umbrella. Nassau County’s local arts agency is now poised to serve the entire county, including the quickly growing population in the west, and this grant will help set it up for long-term success.
Interested in learning more about The Community Foundation’s approach to grantmaking? Read more here.