The Community Foundation has awarded fourteen grants totaling more than $193,000 to nonprofits providing a range of services in Putnam County, including youth development, housing, food security, and domestic violence recovery.
“We’re grateful to the nonprofits who continue to work with us and pursue the vision of our donors to improve the quality of life for all in Putnam County,” said Reagan Bass, program officer who manages grantmaking alongside a community panel of Putnam County leaders. “The generosity of Putnam philanthropists has allowed us to make annual grants that support a broad range of services.”
Nine grants were funded by the Frank V. Oliver Jr. Endowment, named for a longtime Palatka businessman and quiet philanthropist who established a number of endowed funds benefiting to Putnam County at The Community Foundation when he died in 2010. Since inception, the Frank V. Oliver Fund has distributed more than $1.7 million in grants. This year’s grants were:
- Beyond Basic Needs – $3,750 to provide cancer care kits to patients at the Cancer Center of Putnam
- Catholic Charities Bureau in St. Augustine – $12,500 to support emergency financial assistance and food programs in Putnam County
- Easterseals Northeast Central Florida – $20,000 to support an early autism screening clinic in Putnam County
- Lee Conlee House Inc – $25,000 to support domestic violence shelter operations
- Putnam County Caring Coalition – $25,000 to support the Temporary Overnight Safe Space program
- Putnam First Cancer Fund – $15,000 to support financial assistance for cancer patients and diagnostic testing for low-income residents
- Putnam Habitat for Humanity – $10,000 to support construction costs for the fifth home in the Veterans Village of Palatka
- Augustine Youth Services – $20,000 to support the Coaches program in Putnam County
- Johns River State College – $6,000 to provide a second year of scholarship assistance to three successful Frank V. Oliver scholarship students
Another three grants were made from the Putnam Village Fund, supported by anonymous donors:
- Feed the Need of Putnam County – $9,650 to reimburse for the cost of purchasing a truck to pick up bulk food orders
- Calvary Missionary Baptist Church – $16,000 for kitchen repairs and food pantry enhancement
- CDS East Family Action & Interface Youth Shelter – $7,500 for programmatic materials such as workbooks, tablets, televisions, chairs and arts and crafts supplies
In addition, two grants were made from Foundation-directed funds established by other donors at The Community Foundation:
- Interlachen Soup Kitchen Ministries – $11,000 to purchase a commercial dishwasher and hot water heater
- South Putnam Christian Service Center – $11,718 to replace the HVAC unit for its food pantry
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 61st year, the Foundation manages more than $700 million in assets as of 12/31/2024 and has made more than $850 million in grants since inception.
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Contact: Stephanie Garry Garfunkel
VP, Strategic Communications
904-224-7208| sgarfunkel@jaxcf.org