Giving Where You Live

Local philanthropy critical to the vitality of the First Coast

The answer is local.

The question, for us all: Where is the best place to donate your money, time and talents to make the biggest impact?

Giving local lets donors connect with the organizations they support, see the benefits of their contributions, help their neighbors and boost the economy where they live.

Plus, it feels good.

“Philanthropists give partly because of that warm glow, the feeling that you’re being altruistic,” said Mari Kuraishi, president of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. “But many are engaged in systemic change, and your best chance of seeing that beginning to take root is locally. Few things are more rewarding than getting engaged at that level as a philanthropist and doing so locally.”

The charitable foundation issues grants to organizations that received support from the late Jessie Ball duPont from 1960 to 1964 and served communities where she lived, including Jacksonville. The value of the fund’s assets is currently around $380 million, with trustees awarding approximately $14 million in grants each year.

“Place meant a lot to Jessie, and we are dedicated to building communities in places she loved,” Kuraishi said. “That’s why we invested as much as we have in The Jessie. It’s not just an office building for nonprofits; it’s a public place where conversations and celebrations happen.”

The foundation has also invested in LaVilla’s Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park and in the city’s downtown riverfront parks, she added.

“Being engaged locally greatly enhances the quality of your life and your community’s life.”

Connecting with the community

A 2022 report by the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, Jessie Ball duPont Fund and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy showed that 87% of Florida households participated in informal philanthropy, with more than half giving directly to people in need who they personally knew.

“Giving locally gives donors the ability to connect with their community and see the impact of their gifts,” Florida Nonprofit Alliance CEO Sabeen Perwaiz said. “And it allows for the next generation of philanthropists in their family to see the importance of generosity.”

KB Home, for example, supports the nonprofit Dreams Come True in this area. “We want to make an impact where we build our communities and we can make a much more direct impact with our local efforts,” said Cara Kane Wieckowski, senior director of corporate communications with KB Home. “Our employees know it’s someone in their community who has these needs and that is what is important to us.”

For every dollar contributed to a nonprofit, there is a $3 value of return brought into the community, according to information from GreatNonprofits, an organization based in California that hosts a website where donors, volunteers and clients share their experiences with charitable organizations. In addition to hiring local people, nonprofits help maintain the economy through their general operations.

“The joy of giving local is that you can see it – it’s tangible, and you’re not funding a national organization where funds are going to LA or Boston or Seattle or New York City,” said Isaiah Oliver, president and CEO of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. “We are governed by a local board and managed by a local professional staff, which allows us to steer donors to causes they care about and may not have known about.”

The Community Foundation, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024, manages 724 funds that hold more than $650 million in assets, 68% of which are endowed and permanently dedicated to the Northeast Florida region. Oliver said it made $70 million in grants and brought in nearly $90 million in gifts last year to support the growth of the community, all focused on positive impact and perpetuity.

“Many local small nonprofits are doing incredible work without a lot of philanthropic resources, Oliver said. “Support from local donors is essential, if not critical, because they are not supported by larger national foundations or donors.

“Beyond the grantmaking, we have to be thoughtful about how to make our community a better place,” he continued. “One of the benefits of a collective impact of individual contributions is coming together to make a big difference.”

‘A community jewel’

In Northeast Florida, Delores Barr Weaver sets an extraordinary example of giving local and being an engaged philanthropist. Since moving here in 1993 with her husband Wayne as owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, her more than $209 million in grantmaking has supported more than 300 organizations.

The establishment of the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund with a $50 million gift in 2012 began her philanthropic partnership with The Community Foundation. In 2023, she contributed $61 million to her donor-advised fund at the foundation, the largest gift in its history. And her extensive charitable causes range from affordable housing to the LGBTQ community. A co-founder of the Women’s Giving Alliance, she founded the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center that advocates for girls.

“She is a partner with us in this work, certainly a treasure who gives more than just her resources,” Oliver said. “She spends a lot of time in the office with us in conversations about grantmaking and asking questions. She is not only a model but a jewel in this community.”

Weaver said that giving locally has always been an important part of her philanthropy.

“I am deeply grateful for the hard work that our Northeast Florida nonprofit agencies do every day,” she said. “They share an unwavering commitment to making our little corner of the world a better place for all. The work they do comes directly from the heart and touches my heart, as well.”

As president and CEO of United Way of Northeast Florida, Melanie Patz sees not only the rewards of giving locally, but also the dire need for it.

“Because we know the need is great locally, we think it is so important to give locally,” Patz said, noting that her agency receives 90,000 calls for assistance each year. “We can see the impact more clearly when giving locally. You’re helping people in your own community and helping to grow the community and the local economy.”

Patz said nearly 39% of households in our community struggle to make ends meet, despite having multiple jobs in some cases. According to the United for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report that came out in May 2024, more than a third of Northeast Florida households are living paycheck to paycheck or in poverty, despite increasing wages. In 2022, the annual ALICE Household Survival Budget for a family of four was $84,612.

“There is not a too-little amount to give – we get donations from one dollar a paycheck to $200,000 a year, all coming together for a collective impact,” Patz said. “A lot of philanthropists choose to give locally where they will see the impact in the community they call home. When people are reaching their full potential, then everything becomes better for everyone.”

Fulfilling dreams

Dreams Come True fulfills dreams of children up to age 18 who have life-threatening medical conditions and reside in seven counties in Northeast Florida. Since its inception 40 years ago, the organization has granted more than 4,800 dreams. More than 500 dreams are currently in process.

KB Home, a U.S. homebuilding company with multiple local communities, has chosen the nonprofit to receive its fundraising and talents in this area. Its volunteer efforts start at the top with Todd Holder, Jacksonville division president, who serves on the agency’s board and is heavily involved in its philanthropic activities, according Wieckowski, senior director of corporate communications for KB Home.

When the company started as presenting sponsor of the annual Dreams Come True golf tournament in 2017, the event grossed $120,000. Last year it grossed $375,000.

“We bring our vendors and sponsors and get our trade partners involved to make contributions to this great organization,” Kane said. In addition, employees use their trade skills to redecorate bedrooms, paint murals and construct and assemble various projects for “dreamers” and the organization.

Dreams Come True also relies on the community for volunteers to help with events and “special times” while children wait for their dreams, said Anna Valent, executive director. “From the moment they are diagnosed, it may be years until they are ready for a dream,” Valent said, “so we support them along the way … whatever we can do to help brighten their day.”

In-kind donations include school supplies, holiday gifts and tickets to Jaguars games.

Dreams Come True receives no government funding and is 100 percent community supported through individuals, corporations, foundations and civic groups. Specific individuals underwrite operations, Valent said, to ensure that all donations go to services.

And compared to other nation organizations with a similar mission, all the money stays local. “We are not fulfilling dreams in Kansas,” she said. “The dreamers are your neighbors or your kids’ schoolmates. We don’t pay to be part of a chapter of a national organization, so the money goes directly to our mission.”

Valent said many philanthropists prefer contributing to local organizations because their leaders are happy to show them where the money goes. Local nonprofits also have lower operating costs than national organizations, and donors may participate in services – in their case, by meeting dreamers and inviting them to events. To celebrate their 40 years of success, Dreams Come True will host its Royal Ball January 17, 2025.

Safe housing

When the Women’s Giving Alliance, an initiative of The Community Foundation, announced the largest grant pool in its 23-year history in May 2024, Betty Griffin Center was on the list for $50,000 of the $750,000 awarded to 18 nonprofits in Northeast Florida.

“It’s a huge boost, and we are so thankful for all the support they give us,” said Kelly Franklin, CEO of the organization that provides services to victims of domestic and sexual assault in St. Johns County.

Even though the agency receives a lot of government funding, it takes a lot to operate the program that includes a 24-hour shelter and transitional housing, Franklin said. Community support is essential, particularly considering recent federal funding cuts. Its most recent yearly financial summary showed total revenue of $5,133,860 – 45% from federal, state and local grants; 41% from its two thrift shops; 13% from community support and 1% from in-kind donations. Total expenses of $5,240,819 were costs of serving 1,083 survivors, 48 more than the previous fiscal year. Private dollars accounted for the highest percentage of community support, followed by foundations, fundraisers, civic donations and endowments.

Franklin said the Betty Griffin Center Thrift Shoppes at Anastasia Island and Julington Square are vital to funding services for men, women and children impacted by domestic and sexual violence. The agency offers rape care services at UF Health Flagler Hospital and Ascension St. Vincent’s in Fruit Cove and operates a 54-bed emergency shelter and six transitional apartments. It provides counseling, court advocacy and educational services throughout St. Johns County.

Because of confidentiality issues, awareness is a challenge and community fundraisers, particularly its 5K run and fashion show, go a long way toward letting people know about services and need for assistance, she said. Donor Tom Conlan, a former board member and president of Reliant Roofing, said he supports Betty Griffin Center because it helps people who can’t help themselves.

“Many people in our community are stuck in horrible situations and do not know how to escape or climb out of them,” he said. “The Betty Griffin team works tirelessly to provide valuable resources and hope to these people. Their customized approach is truly making a difference one survivor at a time.”

In addition to unrestricted funds that can be used for a variety of things victims need, Betty Griffin Center’s biggest need is housing for survivors and their families, Franklin said.

“It’s important to help in your community because it’s estimated that one in three or four women experience domestic violence,” she said. “Helping people that have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault is investing in your community. I guarantee there is somebody that you know. Investing in that maybe means this doesn’t have to happen to the next person.”

Protecting animals

Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS,) a divisionof the City of Jacksonville’s Neighborhoods Department, is a government program that depends on the generosity of the community for its operations. Tasked with enforcing laws and taking in up to 8,000 animals each year in its 840-square-mile service area, ACPS requires significant support.

“We get 30,000 calls for service every year, from strays to distress to cruelty,” said Chief Michael Bricker. “In order to respond, those funds are needed. The more we get, the more lives we are able to save.

“A donation to us goes directly toward animals that comes from Jacksonville,” Bricker continued. “So, there is no greater way to make an impact.”

ACPS usually has about 300 animals in its care every day, sometimes as many as 500. As a municipal animal shelter, ACPS typically doesn’t get grants as do nonprofit animal shelters and humane societies, Bricker said. Plus, ACPS has the animal services role, and caring for injured animals is costly and time-consuming. ACPS partners with local nonprofits, however, on adoption events and some services, and they share a need for community contributions.

“Donations help cover the costs of our daily operations,” Bricker said, “like supplies, staff training, community outreach programs and getting animals out in the community to get them adopted.”

Raising awareness of the shelter’s services is key. Bricker invited the public to stop by the shelter at 2020 Forest St. to see the operation, make donations, volunteer and adopt dogs and cats, which are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and treated for heartworm. He said the best way to donate money is through Friends of Jacksonville Animals, a volunteer organization dedicated to the well-being of homeless animals taken in by ACPS.

In addition to volunteers to foster pets for a day or a week, ACPS has a big need for crates to send home with the fosters and to use for events to make the animals feel safe. Other useful items range from blankets to toys.

“All those things help as much as dollars would,” Bricker said. “If we can’t use them, our animal control officers give them out when they are in the community every day.”

Caring for children with cancer

Started by parents and supported by individuals and corporations, Child Cancer Fund in 2024 celebrated 30 years of serving 3,500 children and their families despite the challenges of being a small nonprofit with no government assistance.

“We are hyper local,” said Carla Montgomery, executive director. “Children treated specifically for pediatric cancer are eligible for our programs and services.”

The organization partners with Nemours Children’s Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital to provide services to children who live in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.

By forming the nonprofit, parents of children who were being treated for cancer in 1994 rallied to save a crucial child life specialist position at Nemours that was to be eliminated because of insurance concerns. They launched a successful campaign to fund the position in perpetuity and have added services that include financial, educational, emotional and mental health support. CCF also sponsors families to attend Camp Boggy Creek, a medically supervised retreat weekend.

Montgomery knows exactly what these families are going through. The head of the nonprofit for 14 years and a board member before that, she turned to CCF in 2000, when her 5-year-old son Graham was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She attributes his recovery to Nemours and community support.

“That is huge for families to know they are not alone,” she said.

Giving local is critical, she added, because no one budgets for a cancer diagnosis.

“Every dollar counts, from gas cards to get families to treatments to companies that give thousands of dollars,” she said. “The financial support to get them through this very dark journey is tremendous.”

In Northeast Florida, about 300 children are being treated for cancer and around 150 new cases are diagnosed every year. When Montgomery started with CCF, administrative expenses were low, with 96 cents of every dollar going to families. As need and expenses grew, that figure is now 86 cents.

Ten years ago, the nonprofit connected with WOKV radio and Cox Media Group and started an annual CARE-A-THON, which has become its major fundraiser and is sponsored by Duval Asphalt.

 “They liked that it helps children and the tangible impact they could make,” Montgomery said. “You are helping families in your own community. They can be your child’s classmate or your co-worker. Cancer touches a lot of people.”

Duval Asphalt Director of Marketing and Business Development Jennifer Garrett agreed.

“(CCF’s) heart for the families along with their dedication to fiscal responsibility is admirable and will continue to foster deeper relationships and connections throughout Northeast Florida,” Garrett said. “We are honored to be able to support CCF in their mission to provide caring support for families fighting childhood cancer.”

The first annual CARE-A-THON brought in $120,000 and the last few topped $300,000. It expanded to two days in 2024 to mark the Child Cancer Fund’s 30th Year of Caring.

“The generosity of this community is overwhelming,” Montgomery said.

Supporting seniors

Even charitable organizations that do receive government funding usually have match requirements that they depend on their community to meet. Although the main source of funding for Aging True, which provides services for seniors in Duval and Clay counties, is state and federal dollars through ElderSource, it must compete for it, with some match commitments as high as 25%.

“We could not do what we do without fundraising,” CEO Terri Barton said. “We can use every dollar we receive to leverage other work we do. We’ve risen to the challenge every year because the community has been generous and supportive. Northeast Florida is a good place to be.”

Grateful for the support, they are still celebrating the 60th anniversary of the organization that has been a stable force in the community since 1962, she said.

“You can get a much better ‘feel good’ from a local donation as opposed to one that you may or may not benefit from what you are wanting them to do,” she said. “You can see the impact of local giving very clearly, and it provides opportunities for donors to be involved with organizations that are meaningful to them.”

Originally operating as Cathedral Foundation of Jacksonville, Inc., its name was changed in 2011 to better reflect its mission of supporting independent, graceful aging through its programs. Aging True operates four senior centers in Clay County and supplies food for those centers and the Jacksonville centers, which are run by the city. It also provides Meals on Wheels in Jacksonville as well as health care, nutrition, home care, recreation and independent senior living services.

“We work closely with other organizations to avoid duplication,” Barton said. “Partnering is how you continue to grow and survive in difficult times.”

To increase support, Aging True is looking more toward planned giving.

“You don’t have to be wealthy,” Barton noted. “If you have an insurance policy or want to specify a bequest, that’s a wonderful way to help.”

Aging True sees donations as the beginning of building a relationship.

“We really want stakeholders,” she said, “people who want to volunteer and support us through their networking.”

Because of the generosity she has seen at Aging True, Barton is optimistic about the community as a whole.

“I honestly think we are ready for a new chapter and can see that happening,” she said. “We are coming out of a difficult period because of the pandemic and our community is excited. We are talking about
a new stadium and redevelopment downtown, and we are looking at expanding some of the services we are providing – all opportunities to make our city and other communities in Northeast Florida stronger than they have ever been.”