At three community gatherings in Key West, Marathon, and Key Largo last week, the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys (CFFK) awarded a record-breaking $895,721 to 73 nonprofit organizations serving Keys residents. Individual awards ranged from $1,500 to $30,000. This marks the largest total ever distributed through the foundation’s annual In Paradise for Good community grants program.
In 2020, the foundation awarded $144,500 to 27 organizations. Since then, the program has grown each year, fueled by donors.
“This program embodies what it means to be part of a community and particularly to be in the community foundation ecosystem,” said Elizabeth Brown, CFFK’s president and CEO. “The increase in our impact is made possible by a collection of community giving, including from our donor-advised fundholders, our regional advisory councils and our legacy donors who chose to leave a gift to benefit future generations. Together we can make an impact larger than any of us could make on our own.”
This year’s applications revealed a wide range of needs and opportunities across the Keys. Many nonprofits reported reduced federal, state and municipal funding. Others are looking to grow capacity and expand their programs to reach more residents, often through partnering with other organizations.
“We are proud to support the full spectrum of organizations that make the Keys a thriving community — the arts, environmental stewardship, youth development, education, food access, animal welfare, cultural heritage and health services,” said Brown. “A community is strongest when all these pieces are healthy and interconnected.”
The diversity of this year’s grantees reflects that vision. Programs funded include everything from coral restoration and youth marine science camps to arts programs for seniors, food access initiatives, housing stability efforts, cultural performance access, animal welfare services and programs that strengthen family wellbeing.
The foundation will open its second-chance grants catalog in the coming weeks for requests that were not funded. Donors will be able to review unfunded proposals and help fill remaining community needs. The catalog will be shared with donors and posted at cffk.org, where anyone can contribute.
The Florida Keys Future Fund is the foundation’s primary funding source for this grants program. To help increase next year’s grants, longtime supporters William and Pattye Monroe have offered a $120,000 end-of-year matching challenge for donations to the Florida Keys Future Fund. Every dollar given will be matched, doubling the impact.
Grants are awarded through a competitive review process led by the foundation’s grants committee. A diverse group of volunteers from all regions of the Keys evaluates applications on their alignment with the foundation’s mission of making the Keys a better place to live now and in the future; demonstrated community need and measurable outcomes; organizational capacity and project readiness; and plans to sustain the project’s effect in the future.
Only IRS-recognized nonprofits and faith-based organizations in good standing may apply. Projects must serve residents of the Florida Keys.
This year’s grants were made possible through contributions from the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam Fund, Banyan Grove Endowment Fund, Betsey Blades Selig Memorial Endowment Fund, Driftwood Fund, Jim Speake’s Key West Fund, Garlo Keeley Fund, Loreen and Robert Ramey Charitable Fund, Jack M. Paul Fund, Miani Sassy Cat Fund, Ron and Joyce Burd Fund, Shirley Freeman and Harvey Server Environmental Fund, Trapani Family Fund for the Keys, Tunie Hamlen Charitable Fund and the Virgil and Marjory Bumgarner Fund for the Visually Impaired.
Permanent legacy funds contributing included the Baker Viana Performing Arts Endowment, Emily Boyd Lowe Music Endowment Fund, Florence Fox-Loeb Key West Music and Theatre Arts Endowment Fund, Jack Baron Visual Arts Endowment Fund, and the William C. Euler Jr. and Andrew F. Oates Jr. Fund.
This year’s 73 grantees represent a broad cross-section of the organizations that make the Keys a strong and resilient place to live. The full list of grantees appears below.
A Positive Step Inc.
AH of Monroe County Inc.
Anchors Aweigh Club Inc.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Keys Area Inc.
Burton Memorial United Methodist Church
Christina’s Courage Inc.
CoastLove, Inc.
Conch Republic Marine Army Inc.
Coral Restoration Foundation
Crane Point Museum & Nature Center
Diocese Of Southeast Florida Saint Columba Episcopal Church
Domestic Abuse Shelter
Florida Keys Area Health Education Center
Florida Keys Children’s Shelter Inc.
Florida Keys Community Concert Band
Florida Keys Council of the Arts
Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition
Florida Keys History & Discovery Foundation Inc.
Florida Keys Outreach Coalition
Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center
Good Health Clinic
Growing Hope Foundation
Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys
Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys
Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys
Hometown Key West
I CARE
Independence Cay
Jose Wejebe Memorial Foundation Inc.
Just Older Youth
Key West Art Center
Key West Preschool Cooperative
Key West Wildlife Center, Inc
Keys Area Interdenominational Resources (KAIR)
Keys Community Church
Keys Community School of the Arts Inc
Keys Health Ready Coalition Inc.
Keys Last Stand
Keys to Be the Change
Kids Come First In the Florida Keys Inc.
Literacy Volunteers of America
Marathon Community Theatre
Marathon Wild Bird Center Inc.
Marathon Yacht Club Educational Foundation
MarineLab/Marine Resources Development Foundation
Metropolitan Community Church – Cooking with Love
Monroe Assoc for ReMARCable Citizens
Morada Way Arts & Cultural District
Mote Marine Laboratory
Navy League Key West Council
Pigeon Key Foundation
Presents in Paradise
Queer Keys
Red Barn Theatre
Reef Relief
Ruckus Inspires Inc.
Samuel’s House Inc
Seacamp Association Inc.
SOS Foundation
South Florida Symphony Orchestra
Special Olympics Florida Monroe County
St Justin Martyr Catholic Parish
St. James Children’s Center
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Tennessee Williams Theatre
The Educational Coalition for Monroe County
The Salvation Army
The Studios of Key West
Tropic Cinema
United Way of Collier and the Keys Inc.
Upper Keys Humane Society Inc.
Wesley House Family Services Inc.
Womankind
