Welcome to our philanthropy corner. As your Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, we’re thrilled to have this opportunity to regularly share about giving, giving back, and the impact that generosity has right here at home. We’ll see you once a month in the pages of the Keys Weekly.
As our team thought about how to kick off this column, we kept coming back to one core idea we want to lead with – philanthropy and giving are absolutely vital to our Keys community.
Philanthropy can sound like a big, lofty concept that may not feel attainable or relatable for everyone. But it is. We even consulted Merriam-Webster (yes, an actual dictionary) for the definition of a philanthropist, which is “one who makes an active effort to promote human welfare.” It doesn’t say someone who is exceedingly wealthy or someone who gives so they can have a hospital named after them — although those folks are certainly philanthropic, and we’re thankful for them. Instead, the definition points to someone making an active effort to make the world better. In other words, we all have the capacity to be philanthropists, right here and right now.
We often talk about how giving our Keys community is — and it’s true. We show up for one another because it’s part of who we are and part of our unique Keys culture. We really are one human family. Even with all the chaos and challenges that try to divide us these days, we know we are better together.
Our nonprofit partners work every day to make our community vibrant and resilient. And our role as your community foundation is to help make connections — between donors and nonprofits, between needs and resources. It’s something we do together.
That collective effort made it possible for our foundation to award more than $1 million through our annual grants program to local nonprofits in 2025 for the first time in our history. That support was especially meaningful during a time when many nonprofits were facing funding cuts and uncertainty. Our community relies on nonprofits not only for critical services like food and shelter, but also for caring for our environment and enriching our lives through arts and culture.
In each column, we’ll try to share quick, practical advice.
So here’s this month’s tip: 2026 brings new tax deductions, above the standard deduction level, for charitable giving. These new deductions — $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married couples — add a new incentive to give back.
While taxes aren’t usually the reason people choose to give, this change does reward generosity. For many nonprofits, including our own, continued giving at these levels makes a difference — especially when more people choose to do the same.
Please know that philanthropy matters to our community. We hope you’ll include giving — whether of your treasure, talent or time — as part of your life this year.
Next month, we’ll focus on another important form of philanthropy — volunteerism — having just wrapped up our 26th Unsung Heroes Celebration in Key West.
Finally, this monthly column is a brand-new opportunity for us, and we’d love to hear from you. What are you curious about when it comes to community giving? What stories are you interested in? What feels confusing or out of reach? Reach out anytime at cffk@cffk.org — we’re here to help.
