COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR PALM BEACH AND MARTIN COUNTIES INC

COMMUNITY IMPACTGRANTMAKING - COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENTTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION STRIVES TO MAKE CONNECTIONS BY INSPIRING AND FACILITATING PHILANTHROPY TO ADDRESS OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST PRESSING NEEDS, WITH THE INTENTION OF CREATING A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS. WE INVEST IN OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS THROUGH CONFIDENCE IN THEIR EXPERTISE AND EXCELLENCE OF SERVICE.IN 2024, OUR FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS ADDRESSED PRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS THROUGH OUR THREE CORE FOCUS AREAS: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, EDUCATION AND YOUTH, AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES. WE PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDED JOB TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; NONPROFITS THAT INCREASED ACCESS TOFOOD; PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TO YOUTH; ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDED MENTORSHIPS FOR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES; ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAMS THAT DEVELOP YOUTH MUSIC AND DANCE SKILLS; AND PROGRAMS THAT PREVENTED HOMELESSNESS BY STABILIZING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES AND PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT.THROUGH OUR FY24 COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS, WITH THE SUPPORT OF UNRESTRICTED AND FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS, 136 GRANTS WERE AWARED FOR $5,045,259 TO NONPROFITS IN THE PALM BEACH COUNTY AND MARTIN COUNTY GEOGRAPHICAL REGION.AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION'S STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS SERVING OUR REGION THROUGH OTHER MEANS THAN GRANT FUNDING. ONE WAY WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS WAS BY HELPING BUILD NONPROFITS' CAPACITY. BY STRENGTHENING OUR NONPROFIT SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES, THEY CAN WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY ANDEFFECTIVELY, RESULTING IN INCREASED COMMUNITY IMPACT. THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVEN OTHER COMMUNITY FUNDERS, WE WERE ABLE TO SUPPORT 94 NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO COMPLETE PROJECTS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA SETUPS, STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT, FUNDRAISING ASSESSMENTS, WEBSITE VISUAL DESIGNS, PRINT MATERIAL DESIGNS, DATABASE MIGRATION PROJECTS, DATA COLLECTION PLANS, AND MORE. WE ALSO SUPPORTED A COHORT OF NONPROFITS TO ENGAGE IN PROGRAMMING TO HELP BUILD THEIR KNOWLEDGE, DIVERSIFY THEIR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND TRACK THEIR IMPACT. WE ARE EXCITED TO REPORT THIS COHORT HAS BEEN ABLE TO MORE EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THEIR BOARDS, RUN THEIR PROGRAMS, AND POSITION THEIR ORGANIZATIONS TO SECURE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING AS A RESULT OF THIS PROGRAM.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMTHIS YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 851 STUDENTS COMPLETED AN APPLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION'S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS AND ENTRUSTED DONORS' RESOURCES, FOR THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, WE AWARDED $1,366,103 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO 117 DESERVING STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE STUDENTS RECEIVED AWARDS RANGING FROM $900 TO $ $80,000 TO USE TOWARD THEIR COLLEGE OF CHOICE. RECIPIENTS ARE ATTENDING ALL MAJOR FLORIDA UNIVERSITIES, STETSON UNIVERSITY, DUKE UNIVERSITY, HOWARD UNIVERSITY, AND UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, JUST TO NAME A FEW. SINCE 1985, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS AWARDED NEARLY $18 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS. THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE LARGEST DISTRIBUTORS OF SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS IN THE COMMUNITY. IT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES THAT AFFORD HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FROM PALM BEACH AND MARTIN COUNTIES TO FULFILL THEIR GOALS OF OBTAINING A DEGREE OR HIGH CREDENTIALCERTIFICATION THAT WILL PREPARE THEM FOR THE WORKFORCE. THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR PALM BEACH AND MARTIN COUNTIES IS ADDING A WRAP-AROUND SERVICES PROGRAM TO SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH TOOLS TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES THAT MAY OTHERWISE HAVE AN IMPACT ON COMPLETING THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS.