06.14.2006 - 

WHO:
Established in 1972, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is one of 700 community foundations in the United States today.  We serve Palm Beach and Martin counties, offering people a variety of ways to touch our communities through philanthropic giving.

• Number of staff: 16
• Number of board members: 24         

 WHAT:
The mission of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is to:

• enhance the quality of life for all residents, now and for future generationsbuild permanent endowments
•  address needs through grantmaking
• provide community leadership

WHERE:
700 South Dixie Highway, Suite 200
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: 561-659.6800
Fax: 561-832-6542
info@cfpbmc.org

www.yourcommunityfoundation.org

GRANTMAKING FOCUS AREAS:  

• Arts and Culture
• Community and Economic Development
• Education
• Environment
• Health and Human Services
• Human and Race Relations

The Foundation also supports initiatives and special projects, including recent hurricane-recovery grants.

GRANTMAKING PROGRAMS:

The Foundation has a variety of competitive grant opportunities for nonprofits:

• General Grantmaking Program
• Hans and Mary Stratmann Intergenerational Fund
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fund
• John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Fund
• Mary and Robert Pew Public Education Fund
• Mosaic Fund
• Environmental Endowment Fund
• Small Grants Program

ASSETS/AMOUNTS AWARDED:

• The Community Foundation’s current assets are more than $100 million.
• Since 1972, the Community Foundation has distributed more than $50 million in grants.
• Community Foundation grants totaled over $5 million in the most recent fiscal year ending June 2005.
• During the same fiscal year, funds awarded included over $450,000 in scholarships to 88 high school and college students in Palm Beach and Martin counties.
• Since the Scholarship Program’s inception, more than $3 million has been awarded to help students pursue postsecondary education.

TYPES OF FUNDS:
A fund at the Community Foundation can be tailored to meet charitable giving goals of individuals, families, corporations or other groups that share common interests.

• Unrestricted Fund

A donor can address ever-changing community needs in Palm Beach and Martin counties, by establishing an endowed, unrestricted fund.

• Field of Interest Fund

A donor may specify a particular area of concern or interest to fund, and we award the grants to organizations that meet the donor’s interests.  A donor may support broad areas such as education, the arts, the environment, or a specific geographic area.

• Donor Advised Fund

A donor can create a fund as an individual or with friends and family members.  As an active grantmaker, the donor may recommend which eligible charitable organizations -- both local and national -- to fund. 

• Designated Fund

A donor specifies one or more favorite charitable organizations to receive an income stream in perpetuity.  This fund is designed to give the donor the confidence that the gift will always be used for its stated purpose and it will remain a permanent fund through our board of directors’ careful stewardship.

• Scholarship Fund

One of the most popular funds for donors who want to honor a family member, scholarships benefit students in high school and college.  At certain levels, a donor may designate a particular field of study, select the eligibility requirements and name an advisory committee member to assist with scholarship recommendations.

• Supporting Organization

Donors or a private foundation may create a supporting organization of the Community Foundation, which is a special fund with its own grantmaking ability and board of directors. The supporting organization benefits from the Foundation’s professional staff, administrative services and favorable tax status.

• Agency Endowment Fund

Nonprofit organizations can use this type of fund to build an endowment, relieving them of the responsibility of managing the investments.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

• Nonprofit Resource Institute
  A program of the Community Foundation, the Nonprofit Resource Institute provides high-quality workshops and other educational opportunities to enhance the capacity of nonprofits in Palm Beach and Martin counties.  Primary training areas include fund development, marketing and public relations.  Nonprofits build strong communities; we help promote strong nonprofits.
  
  
• Funding Resource Center
  This Foundation program was established to help nonprofit organizations conduct research on available funding sources and effective preparation of funding requests. The Funding Resource Center library is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center, a national organization with headquarters in New York. In addition to the library on-site at the Community Foundation (temporarily at the Summit Branch of the Palm Beach County Public Library), Funding Resource Center satellites are located at the Junior League of Boca Raton and the Blake Library in Stuart.
  
  
• Indian River Lagoon Initiative
  The Indian River Lagoon: Gateway to Saving the Everglades was commissioned as a signature project of the Community Foundation’s environmental subcommittee.  Producing a documentary about the Indian River Lagoon Restoration Plan and the diverse groups involved in the plan was designed to help inform the public and policy makers about the need for the restoration, generate support for Federal funding for the plan, and serve as a model to encourage citizen involvement in other projects.  The documentary was broadcast on WPTV- News Channel 5, WXEL, and county public television stations in Palm Beach and Martin counties.
  
  
• Dwight Allison Fellows
  The Dwight Allison Fellows Program is an awards program that recognizes ordinary people who have served their communities in Palm Beach and Martin counties in extraordinary ways. Every three years, the program honors up to five selfless individuals who often go unrecognized, but who make a vital contribution to our quality of life.  Each Dwight Allison Fellow is awarded an unrestricted grant of $5,000.  The goal of the program is not only to recognize the efforts of these residents, but also to encourage others to follow their examples of community service.
  
  
• Resources for Estate Planners
  Many donors set up their funds at the Community Foundation after they have learned about the Foundation from their professional advisors.  The Community Foundation serves as a resource to such advisors to help clients achieve their charitable goals.  Professional advisors rely upon the Community Foundation to provide their clients with personalized service, local expertise and the insights that result from community leadership.
  
  
• Art in Our Communities
  The Art in Our Community program was launched in 2004 to acknowledge the community impact of local professional, emerging, and student visual artists.  The program recognizes that artists of all ages are often the instruments for social awareness and their works convey important messages in compelling ways. 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Shannon Sadler Hull, president & CEO, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
561.659.6800
ssadler@cfpbmc.org  


Jane Maestro, director of communications, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
561.659.6800
jmaestro@cfpbmc.org