Central Florida Foundation’s History, 2004-2013
Established in 1994, Central Florida Foundation (CFF) has served as the region’s community foundation for over 30 years now, with a commitment to building community by building philanthropy. After the first decade, the Foundation entered 2004 ready to take on new challenges, create cross-sector partnerships, and cultivate innovative ideas that would allow our region to become an even better place to call home.
*While during most of this time period, CFF was the Community Foundation of Central Florida (CFCF), for clarity purposes, we will call the Foundation CFF throughout this article to avoid confusion.
Central Florida Foundation’s History, 2004-2013
2006: Legacy Trust for Orlando Children Fund
In 2006, Central Florida Foundation established the Legacy Trust for Orlando Children Fund in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and several other local funders. The Legacy Trust for Orlando Children Fund, still in existence today, aided in starting and continues to support, Parramore Kidz Zone (PKZ), now known as Orlando Kidz Zone (OKZ), a City of Orlando initiative led by Mayor Buddy Dyer.
With the success of PKZ, the program has expanded to three additional Orlando neighborhoods. Since 2020, OKZ has delivered comprehensive and holistic services to children and youth in the Parramore, Holden Heights, Engelwood, Mercy Drive neighborhoods, some of the most economically disadvantaged and historically marginalized areas in Orlando. OKZ offers after-school programs, tutoring, mentoring, college preparation, sports, arts, and leadership development to over 1,000 youth in the community.
2006: Supporting Female Philanthropy
In 2006, the Foundation launched 100 Women Strong (100WS), a strategic giving circle that empowers women to become leaders and agents of change in the community, with a specific grantmaking focus on supporting local women and children.
As the area’s only philanthropic organization built on women-only leadership, collective giving and collaborative grantmaking, 100WS harnesses its unique perspective and collective power to tackle the biggest challenges affecting women and children, identify root causes and create innovative solutions in collaboration with community partners.
Since its inception, 100WS members have collectively invested in innovative pilot programs that show promise in making incremental change in the community. From a successful “This Side Up” onesie that helped to decrease SIDS deaths to a career development cohort that focused on women at risk for the fiscal benefits cliff, the 100WS strategic grantmaking model continues to create positive and meaningful social change in Central Florida.
In 2023, 100WS launched its Legacy Membership option for female philanthropists who wish to make a long-term investment in the strategic giving circle’s mission.
You can read 100WS’ Women’s Health and Well-Being White Paper here.
2009: Launching Nonprofit Search
In 2009, CFF launched Nonprofit Search (NPS), an online database that provides comprehensive and transparent information about local nonprofits. NPS helps donors, funders, and community members learn about the missions, programs, finances, governance, and impact of more than 400 nonprofits in Central Florida, with the number of organizations consistently on the rise.
Nonprofit Search serves as the first step in nonprofits qualifying for many grants, including grants from Central Florida Foundation, City of Orlando, City of Winter Garden, and the Victory Cup Initiative. An increasing number of local municipalities and organizations adopt this framework for funding opportunities and see an NPS profile as a sign of transparency and accountability.
2012: University of Central Florida Grantmaking Partnership
In 2012, Central Florida Foundation and the University of Central Florida established a partnership centered on the university’s Nonprofit Management Program. Each year, students engage with CFF grantmaking staff and community partners to learn about strategic and responsible grantmaking, fueling the next generation of knowledgeable nonprofit professionals.
Read more about this inaugural class here.
Read about the Spring 2024 cohort here.
2013: Community Foundation of Central Florida becomes Central Florida Foundation
In 2013, the Community Foundation of Central Florida officially became Central Florida Foundation. After 20 years as CFCF, the Foundation was ready to put a deeper focus on our geographical community with a refreshed name and an even deeper commitment to Building Community by Building Philanthropy.
