Central Florida Foundation Invests in Winter Park Nonprofits
The Winter Park Community Grants, a signature initiative of the Winter Park Community Foundation at Central Florida Foundation (CFF), awards grants to nonprofits located in and/or serving Winter Park, Florida each year. Past investments have included technology upgrades for a number of organizations like the Bach Festival of Winter Park and IMPOWER, training for staff at Winter Park Day Nursery and Welbourne Avenue Nursery and Kindergarten on how to integrate social-emotional learning and self-regulation into daily classroom routines, advocacy programs at Foundation for Foster Children and so much more. All of these initiatives are key to the quality of life for Winter Park residents.
With 2020 being an unusually challenging year, this year’s investments help to address challenges heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic:
- $23,400 to Hannibal Square Community Land Trust for the HomeKeeper Home-Ready Re-Financing Program and for training on fundraising best practices at the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership at Rollins College.
- $14,360 to NAMI Greater Orlando to meet the increased demand for mental health services in Winter Park and for training with the Winter Park Police Department.
- $14,000 to the Jobs Partnership for technology and equipment to facilitate virtual LifeWorks programs targeting Winter Park residents.
How it works
An advisory committee made up of volunteer community leaders supports the grant round. Committee members work together (virtually in 2020) to review proposals and meet with nonprofits to learn about efforts that align with the funds. Once the committee decides, they share their grant recommendations with the CFF Board of Directors for approval.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to this year’s committee members: Rev. Katrina E. Jenkins, Latria Graham, Maria Olivia Bryant, Lynn Sedwick, Vanessa J. Skinner, Dr. Don Diebel, Cindy Diebel, Mike Dively, John Caron, Sara Brady and Giti Khalsa.
For nonprofits to qualify for a Winter Park Community Grant, they must be located in or serving the residents of the City of Winter Park and have a Reviewed profile in Central Florida Foundation’s Nonprofit Search, the go-to place for information about nonprofits in Central Florida.
History of the funds
The Winter Park Community Foundation was established in 1951 as the Winter Park Community Trust, and administration of the Trust was transferred to the Central Florida Foundation in 1996. Today, these 68 funds that were originally established by generous individuals and families support the Winter Park Community Grants. These endowment funds are permanent assets that were established to help maintain and improve the quality of life in Winter Park. Their lasting contributions will help meet future needs that could not have been anticipated when the funds were established. While these individuals have since passed away, their legacies will continue on forever through careful investing and administration at CFF.
To learn more about how to get involved, contact Sandi Vidal, VP of Community Investment at svidal@cffound.org or call 407-872-3050.
