Giving Back. Giving Forward. - The Community Foundation in ...

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Philanthropic Leadership NURTURING AND INSPIRING PHILANTHROPISTS Today, WGA has almost 300 members, each of whom gives $1,500 a year, with $1,000 going toward grantmaking, $350 toward the endowment and $150 for operating costs. Page 8 The Community Foundation works in many ways to inspire philanthropy — from hosting the Donors Forum of Northeast Florida to nurturing the next generation of philanthropists. But nowhere is the Foundation’s impact on philanthropy felt more broadly than the Women’s Giving Alliance. Begun in 2002 by donors to The Community Foundation and operated as an initiative of The Community Foundation, WGA has made remarkable strides in its first 10 years. “We have come a whale of a long way,” said Joan Van Vleck, one of 18 founding members who comprised the Steering Committee, and who served as WGA president in 2007 and 2008. WGA members have given a cumulative $3.3 million to the community in support of women and girls. But the story of WGA’s evolution transcends the grants awarded— it is about a group of women creating an organization from scratch, coming into their own as philanthropists and reaching out to enlarge the circle. “Our initial thoughts were to empower women to be engaged in philanthropic efforts and strategic giving,” said Courtenay Wilson, one of the five founders of WGA. “We were reaching out to women in the community and giving them a voice.” Among the early challenges was finding a focus. WGA worked with the University of North Florida to research the state of women and girls in our five county area, and used that research to guide its grantmaking. Through the years, additional research projects have informed the organization’s philanthropy. There were the usual operational challenges of getting the house in order, committees functioning smoothly and strategic plans in place. But by 2009, a survey of best practices at other women’s giving circles across the country suggested that WGA was on the right track. In 2010, Sondra Shaw-Hardy, an expert in women’s giving circles around the country, proclaimed WGA a national leader because of its reliance on research and commitment to building endowment. Much of the credit for WGA’s success belongs to The Community Foundation, said Barbara Harrell, WGA president in 2009 and 2010. “The practices instituted at WGA came from the knowledge of The Community Foundation,” she said. “The Foundation provides such good guidance about what philanthropy can be. WGA is a learning organization as much as a grantmaking organization and much of our learning comes from The Community Foundation.” Van Vleck agreed: “The things that The Community Foundation have provided for us have been the backbone of our success.” Today, WGA has almost 300 members, each of whom gives $1,500 a year, with $1,000 going toward grantmaking, $350 toward the endowment and $150 for operating costs. In addition, 18 members have contributed $25,000 each to endow their membership, bringing the value of the WGA endowment to $1,576,302 as of 3/31/2013. “When we started WGA,” Van Vleck reflected, “Our vision was to transform how Northeast Florida addresses the needs of women and girls.” Today, with work that ranges from mental health to juvenile justice to preventive health care and counseling, WGA is moving closer to achieving that goal. “WGA never wants to stop here,” Harrell said. “We always want to go further.”
THE WEAVER PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVE NURTURES EMERGING PHILANTHROPISTS through a year-long program of learning and collaborative grantmaking. Since The Community Foundation began the program in 1999, 61 individuals have completed the program. In 2013, the program was renamed to honor the philanthropic leadership provided by J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver. ALEX & CAROLINE GRAHAM Class of 2010 THE IMPACT OF PI: PI opened philanthropy as a way to lead, motivate and help shape a cause. We think more broadly about issues and how to connect our knowledge and resources to address root causes or change the game entirely. PI also made us more cognizant of the importance of giving locally, which led us to establish family funds at The Community Foundation. PHILANTHROPIC STYLE: Varied, by design. We have a lot of interests and no one style fits every situation. We give “time, talent and treasure” both personally and corporately to an array of nonprofits. We work as a team, so one of us may ask for funding, and the other may ask for talent or time. AREAS OF INTEREST: Health, children, and cultural and educational institutions. We also have some very specific and bolder interests we would like to tackle down the line. QUOTE: “One of the issues we have faced is giving when asked without stopping to think about a giving strategy. We have become confident in saying “no” so that we can say “yes” in a more meaningful way.” RYAN SCHWARTZ Class of 2008 THE IMPACT OF PI: It opened my eyes to the power of giving with others. It made me more confident in my giving. I get much more satisfaction from my philanthropy today. I’ve learned that philanthropy can help more than just a person or family, it can impact an entire community — that’s what is most exciting to me. PHILANTHROPIC STYLE: Is “shabby chic” an option? I have some tried and true, trusted organizations that I know deliver terrific services and I have some progressive new ideas that I am working to refine and hope to see come to fruition. AREAS OF INTEREST: Health care, fine arts, education reform, environment, capacity building for the nonprofit sector. QUOTE: “Buying a ticket to a special event isn’t philanthropy — I take that from my personal meals and entertainment budget these days.” RICHARD SKINNER Class of 2003 THE IMPACT OF PI: I don’t know if it changed my philanthropy, but it did make me aware of a bigger picture and the significance of the role it plays in our community. PHILANTHROPIC STYLE: Very directed. My wife and I have narrowed our giving to areas in which we have a personal connection. We feel we can give more effectively both in time and resources with our interests focused, rather than diversified. AREAS OF INTEREST: Parks in North Florida, and the Arts. QUOTE: “I have felt that by pooling our resources with The Community Foundation, it better leverages the giving opportunities.” Page 9
Page 1 and 2: Giving Back. Giving Forward. 2012 R
Page 3 and 4: AboutTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR N
Page 5 and 6: Sometimes overlooked in that new na
Page 7 and 8: Civic Leadership BUILDING THE COMMU
Page 9: NONPROFIT CENTER OF NORTHEAST FLORI
Page 13 and 14: Donor Services SUPPORTING FAMILIES
Page 15 and 16: Giving Back $ 31.1 MILLION IN GRANT
Page 17 and 18: DISCRETIONARY GRANTS AWARDED IN 201
Page 19 and 20: FUNDS AT THE FOUNDATION AS OF DECEM
Page 21 and 22: FUNDS AT THE FOUNDATION AS OF DECEM
Page 23 and 24: SUMMARY AUDITED STATEMENTS OF FINAN

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