REAL HELP - Southwest Florida Community Foundation

What is a Community Foundation?
A community foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit,
autonomous, publicly supported, nonsectarian, philanthropic
institution with a long-term goal of building permanent,
named component funds established by many
separate donors for the broad-based charitable benefit of
the residents of a defined geographic area, typically no
larger than a state.
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation
(SWFLCF) has established and continues to build a
permanent collection of endowed funds from a variety of
sources. Contributions are then combined and invested.
This pooling of resources allows people of all means and
income levels to contribute to and become a part of their
community. Each year, earnings from the endowed funds
are returned to the community in the form of grants,
scholarships, and other charitable distributions, improving
the quality of life for community residents.
Because we know the local area, the Community
Foundation can readily facilitate a donor’s specific
wishes, or help to put a donor in touch with innovative,
effective organizations that the donor may not already
know.
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation
empowers Southwest Florida by producing a continuous
stream of income to address changing community needs
over time with our endowed funds.
For 35 years, SWFLCF has been the leading resource in
connecting donors and their philanthropic aspirations
with evolving community needs in Southwest Florida.
SWFLCF provides grants and scholarships in Charlotte,
Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties. Since its
inception, the Community Foundation has awarded $50
million.
The diversity and flexibility of the funds established and
maintained by SWFLCF cover a multitude of worthy
organizations and causes throughout Southwest Florida.
Why a Community Foundation?
Community foundations go beyond simply making
grants that advance charitable activities. They also
identify current and emerging issues, channel resources
to address their communities’ needs, and help their regions
prepare for the future.
Unity throUgh oUr mission
REAL PEoPLE | REAL HELP
Reading isn’t just a discipline or a skill; it’s a master
key that unlocks a multitude of doors. Speaking
of the importance of reading, Abraham Lincoln
said, “A capacity and taste for reading gives access
to whatever has already been discovered by others.”
Reading allows us to experience the experiences of
others and to discover their discoveries.
For children, reading can unlock doors to faraway
places, and when reading is supported by modern
technology, visiting those faraway places becomes
possible without even having to travel. Thanks
to two recent Community Foundation grants
totaling $40,000, Catholic Charities/the African
Caribbean American Center (AFCAAM) was able
to continue supporting its after school reading
program and also add a computer lab. Using the
computer lab, creative teachers have been taking
their young students on “virtual” trips around the
world. While travelling virtually through Paris,
for example, the students view photos and read all
about the city’s historic sites, museums, and daily
life in another country.
This is just one way in which generous Southwest
Floridians are using their charitable passion for
education to make a difference in the lives of local
children.
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