The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida

In Their Own Words

The mission of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, the largest and oldest community foundation in the state, is stimulating philanthropy to build a better community. We connect people who care with causes that matter. We serve the citizens of Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Baker, and Clay counties through a range of charitable and civic activities, while helping individual donors achieve their philanthropic goals. The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida’s funds were established by caring people who believe in Giving Back, Giving Forward. Each fund has a singular mission as articulated by its creator, and collectively the funds allow us to enhance our community through a range of charitable and civic activities. Since 1964, more than $600 million in grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations, with the vast majority staying in Northeast Florida. In addition to grants recommended by donor advisors from their funds, The Community Foundation has fields of interest in a number of focus areas, including Aging Adults, the Arts, Early Childhood, Education, Neighborhoods, Nonprofit Capacity and Disaster Relief. We also host collective giving funds for LGBTQ and Women & Girls. The Community Foundation also engages all our forms of capital—social, moral, intellectual, reputational and financial—to have collective impact on a particular issue or opportunity. These Civic Leadership initiatives are based on where The Community Foundation can provide deep experience, investment, and can engage donor interest. Working together with our donors and other funding partners, we are able to make major advancements on critical issues like homelessness, health care for the working poor, alleviating generational poverty and racial equity. We work collaboratively with other funding partners to have collective impact.