Nearly $250K awarded to organizations providing safety net for Southwest Florida
FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 7, 2016) – The Southwest Florida Community Foundation and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announced today that ten local nonprofits will receive $250,000 through their granting partnership.
For the past two years, the foundations have collaborated to strengthen the quality of life for local residents of Southwest Florida. This year, the foundations focused on organizations that provide a safety net for some of the most vulnerable populations.
Grants ranging from $8,000 to $50,000 were awarded to: ACT (Abuse Counseling & Treatment, Inc.), Boys & Girls Club, Children’s Home Society, Community Cooperative Ministries, F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva, Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, Harry Chapin Food Bank, Human Trafficking Awareness Partnerships (HTAP), St. Matthew’s House, and Valerie’s House.
As a group they provide a wide range of critical services–from hunger relief for school children and senior citizens alike to employment training and anti-poverty measures to grief counseling. Serving every age group and several counties across Southwest Florida, as a collective the foundations felt these ten grantees are essential to the well being of the region.
“We wanted to reflect Bob’s long commitment to supporting those in greatest needs. We are honored to provide funding for organizations that exhibit dedication to serving the people of Southwest Florida region by the work they do every day,” explained Christy MacLear, CEO of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
“The funding provided by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is a great example of funders working together to bring resources to our community, and we feel honored to work with them as it continues their legacy of giving in Southwest Florida,” said Sarah Owen, president and CEO of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.
About the Grantees
ACT (Abuse Counseling & Treatment, Inc.) is a private, not-for-profit agency committed to serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. http://www.actabuse.com/
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County has been providing safe places for the youth of Lee County since 1974, operating 7 sites for 1,800 boys and girls. http://bgclc.net/
Children’s Home Society of Florida helps more than 2,500 kids and families in Southwest Florida. http://www.chsfl.org/
Community Cooperative works to eliminate hunger and homelessness in Lee County by delivering innovative food, education, and social service programs. http://www.ccmileecounty.com/
F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva is a comprehensive human services organization providing over 40 different programs, services, and workshops for residents of Sanibel and Captiva Islands. http://www.fishofsancap.org/
Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida provides high-quality health care services to those in need in Southwest Florida. http://www.fhcswf.org/
Harry Chapin Food Bank provides food for more than 30,000 people each month in Southwest Florida. http://www.harrychapinfoodbank.org/
Human Trafficking Awareness Partnerships (HTAP) prevents human trafficking through education and collaborative action in Southwest Florida. http://humantraffickingawareness.org/
St. Matthew’s House strives to fight hunger, homelessness, and addiction in Southwest Florida. http://stmatthewshouse.org/
Valerie’s House helps children and families work through the loss of a loved one together so that no child will grieve alone. http://www.valerieshouseswfl.org/
About the Southwest Florida Community Foundation
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2016. As leaders, conveners, grant makers and concierges of philanthropy, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation is a foundation built on community leadership with an inspired history of fostering regional change for the common good in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Community Foundation, founded in 1976, connects donors and their philanthropic aspirations with evolving community needs. With assets of more than $93 million, the Community Foundation has provided more than $63 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves. Last year, it granted more than $3.2 million to nonprofit organizations supporting education, animal welfare, arts, healthcare and human services, as well as provided regional community impact grants and scholarship grants.
About the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation
The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation fosters the legacy of the life, artistic practice, and activist philosophy of one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Through exhibitions, scholarship, grants, and a residency program, the Foundation furthers Rauschenberg’s belief that art can change the world, while ensuring that his singular achievements and contributions continue to have global impact and resonance with contemporary artists. The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has been dedicated to the region of Southwest Florida since its founding in 1990 by the artist. Through the preservation of Rauschenberg’s primary residence on Captiva Island as an artists’ residency and its ongoing investment in local nonprofit service organizations, the Foundation continues the artist’s commitment to Captiva Island and the surrounding environs.
Learn more at: www.rauschenbergfoundation.org
