Women’s Giving Alliance Awards $561,600 in Grants to Support Women and Girls in Northeast Florida

The Women’s Giving Alliance (WGA), an initiative of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, announced $561,600 in grants to 14 Northeast Florida nonprofit organizations at its annual Member Forum. Nearly 200 WGA members, nonprofit agencies and guests gathered at UNF’s University Center to ratify and celebrate the grantee awards and recognize the work being done to improve the lives of women and girls across Northeast Florida.

“Our WGA grantees’ commitment to women and girls in our region is unwavering and our members share that same passion and commitment to ensuring no woman or girl is left behind,” said Sheila Collier, president of WGA. “We listen to our community partners who are on the front lines of this important work, and they continuously share tremendous insight into women and girls’ specific, current needs, some of which include still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. And through our strategic, collective giving approach, we are able to help meet some of those needs.”

For this year’s grant pool, similar to last year, WGA’s focused on addressing workforce support and client basic needs that specifically serve women and girls in Northeast Florida. The following programs will receive one-year grants from WGA for 2023 to 2024:

  • Barnabas Center: $50,000 (Nassau County)
  • Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM): $40,000 (Duval and St Johns counties)
  • Betty Griffin Center: $50,000 (St. Johns County)
  • Delta Research and Educational Foundation: $10,000 (Duval County)
  • Family Promise of Jacksonville: $50,000 (Duval County)
  • Feeding Northeast Florida: $50,000 (All Northeast Florida counties)
  • The LJD Jewish Family & Community Services: $50,000 (Duval County)
  • Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida: $5,000 (All Northeast Florida counties)
  • Micah’s Place: $30,000 (Nassau County)
  • Northeast Florida Women Veterans: $27,100 (Duval County)
  • Rebuilding Ex-offenders Successfully Through Opportunities Rehabilitation and Education (R.E.S.T.O.R.E.) $50,000 (Duval County)
  • Rethreaded: $50,000 (Duval County)
  • Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville: $50,000 (Duval County)
  • WeCareJax: $49,500 (Duval County)

The WGA Member Forum theme, rooted in the alliance’s two-fold mission to inspire women to be strategic philanthropists and to improve the lives of women and girls in Northeast Florida, was “Moving Forward: Stronger Together.” During the luncheon, WGA members recognized retiring president of The Community Foundation, Nina Waters, and her immense contributions to philanthropy and community impact, and also awarded her a lifetime Legacy Membership in WGA.

“It has been a privilege to work with the members of WGA over the past 22 years,” Waters said. “I am honored to be a Legacy Member of WGA – enabling a grant to be made to the annual grants pool in my name – forever! My sincere thanks to the women who contributed to this meaningful and lasting gift and to all of the members who have worked so hard over the years to make WGA what it is today. I so look forward to watching you from afar as you grow in service to this community that I love.”

Attendees were also treated to a special presentation from WGA Member Debbie Buckland, chairwoman of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and a notable community philanthropist, about her inspiring personal journey with being a strategic philanthropist.

WGA leadership also outlined several initiatives aimed at growing and supporting its membership and a new strategic funding process that will incorporate community stakeholder focus groups, town halls, and additional research all aimed at improving the alliance’s collective impact.

WGA grants are generated from members’ yearly contributions ($1,500 a year or $750 for the first year if they are 40 and under), a portion of WGA’s endowment fund, and individual gifts.

Twenty-one years ago, the Women’s Giving Alliance was a pioneer in its mission to harness the power of collective giving to have a greater impact in Northeast Florida. To date, WGA has awarded over $8.9 million to 70 nonprofits serving at least 30,000 women and girls across Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties.

Women interested in joining the Women’s Giving Alliance and maximizing the impact of their philanthropy should visit www.wganefl.org/membership.

About the Women’s Giving Alliance (WGA)

WGA, an initiative of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, is a group of dynamic, diverse women who pool their philanthropic giving to make a lasting impact on the lives of women and girls in Northeast Florida. Since 2001, hundreds of women in the region have become WGA members and each makes an annual contribution of $1,500. With these contributions, WGA has made grants totaling more than $8.9 million to 70 non-profit organizations to support critical services for women and girls. WGA has also built an endowment of nearly $5 million. For more information: www.wganefl.org.

About The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, Florida’s oldest and largest community foundation, works to stimulate philanthropy to build a better community. The Foundation helps donors invest their philanthropic gifts wisely, helps nonprofits serve the region effectively, and helps people come together to make the community a better place. Created in 1964, the Foundation has made more than $695 million in grants since its inception, and manages philanthropic that surpassed $630 million at their 2021 peak. For more information: www.jaxcf.org.

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