Southwest Florida Community Foundation Inc

THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO CULTIVATE REGIONAL CHANGE FOR THE COMMON GOOD. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION'S PUBLIC-FACING IDENTITY HAS BECOME COLLABORATORY. NOT SIMPLY A NAME CHANGE, IT IS A STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS THE FAILURES OF TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO SOLVING OUR REGION'S SOCIAL CHALLENGES THROUGH SINGULAR AND DISCONNECTED SOLUTIONS. ORGANIZING THE LARGE-SCALE COORDINATION OF MULTI-SECTOR EFFORTS - COLLABORATORY WILL SPARK AND MULTIPLY LOCALLY-SOURCED SOLUTIONS. FROM HUNGER TO ILLITERACY, RACISM TO MENTAL ILLNESS, ISOLATION TO INJUSTICE, ALL ARE INTERCONNECTED. SOLVING ONE INVOLVES ALL OF THEM, TOGETHER, HOLISTICALLY. COLLABORATORY'S CORE ASSUMPTION IS THAT SILOED APPROACHES FAIL. COLLABORATORY'S GOAL IS TO END ALL THE REGION'S SOCIAL PROBLEMS ON AN 18-YEAR DEADLINE CREATING A REGION WHERE ALL CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES ARE CONFIDENT, HEALTHIER, AND TRUSTING OF PEOPLE, INSTITUTIONS, AND SYSTEMS THAT SERVE THEM. COLL

NON-COMPETITIVE GRANTS ARE PROCESSED THROUGH DESIGNATED, AGENCY, AND DONOR ADVISED FUNDS. DESIGNATED AND AGENCY FUNDS ARE GENERALLY DISTRIBUTED DURING FIRST QUARTER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFIED BY A DISTRIBUTION PAYMENT SCHEDULE. DONOR ADVISED FUNDS ARE PROCESSED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DONOR ADVISORS MAY RECOMMEND GRANTS TO QUALIFIED CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT THE FOUNDATION, DBA COLLABORATORY RETAINS FULL DISCRETION OF DISBURSEMENT APPROVALS.

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS ARE DESIGNED TO MEET THE DONOR'S INTENT AND WISHES. SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS MADE THROUGH THE FOUNDATION'S, DBA COLLABORATORY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOLLOWING GUIDELINES AND PROCESSES THAT INCLUDE APPLICATIONS, NONDISCRIMINATORY SELECTIONS, AND PAYMENT EXECUTION PROCESSES. THE FOUNDATION, DBA COLLABORATORY DISTRIBUTES SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS DIRECTLY TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AWARDED STUDENT. THE SCHOLARSHIP PROCESS HAS BEEN REFINED TO INCREASE MULTI-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS, TO ASSIST ALL STUDENT APPLICANTS (REGARDLESS OF RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, ETC.) BY OPENING MORE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES BASED ON THE STUDENT APPLICANT'S ELIGIBILITY, AND TO ASSIST STUDENTS SEEKING CERTIFICATIONS FROM TECHNICAL COLLEGES.

COMPETITIVE GRANTS ARE FUNDED BY FIELD OF INTEREST AND UNRESTRICTED FUNDS. ALIGNED WITH THE GOALS OF COLLABORATORY, COMPETITIVE GRANTS ARE USED TO FUND THE BANDWIDTH REQUIRED FOR COALITIONS TO START AND SUSTAIN. PRIORITIES ARE DETERMINED BY A CALL FOR INFORMATION FROM INTERESTED ORGANIZATIONS. GRANTS ARE TO BE AWARDED TO NONPROFITS THAT SERVE AS THE BACKBONE FOR A COALITION THAT ADDRESSES THE WHOLE SYSTEM, SUCH AS HOUSING OR HEALTH AND WELLNESS. FUNDING IS FOR THREE YEARS, CONTINGENT ON SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE EACH YEAR

OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THE FOUNDATION HAS IMPLEMENTED NEW, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION, SUCH AS: CREATING COLLABORATORY - THE FOUNDATION CHANGED ITS NAME AND IDENTITY TO COLLABORATORY, BUILDING ON A DECADE LONG PURSUIT OF CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. SERVING THE FIVE COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THAT RANGE FROM RURAL TO URBAN, FARM TO COAST, THE FOUNDATION BUILDS ON A DECADE OF TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACROSS DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND CAUSES. UNDER THE BANNER OF COLLABORATORY THE FOUNDATION IS COORDINATING THE SOLVING OF OUR REGION'S SOCIAL ISSUES TO CREATE CREATING A NEW MORE RESILIENT CIVIL SOCIETY AND VIBRANT COMMUNITY WITH PROSPERITY BROADLY SHARED. THIS WORK IS HEADQUARTERED IN THE ICONIC SETTING OF THE LEED RATED RENOVATION OF THE HISTORIC TRAIN DEPOT CREATED THROUGH A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. SUPPORTING THE REGION'S NON-PROFITS THROUGH THE COVID PANDEMIC - THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC COLLABORATORY DEDICATED TIME AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORTING THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY AS IT RESPONDED TO THE IMPACT OF COVID ON THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND THOSE THEY SERVE. COLLABORATORY FOLLOWED THE COUNCIL ON FOUNDATIONS PLEDGE TO LIFT GRANT RESTRICTIONS ON GRANT RECIPIENTS TO ALLOW ORGANIZATIONS TO DIRECT FUNDING TO THE GREATEST NEED, LED FUNDRAISING EFFORTS TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, CREATED SURVEYS TO IDENTIFY NONPROFITS GREATEST ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND CREATED PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS TO ASSIST IN BUILDING RESILIENCE. PROVIDING COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN THE REGION - COLLABORATORY BELIEVES SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S GREATEST CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES REQUIRE LEADERSHIP THAT REACHES BEYOND SECTORS AND JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES. COLLABORATORY ENGAGES STAKEHOLDERS MOTIVATED BY A COMMON PURPOSE, VISION, AND PASSION AROUND FINDING SOLUTIONS. SIGNIFICANT AND SUSTAINABLE CHANGE DEMANDS THE COLLECTIVE ACTION OF GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, PHILANTHROPISTS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND RESIDENTS. PROVIDING BACKBONE SUPPORT TO THE FUTUREMAKERS COALITION - COLLABORATORY HAS SUPPORTED THIS COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP AND MEASURE THE WORK OF REGIONAL ACTION TEAMS. THE GOAL OF THE COALITION IS TO TRANSFORM THE WORKFORCE BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DEGREES, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER HIGH-QUALITY CREDENTIALS TO 55% OF WORKING AGE ADULTS - A TARGET BASED ON THE NEEDS OF A THRIVING ECONOMY IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. DURING ITS NOW 8-YEAR EVOLUTION, NEW PROJECTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY INCUBATED BY FUTUREMAKERS PARTNERS WORKING ACROSS COUNTIES AND SECTORS TO REMOVE BARRIERS FOR RESIDENTS SEEKING EMPLOYMENT, AND A BETTER LIFE. WITH A DEDICATED FOCUS ON RETURNING ADULTS AND THOSE WITHOUT ANY CREDITS TOWARD A POST-SECONDARY CREDENTIAL, WHAT BEGAN AS AN EDUCATION INITIATIVE HAS EXPANDED TO ENCOMPASS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE COALITION WORKS TO TRAIN FUTURE WORKFORCE TO FILL EMPLOYMENT GAPS AS WELL AS CREATE SOCIAL MOBILITY AND HELPING RESIDENTS FIND SATISFYING CAREERS. INCREASING SERVICES FOR DONORS - REFLECTING A BROADER SHIFT IN PHILANTHROPY FROM LEGACY GIVING TO "RIGHT NOW" GIVING INSPIRED BY PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS SUCH AS THE GATES FOUNDATION AND THE HUNDREDS WHO SIGNED THE GIVING PLEDGE OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, COLLABORATORY HAS ADAPTED BY WORKING WITH DONORS ON STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPIC PLANNING SO THAT DONORS CAN SEE THE EFFECTS OF THEIR PHILANTHROPY DURING THEIR AND THEIR FAMILY'S LIFETIMES, AS WELL AS THE IMPORTANT PLANNING FOR ENDOWED LEGACY GIFTS. BY HELPING DONORS EXPLORE PHILANTHROPIC DESIRES AND GREATEST COMMUNITY NEEDS ALONG WITH TAX-WISE GIVING, THE COLLABORATORY OFFERS CONCIERGE SERVICES TO DONORS GUIDING HOW TO INVEST IN NONPROFIT WORK IN THE REGION AND BEYOND TO REACH THE DONORS' DESIRED OUTCOMES. ALIGNED WITH ITS APPROACH TO COALITION BUILDING, COLLABORATORY IS EXPLORING WAYS TO INFORM AND ENGAGE DONORS SEEKING GREATER IMPACT THROUGH STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPY. BUILDING A STRONGER NETWORK FOR COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP - COLLABORATORY IS ENGAGING LEADERS ACROSS SECTORS TO DEVELOP NEW APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF COLLABORATION. THIS INCLUDES WORKING CAPACITY-BUILDING AND ACCESS TO GROUP SESSIONS LED BY EXPERTS IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS. COLLABORATORY HAS FOUND THAT THESE NONPROFIT NETWORKS LEARN TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE TOGETHER. COLLABORATORY FORTIFIES THESE ORGANIZATIONS WITH SKILLS AND TRAINING TO CREATE HEALTHIER ORGANIZATIONS AND COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO BENEFIT THEIR MISSIONS AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. NUMEROUS COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS HAVE RESULTED FROM LEADERS WORKING TOGETHER COMBINING NEEDS AND ASSETS TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO BENEFIT THOSE WHO RELY ON THE NONPROFITS FOR SERVICES.