Easily more than 300 donors, board members and supporters of the John’s Island Foundation were feted last Monday evening at a cocktail party at the John’s Island Golf Club, underwritten by local businesses.
The lovely reception was a thank-you to donors, celebrating the success of past campaigns and gently encouraging continued contributions toward efforts to fund worthy causes.
The John’s Island Foundation, whose constituent base, board of directors and volunteer site review teams are all members of the John’s Island community, has distributed more than $7.8 million in grants to local non-profit agencies to support their capital needs since it was founded in 1999.
“The John’s Island Foundation is the only foundation providing grants to non-profit agencies in Indian River County exclusively for their capital needs,” explained board president Mark Earle. “For example, last year we gave over $500,000, including funding toward a new building at the Boys & Girls Club and badly needed air conditioning units for the Gifford Youth Achievement Center. One of our main goals is to support agencies that help children and families break out of the cycle of poverty.”
Foundation efforts are concentrated on agencies whose programs are primarily directed toward supporting basic human needs such as food, shelter, assistance with disabilities/health issues and safety from abuse. Grants, up to $50,000, are awarded to fund the tangible capital needs which help agencies provide better care to their clients, including building renovations, major equipment, transportation and computer systems.
The Foundation solicits donations through a seasonal letter campaign rather than typical fundraisers; leaving that avenue to the equally philanthropic John’s Island Community Service League, which provides grants towards charitable programs and operating budgets.
“So far we’re having a strong year. Donations are up significantly, but our requests are about $300,000 higher,” said Jennifer Jones, JIF executive director, noting that the Foundation received slightly more than $900,000 in capital requests from 30 agencies this year, whereas in recent years that number has ranged between 20 and 22 agencies. “We’ve set our bar high. At this point we still need to raise about $200,000.”
Jones explains that as the economy has improved, agencies are opting to expand their facilities and services. “We have had building renovations, capital improvement – structural and aesthetically – as well as funding requests for computers, copiers and other general office equipment. Many of these expenditures they’ve been holding off on doing because they’ve had other needs.”
“The Foundation represents a very generous community that provides capital funds to agencies that serve the neediest in Indian River County,” said Ken Wessel, a site team captain and board member. “The grant review process is very thorough, thoughtful and disciplined.”
Eight site review teams visit with the various agencies and pore over applications in advance of the allocations, which are made in March.
Jim Poole, another site team captain and board member, said he was impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the personnel at the various nonprofits. He recalled a prior grant given to Every Dream Has a Price, which is helping to create housing for people in need and by doing so is helping to rejuvenate neighborhoods. “It has had a big effect on the neighborhood; two wonderful results,” said Poole.
“I hope that in telling our story we can get more people to donate additional funds to the Foundation so that we can do even more. We always have more requests than we have money.”
