Trustees of The Community Foundation in Jacksonville awarded grants totaling $160,458 to support education, the nonprofit sector, aging adults and the arts.
The foundation is the oldest community foundation in Florida and has assets of $154 million.
Among the grants awarded:
• Jacksonville Public Education Fund, $25,000, to support the ONE in THREE exhibit and community visioning campaign designed to build community will for improving public education outcomes for Duval County students. The ONE in THREE exhibit, which opened at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, features portraits of public high school students striving to overcome the odds as they move toward graduation. The grant was made possible by the Jay and Deanie Stein Unrestricted Fund.
• Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida, $60,000, to provide general operating support to the center for 2011-13. The Community Foundation was instrumental in launching the Nonprofit Center in 2004 and supports its work to advocate for and represent the nonprofit sector in Northeast Florida and focus on its long-term sustainability. The grant was made possible by the Harold K. Smith Charitable Fund.
• DeEtte Holden Cummer Museum Foundation Inc., $7,500, to expand “Especially for Seniors,” an art appreciation program, by providing transportation for selected senior facilities and isolated seniors. A special emphasis will be placed on seniors with disabilities, including low vision and blindness. The program is offered twice a month. The grant was made possible by the Grace H. Osborn Endowment.
• Jewish Family & Community Services Inc., $7,500, to provide seniors with low-cost transportation to medical appointments, basic need trips and social activities. The organization has provided transportation for seniors since 1971, but now faces increasing costs and a growing number of seniors in need. The grant was made possible by the Grace H. Osborn Endowment.
• Nutrition & Wellness Across the Ages Inc., $7,500, to provide nutrition education and fitness programming over a 10-week period to residents at The Cathedral Retirement Community in Jacksonville. The grant was made possible by the Grace H. Osborn Endowment.
• Jacksonville Centre of the Arts, $10,000, to broaden its marketing approach and improve its financial systems. The center, established in 2001, is a pre-professional performing arts program that prepares students for continuing studies and careers in the performing arts. It currently serves 47 students ages 6-18, with the capacity to serve an additional 24 full-time students.The grant was made possible by the Art Ventures Fund, the J. Shepard Jr. and Mary Ann Bryan Arts Award Fund, and the Harold K. Smith Charitable Fund.
• The Jacksonville Children’s Chorus, $9,008, to purchase and train staff in multidimensional fundraising and donor management software. The chorus is a professional children’s chorus that serves 230 children, ages 6-18, from more than 100 schools throughout Jacksonville. The grant was made possible by the Art Ventures Fund, the J. Shepard Jr. and Mary Ann Bryan Arts Award Fund, and the Harold K. Smith Charitable Fund.
• Players by the Sea Inc., $8,500, to support organizational development and a technology plan. Established in 1966, Players by the Sea produces 10-14 productions a year and runs after-school and summer youth programs. The grant was made possible by the Art Ventures Fund, the J. Shepard, Jr. and Mary Ann Bryan Arts Award Fund, and the Harold K. Smith Charitable Fund.
• The Arc of the St. Johns, $8,450, to support a photography project featuring the work of 12 adult ARC students ages 28-74, in collaboration with the Flagler College Photography Club. The program will include long-term mentoring to develop students' creativity and talent as well as visits to museums and galleries. The grant was made possible by the Dr. JoAnn Crisp-Ellert
Fund.
• Flagler College, $10,000, to purchase and install advanced security monitoring for the Crisp-Ellert Museum. The museum plans a full exhibition schedule beginning in the fall. The grant was made possible by the Dr. JoAnn Crisp-Ellert Fund.
• Friends of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, $7,000, to expand awareness, art education and resource protection of A1A Byway public spaces in partnership with St. Augustine elementary schools, arts organizations and the Department of Parks & Recreation. The grant was made possible by the Dr. JoAnn Crisp-Ellert Fund.
Earlier, the trustees also awarded:
• ElderSource in Action, $20,000, to help area businesses better understand and meet the needs of their employees who also care for an aging adult. ElderSource will offer workshops that provide support for the working caregiver of aging adults. The grant was made possible by the I.R. Bowen and Katherine H. Bowen Fund.
• Jacksonville Children’s Commission, $40,000, to expand its nature literacy project, “Our Big Backyard.” The project works to improve the quality of education in low-income day care centers.The grant was made possible by the Jacksonville Children’s Endowment.