At three community gatherings in Key West, Marathon, and Key Largo this November, the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys awarded a record-breaking $895,721 to 73 nonprofit organizations serving residents from Key Largo to Key West. This marks the largest total ever distributed through the Foundation’s annual In Paradise for Good community grants program.

In 2020, the Foundation awarded $144,500 to 27 organizations. Since then, the program has grown each year, fueled by donors who believe in keeping philanthropy local to make lives better throughout the Florida Keys.

“This program embodies what it means to be part of a community and particularly to be in the community foundation ecosystem,” said Elizabeth Brown, President and CEO. “The increase in our impact is made possible by a collection of community giving, including from our donor-advised fundholders, our regional advisory councils, and our legacy donors who chose to leave a gift to benefit future generations. Together we can make an impact larger than any of us could make on our own.”

A More Complete Picture of Community Need

This year’s applications revealed a wide range of needs and opportunities across the Keys. Many nonprofits reported reduced federal, state, and municipal funding. Others are looking to grow capacity and expand their programs to reach more residents, often through partnering with other organizations.

“We are proud to support the full spectrum of organizations that make the Keys a thriving community — the arts, environmental stewardship, youth development, education, food access, animal welfare, cultural heritage, and health services,” said Brown. “A community is strongest when all these pieces are healthy and interconnected.”

The diversity of this year’s grantees reflects that vision. Programs funded include everything from coral restoration and youth marine science camps, to arts programs for seniors, food access initiatives, housing stability efforts, cultural performance access, animal welfare services, and programs that strengthen family wellbeing.

Collaboration at the Center

Both nonprofits and donors embraced collaboration this year. Nonprofits are working across sectors to stretch resources and expand impact. Donors are joining forces through the Foundation’s donor-advised funds and Regional Future Funds, allowing the community to support far more projects than any single source could have funded alone.

“My favorite thing about this year’s grant program is how many organizations are collaborating in an effort to stretch every nonprofit dollar,” said Kevin Bowes, the Foundation’s Director of Community Impact. “One example is the collaboration between Good Health Clinic and the S.O.S. Foundation. In their program, Good Health Clinic will deliver lifesaving medicine to community members in need, while also delivering healthy frozen meals prepared by S.O.S.
By working together, precious resources are saved for each organization. Poor nutrition is often a cause of chronic health issues, so the impact is multiplied exponentially.”

Funding for this grant was provided by both the Foundation’s Florida Keys Future Fund and their Upper Keys Advisory Council’s Upper Keys Future Fund.

“It is great to see the transformation of the Foundation from a small group of concerned residents to the community powerhouse it is today,” Bowes added.

Community Members Can Still Help: Second Chance Grants Opening Next

The Foundation will open its Second Chance Grants Catalog in the coming weeks for requests that were not funded. Donors will be able to review unfunded proposals and help fill remaining community needs. The catalog will be shared with donors and posted at cffk.org, where anyone can contribute.

The Florida Keys Future Fund is the Foundation’s primary funding source for this grants program. To help increase this impact for next year’s grants, longtime supporters William and Pattye Monroe have offered a $120,000 end-of-year matching challenge for donations to the Florida Keys Future Fund. Every dollar given will be matched, doubling the impact right here in the Keys. The Foundation invites donors to give to that fund now and through the end of the year at cffk.org.

About the Grantmaking Process

Grants are awarded through a competitive review process led by the Foundation’s Grants Committee. A diverse group of volunteers from all regions of the Keys evaluates applications on:

• Alignment with the Foundation’s mission of making the Keys a better place to live now and in the future
• Demonstrated community need and measurable outcomes
• Organizational capacity and project readiness
• Plans to sustain the project’s impact in the future

Only 501(c)(3) nonprofits and faith-based organizations in good standing may apply. Projects must serve residents of the Florida Keys.

Funding Partners

This year’s grants were made possible through contributions from the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam Fund, Banyan Grove Endowment Fund, Betsey Blades Selig Memorial Endowment Fund, Driftwood Fund, Jim Speake’s Key West Fund, Garlo Keeley Fund, Loreen and Robert Ramey Charitable Fund, Jack M. Paul Fund, Miani Sassy Cat Fund, Ron and Joyce Burd Fund, Shirley Freeman and Harvey Server Environmental Fund, Trapani Family Fund for the Keys, Tunie Hamlen Charitable Fund, and the Virgil and Marjory Bumgarner Fund for the Visually Impaired.

Permanent legacy funds contributing included the Baker Viana Performing Arts Endowment, Emily Boyd Lowe Music Endowment Fund, Florence Fox-Loeb Key West Music and Theatre Arts Endowment Fund, Jack Baron Visual Arts Endowment Fund, and the William C. Euler Jr. and Andrew F. Oates Jr. Fund.

2025 Grant Awards: Nonprofits Strengthening the Keys Community

This year’s 73 grantees represent a broad cross-section of the organizations that make the Keys a strong and resilient place to live. The full list of grantees appears below.

• A Positive Step, Inc.
• AH of Monroe County Inc.
• Anchors Aweigh Club, Inc.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Keys Area, Inc.
• Burton Memorial United Methodist Church
• Christina’s Courage Inc.
• CoastLove, Inc.
• Conch Republic Marine Army, Inc.
• Coral Restoration Foundation
• Crane Point Museum & Nature Center
• Diocese Of Southeast Florida Saint Columba Episcopal Church
• Domestic Abuse Shelter
• Florida Keys Area Health Education Center
• Florida Keys Children’s Shelter Inc.
• Florida Keys Community Concert Band
• Florida Keys Council of the Arts
• Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition
• Florida Keys History & Discovery Foundation, Inc.
• Florida Keys Outreach Coalition
• Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center
• Good Health Clinic
• Growing Hope Foundation
• Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys
• Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys
• Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys
• Hometown Key West
• I CARE
• Independence Cay
• Jose Wejebe Memorial Foundation Inc.
• Just Older Youth
• Key West Art Center
• Key West Preschool Cooperative
• Key West Wildlife Center, Inc
• Keys Area Interdenominational Resources (KAIR)
• Keys Community Church
• Keys Community School of the Arts Inc
• Keys Health Ready Coalition, INC.
• Keys Last Stand
• Keys to Be the Change
• Kids Come First In the Florida Keys, Inc.
• Literacy Volunteers of America
• Marathon Community Theatre
• Marathon Wild Bird Center, Inc.
• Marathon Yacht Club Educational Foundation
• MarineLab/Marine Resources Development Foundation
• Metropolitan Community Church – Cooking with Love
• Monroe Assoc for ReMARCable Citizens
• Morada Way Arts & Cultural District
• Mote Marine Laboratory
• Navy League Key West Council
• Pigeon Key Foundation
• Presents in Paradise
• Queer Keys
• Red Barn Theatre
• Reef Relief
• Ruckus Inspires, Inc.
• Samuel’s House Inc
• Seacamp Association, Inc.
• SOS Foundation
• South Florida Symphony Orchestra
• Special Olympics Florida Monroe County
• St Justin Martyr Catholic Parish
• St. James Children’s Center
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
• Tennessee Williams Theatre
• The Educational Coalition for Monroe County (ECMC)
• The Salvation Army
• The Studios of Key West
• Tropic Cinema
• United Way of Collier and the Keys, Inc.
• Upper Keys Humane Society, Inc.
• Wesley House Family Services, Inc.
• Womankind