About the In Paradise For Good Annual Grants Program
The Community Foundation’s annual competitive grants program supports a variety of initiatives benefiting Florida Keys residents. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $20,000 and aim for tangible, positive change by September of the following year. Collaborations with a partnering organization may receive increased grant awards.
A diverse panel of community members from all parts of the Keys reviews the funding requests. They looking for project that meet the following qualifications:
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Does the proposed project align with the Foundation’s strategic vision of making the Florida Keys a better place to live now and in the future?
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Does the project address a clear and demonstrated community need, and will it produce meaningful, measurable outcomes?
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Does the organization have the experience, staff, and infrastructure to successfully carry out the project?
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Is the project plan realistic and cost-effective, and is there a plan for sustainability beyond the grant period?
Only 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits and faith-based organizations in good standing with the IRS are eligible to apply. Grants must serve the Florida Keys exclusively. Grants may not be used for a capital campaign. Only one application per organization is permitted. If you have received a grant from the Community Foundation, you must be current and compliant with all grant requirements and reporting or your application will not be considered.
The Impact of Community Giving
Each year the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys facilitates a competitive grants program to award funds to nonprofits in the Florida Keys. The application window opens in September of each year, with grants awarded each November.
This year, at three community gatherings in Key West, Marathon, and Key Largo in November, the Foundation 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.
The growth has been remarkable. In 2020, the Foundation awarded $144,500 to 27 organizations. Five years later, the reach of this program has expanded significantly thanks to generous fundholders, our regional advisory councils, and legacy donors who are committed to keeping philanthropy local. Click below to see the photo gallery for the 2025 Grant Presentations.
Grant Presentations Photo Gallery
A Snapshot of Community Needs
Collaboration at the Center
Collaboration was a defining theme this year. Nonprofits partnered across sectors, and donors combined support through donor-advised funds and the Florida Keys Future Fund to make a larger collective impact. One example highlighted this week was a partnership between Good Health Clinic and the SOS Foundation, delivering both critical medicines and healthy frozen meals to residents in need.
Thank You
We are grateful to every donor and partner who helps strengthen our island chain. Together, we are building a healthier, more connected, and more resilient community — In Paradise for Good.
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.