We are committed to building a strong presence throughout Monroe County. The Middle Keys Advisory Council is critical to helping us expand our mission, grantmaking, donor base, and public awareness in the Middle Keys.

Middle Keys Future Fund

The Middle Keys Future Fund supports grants to local nonprofits based in or specifically serving the Marathon area. The Fund expands CFFK’s impact, increases its resources, and provides grants to benefit Middle Keys residents.

Bonus: All gifts to the Middle Keys Future Fund will be matched 1:1 by CFFK, up to the first $25,000. That means a gift of $1,000 will provide $2,000 in grant monies available to Middle Keys nonprofits. This is indeed the power of collective giving in action. Make a donation to the Middle Keys Future Fund by clicking on the button below.

The Middle Keys Advisory Council will play an integral role in helping identify potential applicants and advising the CFFK Grants Committee on grant recommendations.

“This is a significant opportunity to build a granting fund to enhance the future of the Middle Keys for residents and visitors,” said Marian Buccafurni, CFFK Board Member and Chair of the Middle Keys Advisory Council for CFFK.  “Donor gifts to the fund will be matched, doubling the impact of giving, assisting even more people, and helping meet pressing community needs.”

Middle Keys Advisory Council

Middle Keys civic and business leaders are members of the Middle Keys Advisory Council, part of a series of initiatives to continue broadening CFFK’s mission, grantmaking, philanthropic donor base, and public awareness in Marathon and other Middle Keys communities.

Advisory Council members, who meet quarterly throughout the year, specifically help build philanthropy in the Middle Keys, raise awareness and advocate for the Community Foundation, advise CFFK on local needs and initiatives, identify potential nonprofits as grant applicants, and advise the CFFK Grants Committee on funding recommendations.

Members of the Middle Keys Advisory Council:

Marian Buccafurni, Chair

Marian Buccafurni is a civic leader, philanthropist and retired business and legal professional. She is CFFK’s first board member from Key Colony Beach and spends part of the year in Monterey, California, where she is active with the Community Foundation for Monterey County. She is a former board president and a major donor of the Women’s Fund there, which supports opportunities for women and girls. Marian has a diverse business background in the medical, science and legal fields and has focused on philanthropy since she retired in 2000.

Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams is the Assistant Principal of Stanley Switlik Elementary. She has been a resident of Marathon for 25 years, and her large extended family has a long history of living in Key Colony Beach and the Middle Keys. Sarah is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Educational Administration. She is the only recipient of Educator of the Year from the City of Marathon and lives in a Habitat for Humanity house built by Marathon High School students. Sarah is a Rotarian and community volunteer. The most important thing to her is family, especially her two children, Alliyah and Jason.

C.M. Bishop

C.M. Bishop retired in 2005 after 33 years in education, having served as Principal of Marathon Middle School and Assistant Principal of Marathon Middle/High School, among others. She is an active volunteer and has served as President and Board Member of Marathon Business and Professional Women’s Club, Chair of the MYC Auxiliary, the Marathon Recreation Center, and the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter. She created the Youth Sailing Program for the Marathon Yacht Club Educational Foundation. She and her husband Dennis travel extensively around the world.

Lavarski Smith

Lavarski Smith is the District Manager for Coca Cola, covering the entire Florida Keys. Currently a resident of Duck Key, he has lived in the Keys for 27 years. He attended all levels of school in the Middle Keys, where he met his high school sweetheart, Sopheap Smith. They’ve been married for 12 years and just welcomed their third child. Larvarski also serves as a member of the Marathon Rotary Club and is excited to be part of the new council which supports his core values.

Robyn Still

Robyn Still is the current Vice Mayor for the City of Marathon.  She is also the current Chair of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, is on the board of the Rotary Club of Marathon, and sits on the boards of several local organizations.  She and her husband own The Tackle Box, a bait and tackle store in Marathon.  She moved to Marathon in 2016 from north Georgia after retiring from a career in law enforcement that spanned over 20 years.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in the Administration of Justice and Security.  She is a Class XXX graduate of Leadership Monroe County and is a Take Stock in Children mentor.  She and her husband have three sons, one of whom just graduated from Marathon High School.  In her spare time she enjoys CrossFit, fishing, reading, and crafting.

Elizabeth Brown

Elizabeth Brown is an executive nonprofit professional with a passion for community engagement, philanthropy, and sustainable organization development. She brings over 15 years of experience with a variety of nonprofits including leadership and consulting roles. Elizabeth was most recently the Deputy Director of Advancement for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art. Elizabeth has a Master of Public Policy from Duke University; her undergraduate education includes both a Bachelor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Auburn University. She also holds a Sunshine Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Florida Association of Nonprofits.

To contact the Advisory Council, email middlekeys@cffk.org.