Hannah Edwards, director of philanthropy and outreach for the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the organization.
The Community Foundation serves as a link between donors and the nonprofits and projects that need support.
“We support a lot of the nonprofits in the Keys, and we connect donors with projects and nonprofits and needs throughout the whole Keys,” Edwards said. “So we are kind of that connector between those who would like to give back … and the needs that there are.”
One of the foundation’s major annual events is Nonprofit Day, which will be held Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Faro Blanco Resort.
The event is organized by the Florida Keys Funders Alliance, a partnership between the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, the Ocean Reef Community Foundation and United Way of Collier and the Keys.
Edwards said Nonprofit Day is designed to give nonprofit organizations an opportunity to learn from one another while building relationships that can lead to new partnerships.
“It is a half a day of networking and learning for all the nonprofits in the Keys,” Edwards said. “Some really great partnerships are born out of that day, because you get to talking and you get to realize how you could work together and how you could create things that have even more benefit by working together.”
This year’s event will feature two speakers.
Robyn Faucy, CEO and president of Results 1st, will discuss how nonprofits can focus on measuring the results of their programs and communicating those outcomes.
Edwards said the approach can change the way organizations think about their work.
“So rather than talking about what your organization did, you’re talking about what those who are benefiting from your programs have achieved and how they have changed,” she said.
Edwards said that approach can also help nonprofits when they are seeking grants.
“It really helps them not only in designing their programs but in writing grant applications and getting funded,” she said.
Leah McDermott, vice president of policy and programs for the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, will discuss a new study examining the role of nonprofit organizations in Florida’s economy. She will also address state legislative changes affecting nonprofits.
First State Bank is providing a $5,000 sponsorship for this year’s Nonprofit Day. Edwards said the sponsorship ultimately benefits the nonprofit organizations participating in the program.
“They’re really helping the 70 nonprofits that come to these events,” she said.
Edwards encouraged nonprofit representatives to register as soon as possible because organizers need to provide the resort with a final lunch count.
The foundation will also hold its annual Leadership Success Academy Oct. 27 and 28.
The two-day program is intended for nonprofit executives and board members, including new board members and those looking for a refresher.
This year, participants can attend either one day or both.
Edwards said the first day will focus on the “inner engine” of nonprofit organizations, including strategy, board dynamics, strategic planning, mission alignment, governance and the relationship between boards and staff.
The second day will focus on the organization’s “outer impact,” including storytelling, growth, financial oversight, succession planning, fundraising, marketing and branding.
Edwards said succession planning is particularly important because nonprofit organizations need to preserve institutional knowledge when longtime leaders leave.
“There’s a lot of institutional knowledge that they need to pass on before they retire,” Edwards said. “You don’t want all that knowledge to go when the leader goes.”
More than 700 nonprofit leaders throughout the Keys have participated in the Leadership Success Academy since 2008.
The Community Foundation also administers charitable funds connected to the Just a Few Friends Key West celebration. Proceeds from collectible event badges go into a charitable fund at the foundation and are distributed to local nonprofits after the event.
Past beneficiaries have included the Bahama Village Music Program, Reef Relief and a local high school band whose students were raising money for a trip to Italy.
Edwards said the event demonstrates another way people can support the community while enjoying themselves.
“It’s really another way that people in the Keys are figuring out how to give back in a way that’s a good time for everybody,” she said.
The foundation’s community grants will be open throughout September. Edwards said the organization is also looking for volunteers to serve on its community grant review committee.
She offered a tip for nonprofits planning to apply: start the application, save the draft, then attend Nonprofit Day for additional information that could help strengthen the application.
The Community Foundation of the Florida Keys has distributed tens of millions of dollars through its work since 2006, helping provide a conduit between donors and organizations serving the community.
Edwards said people who want to get involved can also participate through the foundation’s regional councils or grant review committee.
The foundation’s website, cffk.org, provides additional information about its programs, giving opportunities and upcoming events.