The Community Foundation Of Broward Celebrates 40th Anniversary

In 2024, the Community Foundation of Broward will celebrate 40 years of creating BOLD Impact for Broward. What started 40 years ago as a BOLD idea shared by a few philanthropists in Fort Lauderdale has grown into the Community Foundation that today transforms Broward through focused leadership that fosters collaboration, builds endowment, advances equity and connects people who care to causes that matter.

Seeking to establish a local philanthropy champion for Broward, founders Libby and Jack Deinhardt launched the Foundation with a small group of volunteers in December 1984. A volunteer leadership team and a budding group of donors' gifts led to the establishment of an endowment and an initial $7,000 in grants to support struggling families, the arts, education, seniors and other local needs. The Foundation was entrusted to carefully invest and grow philanthropists' gifts, directing grants that enabled their local impact to continue for generations. As a result of the seeds the visionary volunteers planted, the Foundation's philanthropy family and giving power keeps growing. In 2023, the Foundation's assets totaled nearly $300 million and it awarded a record $20 million in annual grants to support opportunities to transform lives and shape a brighter future.

Today and forever, the Foundation provides community leadership, fosters bold philanthropy and builds permanent resources to tackle Broward's biggest challenges. It partners with individuals, families and local organizations to create personalized charitable funds that fuel game-changing philanthropy. As a grantmaking public charity, the Foundation provides leadership and resources to support solutions that make Broward a better place to call home. Through the power of endowment, the Foundation builds permanent resources for Broward to take care of itself for generations to come.

Presently, the Foundation shepherds 532 charitable funds, and in over 40 years, it has provided nearly $200 million in support of student achievement, the arts, career readiness, seniors in need, HIV/AIDs prevention, equity and social justice, environmental resilience, health care, affordable housing, disaster relief, nonprofit empowerment and much more. All grants are made possible by the dedicated fundholders who partner with the Foundation to create charitable funds to fuel their philanthropy.

The grants are just a part of the important work of the Foundation. Through the years, it has led the way in identifying Broward's emerging needs and continues to forge innovative collaborations with local organizations to tackle growing community challenges. It's building an endowment that provides critical local support today and will be there to support the community for generations to come. The principal of an endowment is invested and grows over time, providing a continuous and permanent source of support to tackle the community's most pressing issues. 

“We're honored to reach this remarkable milestone of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Community Foundation of Broward,” said President/CEO Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson, Ph.D. “It's all made possible by our fundholders – dedicated individuals, families and organizations – who partner with us to create charitable funds that we shepherd and grow. We make their charitable giving easier and more strategic and amplify their impact by pooling support to tackle big challenges. Together, we create a BOLD impact here in the place we call home.”

To commemorate this special milestone, the Foundation is organizing initiatives throughout 2024, including extended festivities at its annual Community Builder Celebration, taking place at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, Nov. 7. Also, throughout the year, the Foundation will share photos, stories, videos and more that showcase how it was established and how its history shaped the exciting course it's charting for the future. 

Additionally, the Foundation is awarding special “40 for 40: Spread the Love Grants” – $400,000 total to help 40 nonprofits make a BOLD impact for Broward. The grants – up to $10,000 each – will support 40 innovative, impactful opportunities for nonprofits to help the community by investing in projects and initiatives that make life better in Broward. The campaign is another way for the Foundation to celebrate this milestone and say “thank you” to the community that has embraced its mission to champion local philanthropy that shapes a brighter future for Broward. Applications for the “40 for 40: Spread the Love Grants” are due by Thursday, July 25, via the Grants Application Portal and the 40 nonprofits receiving the grants will be announced in October.

For more information about the Community Foundation of Broward, please visit https://www.cfbroward.org/ and for more information about the 40th anniversary visit https://www.cfbroward.org/articles/celebrating-40-years-of-the-community-foundations-bold-impact.

About the Community Foundation of Broward:

Founded in 1984, the Community Foundation of Broward partners with families, individuals and organizations to create personalized charitable funds that deliver game-changing philanthropic impact. 532 charitable funds represent more than $287 million in assets, distributing nearly $200 million in grants over the past 40 years. The Community Foundation transforms our community through focused leadership that fosters collaboration, builds endowment, advances equity and connects people who care to cause that matter. The Community Foundation of Broward empowers visionaries, innovators and doers to create the change they want to see in the community – and to BE BOLD. www.cfbroward.org.

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