$560,000 awarded through Impact Polk 2020

LAKELAND, FL, (August 6, 2020) – We are pleased to announce that the George W. Jenkins Fund with GiveWell Community Foundation has awarded $559,713.45 to 87 nonprofit organizations through Impact Polk 2020.

Impact Polk is an annual competitive, donor-directed grant program of the GiveWell Community Foundation with the goal of addressing community needs throughout Polk County. Impact Polk grants often support a broad range of needs, such as arts and culture, animal welfare, education, environmental stewardship, health, and human services.

“We are grateful for the George W. Jenkins Fund’s ongoing support of the Impact Polk grant cycle,” said John Attaway, President and CEO of the GiveWell Community Foundation. “This vital funding helps so many nonprofits make an impact in our community.”

Impact Polk 2020 Highlights

Grants By Type:

The following programs received full or partial funding through Impact Polk 2020:

• 1st Veterans’ Kids Care’s Youth Eyecare Services (Y.E.S) Vision and Literacy Initiative received $5,000.
• A Community Pregnancy Center’s Earn While You Learn Parenting Program received $5,000.
• A Woman’s Choice’s Teen Impact Summer Abstinence Education Program 2020 received $5,000.
• Aerospace Center for Excellence’s STEMFusion received $3,000.
• Alzheimer’s Association- Florida Gulf Coast’s Chapter All About the Brain: Community Education And Risk Reduction received $2,500.
• Anchor House Ministries’ Transition to Success received $10,000.
• Better Tomorrows’ After School Program received $1,500.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s Project to Increase our Numbers of Quality Volunteers in Polk County received $10,000.
• Bok Tower Gardens’ Bok Discovery Boxes program received $5,000.
• Boys and Girls Club of Polk County’s Stop the GRUMBLING received $10,000.
• Camp Fire U.S.A. Sunshine Council’s Service-Learning Trips received $9,297.
• Camp Gilead CBM Ministries of Florida’s Camper Scholarships received $5000.
• Center for Independent Living in Central Florida’s Project SEARCH program received $3,000.
• Central Florida Health Care’s Improving Nutritional Choices and Health through Community Teaching Kitchen received $5,000.
• Central Florida Speech and Hearing’s Hear It To Say It received $5,000.
• Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Parents as Partners Support Group received $11,400.
• Christian Family & Youth Services’ Computer Lab received $2,500.
• Cypress Junction Montessori’s Early Education Scholarship Fund received $5,000.
• Destiknee Place, Inc’s Helping Pre- and Post-Incarcerated Women Regain Their Lives for a Brighter Future received $3,000.
• Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc’s A Second Chance at a Complete 180 received $5,000.
• ElderPoint Ministries’ Growing Senior Produce Markets received $5,000.
• Explorations V Children’s Museum’s Camp Explorations received $5,000.
• Faith in Action North Lakeland’s Great Opportunity to Serve Our Ailing Seniors $15,000.
• Faith Without Works’ Camp Compassion 2k20 received $10,000.
• FAM Church’s Migrant Camp Worker Food Sovereignty Program received $5,000.
• Family Literacy Academy at Lake Wales’s The Arts and At-Risk Children II received $5,000.
• Florence Villa Community Development Corporation’s FVCDC Youth Leadership Development Program received $5,000.
• Florida Baptist Children’s Homes’ Lakeland Campus Summer Program received $5,000.
• Florida Dance Theatre’s Movement Discovery Project received $15,000.
• Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches’ Harmony in the Streets Polk County received $5,000.
• Florida Southern College’s Giving Polk County Children with Dyslexia the Tools to Achieve Success received $5,000.
• Frostproof Dawgs’ Literacy for Athletes 2020 received $3,000.
• Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s Rising Diamonds Program Support received $5,000.
• Good Shepherd Hospice’s 2021 Camp Brave Heart received $20,000.
• Gospel Inc.’s Advanced Sewing Job Training Internship received $10,000.
• Guardianship Office of the Tenth Circuit’s Giving Hope to the Voiceless received $5,000.
• Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands & Polk’s Beds 4 Babies Project received $10,000.
• Hearing Loss Association of America – Lakeland’s Hearing Solutions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students received $3,000.
• Heart for Winter Haven’s Scholarship Housing Community Network (SHCN) – Jobs for Life Training $5,000.
• Heartland for Children’s Caregiver Support Program for Children in Foster Care received $18,950.
• HELP of Fort Meade’s Supporting Our Community received $10,000.
• Hero Revolution’s Be A H.E.R.O. for Greater Student Success received $5,000.
• Idols Aside Ministries’ Sons Without Fathers Scholarships received $10,000.
• Jaylen’s Challenge Foundation’s East Polk’s No Bullies in School ~ Bullying No way! received $5,000.
• Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay’s JA Signature Hero’s Effective Civic Leadership received $5,000.
• Keystone Challenge Fund’s Financial Literacy & Homebuyer Education received $1,000.
• kidsPACK’s Just Feed Kids received $15,000.
• Lake Wales Arts Council’s 2020 Summer Arts Camp $2,500.
• Lakeland Choral Society’s Sing Polk received $2,500.
• Lakeland Community Theatre’s “Out of the Box” Theatre Troupe for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities received $10,000.
• Lakeland Habitat for Humanity’s Vets Helping Vets received $10,000.
• Lakeland Housing Authority’s YouthBuild – Lakeland 2020 received $5,000.
• Lakeland Kiwanis Charitable Foundation’s Stuff the Bus 2020 received $5,000.
• Lakeland Police Athletic League’s 30 Day of Stem-ulation and Mentoring Program received $10,000.
• Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine’s Steps to Good Health received $10,000.
• Learning Resource Center of Polk County’s Camp READY! received $18,066.45
• Martin Luther King Jr Scholarship Committee’s Helping with Books & Tuition for the College Students received $1,000.
• Meals on Wheels of Polk County’s Angel Meal Program received $5,000.
• Mulberry Community Services Center’s Personal Finance Center of Polk County received $5,000.
• Museum of Science & Industry’s Robot Round-Up received $7,500.
• Nemours Foundation‘s Healthy Habits in the First Five Years Phase 2 received $10,000.
• New Life Center for Family Preservation’s Homeless to Wholeness received $10,000.
• Options for Women Pregnancy Help Clinic’s Community HIV Testing received $2,000.
• Paint Your Heart Out Lakeland’s Initiative 2020 received $2,500.
• Parker Street Ministries’ Build a Healthy Community received $5,000.
• Peace River Center’s Engaged, Restored, and Empowered through Art Therapy received $5,000.
• Platform Art’s Platform Kids 2020/2021 received $10,000.
• Polk County School Board’s Supporting Students with Disabilities through Self-Regulation received $10,000.
• Polk County School Readiness Coalition’s School Readiness Match received $5,000.
• Polk Education Foundation’s Building Better Readers received $7,500.
• Polk State College Foundation’s Encouraging Leadership and Integrity Through Education Mentoring received $5,000.
• Randy Roberts Foundation’s 2020 Congressional Classroom received $5,000.
• READ Lakeland’s Technology in the 21st Century $1,000.00
• Southern Guide Dogs’ Guide and Service Dog Client Support received $5,000.
• SPCA Florida’s Save the Pets of Polk received $10,000.
• Step It Up Ministries’ Operation Homefront received $3,000.
• TLC PetSnip’s Affordable Pet Care for Polk received $2,500.
• Top Buttons‘ Job Readiness and Capsule Collection Delivery Project received $2,500.
• Tri-County Human Services’ Promises and Accountability Ending the Revolving Door received $10,000.
• Volunteers in Service to the Elderly’s Helping Seniors Age in Place Using Technology and Volunteer Support received $5,000.
• Women’s Resource Center of Florida’s Financial Resilience Repair, Rebuild, and Save received $5,000.
• YMCA of West Central Florida’s Kindergarten Learn to Swim received $10,000.
• Young Life of Polk County’s Young Life Camp Scholarships received $5,000.
• Youth for Christ of Polk County’s Summer Camping with At-Risk Youth in Polk County received $10,000.

About Impact Polk

Impact Polk is an annual competitive grant program with the goal of addressing community needs throughout Polk County. Public nonprofit organizations serving Polk County and recognized by the IRS as described in the IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) as eligible for tax-exempt status may apply. Learn more at impactpolk.org.