The GiveWell Community Foundation Legacy Society gives those who are passionate about philanthropy the opportunity to learn, become more engaged, and make a difference for years to come.
Grants to nonprofit organizations support both proven programs and promising new practices addressing community needs.
Our staff is ready to make your year-end gifts and grantmaking as easy and impactful as possible. Learn more about year-end giving tips, deadlines, and other important information for 2024.
Our 2023-2024 Annual Report highlights GiveWell Community Foundation’s community impact, including more than 1,600 grants totaling $57.5 million distributed in the last fiscal year.
This year, 110 nonprofit organizations serving Polk County received grants through GWCF's Impact Polk 2024 grant cycle.
Get to know Kimberly Elmhorst, GiveWell Community Foundation’s 2024-2026 board chair.
Announcing updates to GiveWell Community Foundation’s board of directors for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
This year, 30 nonprofit organizations serving Polk County were awarded capacity-building grants through GWCF's Empower Polk 2024 grant cycle.
Estate planning might feel like a burden on your to do list, but it’s actually one of the best ways you can show you care. Your loved ones, and the charities you care about, will appreciate your careful planning.
GiveWell Community Foundation is a proud partner of Polk Vision, our Local College Access Network. Learn more about Polk Vision’s college and career readiness efforts and the College Access & Success Initiative.
During this season of giving, and as we approach the end of the calendar year, our staff is ready to make your year-end gifts and grantmaking as easy and impactful as possible. With this in mind, here are a few year-end giving tips and deadlines for 2023.
Our Annual Report highlights GiveWell Community Foundation’s 25 years of community impact, including more than 1,300 grants totaling $40.6 million distributed in the last fiscal year. Learn more in our 2022-2023 Annual Report.
Even philanthropy has a learning curve, both for adults and especially for children. If you are interested in teaching children what charitable giving is all about, consider positive reinforcement and other tips.
GiveWell Community Foundation’s Controller, Dorena Geary, CPA, has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer.
Announcing updates to GWCF's Board of Directors for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
The George W. Jenkins Fund within the GiveWell Community Foundation has awarded a total of $750,523 to 90 nonprofit organizations through the Impact Polk 2023 grant cycle.
This year, 29 nonprofit organizations serving Polk County were awarded capacity-building grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 through GWCF’s Empower Polk 2023 grant cycle.
GiveWell Community Foundation fundholders and community partners recently celebrated the community foundation's 25th anniversary at the Toast annual event at the Bonnet Springs Park Event Center.
A message from GiveWell Community Foundation’s new president/CEO, Callie Neslund, on the future of the foundation.
John Attaway to transition to Counsel role; Callie Neslund appointed as President/CEO of the GiveWell Community Foundation.
GiveWell Community Foundation welcomes Dorena Geary, CPA, as the organization’s new Controller.
The United Community Relief Fund has awarded $205,600 to nonprofits in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties for Hurricane Ian relief and recovery efforts.
More than 1,200 grants totaling $35.8 million were distributed through the community foundation over our 2021-2022 fiscal year. Learn more in our Annual Report.
GWCF and United Way of Central Florida stand ready to activate the United Community Relief Fund for potential relief efforts caused by Hurricane Ian.
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.
GWCF is proud to have several representatives participating in this year's Leadership Polk and Inside PCPS leadership programs.
Announcing updates to GiveWell Community Foundation's Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
Grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 were awarded to 38 nonprofit organizations serving Polk County through GWCF's capacity-building grant cycle in 2022.
The Leadership Polk Alumni Association's Spirit of Leadership award recognizes individuals and organizations who contribute to leadership development efforts in Polk County.
GiveWell Community Foundation welcomes Callie Neslund as Chief Operating Officer. Neslund’s prior experience spans the government and private sectors including over a decade of work in corporate philanthropy for The Mosaic Company and service on nonprofit boards.
GWCF and United Way of Central Florida have extended the deadline for the online survey portion of the United Community Needs Assessment to April 15, 2022.
Polk Vision was awarded a grant to develop a new initiative that will work to help break down barriers preventing students from finishing high school, getting into college, or finding immediate careers through job training and certifications.
Empower Polk will provide nonprofits with capacity-building grants, funding aimed at helping them more effectively advance their mission into the future and bringing them to the next level of operational and organizational maturity.
GWCF and United Way of Central Florida have partnered to create a survey on community needs in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties. Survey results will help us identify and address our community's most pressing needs.
As we approach the season of giving and the end of the calendar year, our staff is ready to make your year-end gifts and grantmaking as easy and impactful as possible. With this in mind, here are a few year-end giving tips and deadlines for 2021.
More than 1,100 grants totaling $25.9 million were distributed through the community foundation in previous fiscal year. Learn more in our 2020-2021 Annual Report.
This year's Nonprofit Workshop was designed for nonprofit board members and executive directors, and topics ranged from board responsibilities to planned giving.
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.
GWCF’s Communications Manager, was recently named one of twelve members of the statewide Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Joe Curley Rising Leader Class of 2021.
GWCF is pleased to announce a new Balanced Pool investment option for fundholders. As the name implies, this new investment pool offers a balanced strategy of equity and fixed income investing.
This year, Empower Polk awarded capacity-building grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to 35 local nonprofit organizations, totaling more than $100,000.
GiveWell Community Foundation is excited to announce the addition of four new members to the Board of Directors: Ann Barnhart, Christina Criser Jackson, Katrina Lunsford, and George Tinsley, Sr.
After being closed to the public for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GWCF's offices resume normal office hours on Monday, June 7.
This year, Empower Polk grants once again focus on capacity-building. This means funding aimed at bringing nonprofits to the next level of operational and organizational maturity and helping them more effectively advance their mission into the future.
GiveWell Community Foundation’s Controller, Angela Baragona, CPA, has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer.
As 2020 comes to a close, we are proud of our successes this year and look forward to working with you in 2021 to continue building philanthropy in our community.
Learn how you make the most of your year-end charitable giving and and maximize the impact of your charitable gift.
More than 1,000 grants totaling $23.6 million were distributed through the community foundation in previous fiscal year. Learn more in our 2019-2020 Annual Report.
As GWCF's new Philanthropic Services Coordinator, Sara Hallett, APR, will work to bolster local philanthropy and awareness of the community foundation.
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.
Eighty-seven nonprofits received program funding from GiveWell Community Foundation's Impact Polk 2020 grant cycle.
GiveWell Community Foundation and United Way of Central Florida are pleased to offer a second round of Request for Proposals (RFP) from the United Community Relief Fund (UCRF). Applications are due by midnight on Monday, August 3, 2020
GWCF announces its 2020-2021 board of directors and officers, including three incoming and two outgoing board members.
GiveWell Community Foundation receives the 2019-2020 Spirit of Central Florida award from United Way of Central Florida.
Twenty-nine local nonprofits received capacity-building funding from GiveWell Community Foundation's Empower Polk 2020 grant cycle.
As I complete my first full week as GiveWell Community Foundation’s (GWCF) President/CEO, I want to provide an update to the entire GWCF community. GWCF is a great organization with a wonderful Team doing good for the community and I am extremely honored to serve as its next President/CEO.
GiveWell Community Foundation's next president and CEO, John Attaway joins the foundation on April 1, 2020.
United Way of Central Florida and GiveWell Community Foundation have partnered to establish the United Community Relief Fund.
As our local community joins the rest of the globe in navigating the Coronavirus pandemic, we are closely monitoring this situation to see where the greatest local funding needs will be.
Introducing a new community tradition celebrating and bringing together the philanthropic heart of our community.
The former Publix general counsel will take over as President/CEO of the GiveWell Community Foundation.
GiveWell Community Foundation recently received accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence.
GiveWell Community Foundation announces the posting for the position of President and Chief Executive Officer.
Nonprofit board members, executive directors, and fundraising professionals from around the community convened on October 25 for the third annual GWCF Nonprofit Workshop.
Terry Simmers to retire as President and CEO after 12 years of service with the community foundation.
More than one thousand grants were awarded over the last fiscal year! Learn about more about our grants and other highlights in our 2018-19 Annual Report.
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. Grant applications will be accepted until October 14.
Our thoughts are currently with those affected by Hurricane Dorian and what we can do to help.
Announcing the Impact Polk 2020 grant opportunity for local nonprofits and orientation event to be held on September 19.
Get to know the newest members of the GiveWell Community Foundation Board of Directors.
City commissioners presented GWCF with the June 2019 Commercial Beautification Award for its main office in Lakeland.
Four outgoing members of the GiveWell Community Foundation Board of Directors were honored for their years of service and support to the organization and community.
We are excited to announce the launch of a newly-refreshed givecf.org website, featuring a more modern design with a simplified navigation, mobile-friendly responsiveness, and enriched content tailored for perspective donors, professional advisors, and nonprofit organizations.
Anniversaries are occasions for celebrating the past and imagining the future. As the GiveWell Community Foundation marked its 20th anniversary this year, we have had so much to celebrate!
Members of the GiveWell Community Foundation's Leadership Council met at the Citrus Center Boys & Girls Club in Winter Haven on Thursday, August 23rd.
GiveWell Community Foundation is proud to announce and welcome Angela Baragona, CPA as the organization’s Controller.
Terry Simmers, President/CEO of the GiveWell Community Foundation announces that five new board members have joined the community foundation’s board of directors: Wesley Barnett, Jean Bostick, Kimberly Elmhorst, Tom Oldt, and Renee Pobjecky. A native of...
At the final board meeting of the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the GiveWell Community Foundation’s board of directors appointed a new slate of officers and five new board members.
"The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" "The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" is expected to be signed by President Trump before the end of the year. Like many Americans, we have been following this tax reform bill very closely, staying informed on how it will affect our fundholders and...
The 2016-2017 fiscal year was a remarkable year for the GiveWell Community Foundation! Thanks to our generous fundholders, more than $21 million was granted to impactful nonprofit organizations throughout Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties and beyond.
LAKELAND - In the early hours of Monday, September 11, Hurricane Irma made landfall and went directly through our region as category 2 hurricane. Polk, Hardee, Highlands, and many other Florida counties felt the force of violent winds and heavy rain, leaving most...
Winter Haven - Members of the GiveWell Community Foundation's Leadership Council came together for their annual combined meeting on Thursday, August 31 at the historic Gram Parsons' Derry Down building in downtown Winter Haven. Board Chair, Suzie Moraco, opened the...