The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is a non-profit investment fund which runs its own grantmaking fund and manages charitable endowments, most of which provide food, housing-assistance, and education support to low-income communities. Though the Foundation is based in Florida and concentrates its direct grant-giving locally, its managed charitable funds operate across the country.

The Community Foundation was established in 1972 as a flexible grant-giving fund for the local community. In 1979, the Community Foundation received its first bequest and began managing the Ilse Klassen Fund. The Community Foundation largely managed other funds over the next three decades until it began more direct grant-giving operations after the 2008 financial crisis. ¹

Throughout its existence, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $150 million in grants through its managed funds. ²

Giving Funds

The Community Foundation primarily operates as a philanthropy management service which establishes charitable funds called “giving funds” out of large-sum donations and bequests. ¹ While such funds are normally established by for-profit investment funds, the Foundation offers services to assist in designing strategies for grant-giving. ³ The Community Foundation collects fees to cover its costs but operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. ⁴

MacArthur Fund

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a left-of-center institutional grantmaker established in 1978 with a $1 billion endowment that provides funding primarily for arts and sciences. Between 1991 and 2000, the MacArthur Foundation provided over $1 million to the Community Foundation for arts, education, and environmental goals. ⁵

In 2004, the Macarthur Foundation donated $20 million to the Community Foundation to establish the Macarthur Fund, a giving fund managed by the Community Foundation with the same charitable goals as the Macarthur Foundation. Since its creation, the Fund had disbursed $7.2 million in grants. ⁶

Since 2004, the Macarthur Foundation has given the Community Fund an additional $5.75 million to subsidize housing through low-interest loans and reduce homelessness in Palm Beach County. ⁵

Mary and Robert Pew Education Fund

The Mary and Robert Pew Education Fund was established in 1998 as a giving fund by the Community Foundation to improve attendance and outcomes at public schools in low-income Florida communities. ⁷ The fund targets elementary schools where 85% or more of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-lunch programs. It has given more than $25 million since its creation. ⁸

Grantmaking

In addition to managing giving funds, the Foundation disburses $1 million per year in grants to non-profits targeting education, food, housing, and community centers in Palm Beach and Martin County. ⁹ The Foundation’s grant-giving goals include expanding access to government benefits for low-income individuals¹⁰ and increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of community decision-makers. ¹¹

The Foundation also gives out 18 unique academic scholarships for low-income students. ¹²

Grant sizes range from $500 to $55,000. ⁹ Total Foundation philanthropy in Palm Beach and Martin County has reached $94 million. ¹³

1. “History.” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.yourcommunityfoundation.org/About-Us/History.
2. “The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.” Linkedin. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/company/community-foundation-for-palm-beach-and-martin-counties/about/.
3. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.yourcommunityfoundation.org/About-Us/FAQS#53924-what-is-the-difference-between-setting-up-a-charitable-fund-through-my-investment-firm-and-establishing-a-charitable-fund-at-the-community-foundation.
4. “Fees.” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.yourcommunityfoundation.org/About-Us/Fees.
5. “Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.macfound.org/grantees/222/.
6. “John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fund.” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/Manage-Site/Manage-Donor-Stories/john-d-and-catherine-t-macarthur-fund.
7. “About.” Mary and Robert Pew Education Fund. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.pewfund.org/?q=node/1.
8. “Mary and Robert Pew Education Fund.” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/Manage-Site/Manage-Donor-Stories/mary-and-robert-pew-education-fund.
9. “Looking for a Grant?” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/Our-Grantmaking/Grantmaking-Overview#72445-community-revitalization.
10. “What We Fund.” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.yourcommunityfoundation.org/Impact/What-We-Fund.
11. “About On the Table.” On the Table. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://onthetablefl.com/about-on-the-table/.
12. “Unique Scholarship Applications.” Community Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/Our-Scholarships/Scholarships-Overview/Unique-Scholarship-Applications.
13. “Bradley Hurlburt.” Linkedin. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-hurlburt-5a851153/.