By Laura Kepner
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Community Foundation Tampa Bay
Lifting Nonprofits and Showcasing Local Artists
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Philanthropy — the word implies a love for humanity, hope that others care enough to help in areas of great need. Lately, great needs are rising in so many areas.
“We bring people together,” says Jennifer Malin, Senior Director of Strategic Communications for Community Foundation Tampa Bay, which serves Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus Counties. Malin compares the foundation to a kind of charitable bank. “We work with philanthropists who invest their money with us and we match them with a community need. We have a philanthropy side and a community impact side,” she says.
Malin sits across from Dunedin Fine Art Center curator and fine artist Nathan Beard at Community Foundation Tampa Bay’s newest space at 110 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. Paintings from Beard’s Pond’s Edge series beautify a high wall, which will be continuously dedicated to showcasing local art. The room also holds works by Nick Davis, a local digital artist. A permanent mural by Tampa artist Ya La’Ford welcomes visitors at the entrance – all the works give the space a vibrant, yet relaxing gallery atmosphere.
“We opened in October 2020, a crazy time to open a new space,” says Malin. “We have a real commitment to Pinellas County but we didn’t have an actual presence. This is a collaboration space and it’s us showing our commitment to the community.”
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Community Foundation Tampa Bay’s headquarters are in Tampa. They created the St. Pete space for area nonprofit organizations to use for connecting, collaborating and forming long-term community relationships. “We have had all kinds of nonprofits using it for their board retreats, board meetings, and events to raise money,” says Malin. “We had 40 nonprofits here the other night.”
Government obviously can’t meet all the needs of the community, nor can corporations or individuals – but each of those can act as a pebble in the pond to create a ripple toward change. The Foundation looks at every way they can fund the Bay Area’s nonprofit organizations, especially when specific needs come up. “We have limited resources,” Malin adds. “We have to be excellent stewards of those resources. We have to be creative.”
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Highlighting the Works of Local Artists
of Community Foundation Tampa Bay – photo by Laura Kepner
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Amidst the local art wall, donors, nonprofit representatives and board members meet about their giving needs and desires. “One thing we’re excited about,” says Malin, “is we have a million dollar environmental endowment, and Nathan’s work is synergistic with that. We’ve been actively fundraising for it.”
Beard was the first artist to show his work when the new space opened two years ago. He stands and gestures toward his paintings. “When you asked me to do it again, this time I wanted to flood the whole office with nature. It’s an outgrowth of what happened with me during Covid too,” he explains, “thinking about people’s need to have rest, or reflection, I think that was part of this. That’s been part of my own progress through Covid.
“This work isn’t necessarily about environmental issues but it certainly centers on my being a person from outside of Florida and coming here ten years ago — I fell in love with the water. Then, reading about the environment and all the drastic changes, especially canals — aquafers being drained, saltwater intrusion . . . within that there is still the beauty of it.”
Recently, Community Foundation Tampa Bay facilitated the George and Mimi Frank Environmental Endowment specifically to help with the Tampa Bay environment. “The donor’s intent is important to us,” Malin says. “Tampa Bay Watch and Audubon Florida have been recipients of this money. We see the environment as a major focus for us going forward.
“There are so many social issues that we tackle,” says Malin. “Mental health has been big for us, especially during Covid. We have a huge initiative to train 5,000 people in mental health first aid. Early education is another issue coming out of the pandemic.”
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Funding Bay Area Nonprofits
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Community Foundation Tampa Bay holds more than $221 million in endowed assets. Every year, they offer a competitive grant process. They view their role as a catalyst to “lift up” the nonprofits in the community. This year’s competitive grants cycle opens October 22.
“We also wanted to create a transparent way to show needs to philanthropists. So we created the Nonprofit Needs List that people can see on our website,” Malin says. “It was so successful we launched the Critical Needs List. It will be an ongoing program. Nonprofits can come to us with unplanned critical needs. Like Boys and Girls Club had their catalytic converter stolen. That’s a perfect example of how we fund, year round.
“If the philanthropist wants to get involved directly, they can. We want to be involved but it’s not required. How can we make your giving easier?
“What is different about us is we have the community knowledge. When someone comes to us and cares about an issue, we know the issues. We connect them.”
Community Foundation Tampa Bay is meeting the greatest needs in the Tampa Bay community. “A lot of money comes in,” says Malin, “but it all goes back out.”
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