KCCI receives grant from the Knight Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of North Florida
Community Foundation of North Florida Announces Grants
Local Projects Receive $250,000 from Knight Foundation’s Fund
The Knight Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of North Florida is awarding a total of $250,000 to 4 new projects helping to strengthen the Big Bend Community’s future. All 4 projects were chosen because of their alignment with Knight Foundation’s focus to support our community through investments that attract, retain and harness talent; expand opportunity by increasing entrepreneurship and economic mobility; support civic infrastructure to accelerate the growth of ideas; and bring people from diverse social and economic backgrounds together.
Of the 40 grant applications received, the following 4 projects have been selected to receive funding:
- $75,000 to Domi Education, Inc. for the Research, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Hub (REACH), Project. This project will map the existing entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem, network those in the ecosystem and develop new resources and outreach activities. For more information about this project, please contact Micah Widen at [email protected] or (812) 322-9117.
- $50,000 to the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee for the Entrepreneurial Excellence Program. The program utilizes local business professionals with expertise in a wide range of needed skills and experiences in a classroom setting to offer advice to start-up businesses and entrepreneurs. For more information about this project, please contact Larry Lynch, Director of the Entrepreneurial Excellence Program, at [email protected] or 850-570-0560.
- $50,000 to Florida Litfest, Inc. for the Word of South (WOS) and Tallahassee Music Week (TMW) Projects. TMW is aimed at placing local musicians/ensembles in unexpected venues and encouraging local venues to host musical concerts. WOS is designed to showcase Tallahassee as a cultural tourism destination, as well as provide a unique and innovative blend of entertainment and opportunity for area residents. For more information about this project, please contact Mark Mustian, at [email protected] or 850-224-4070.
- $75,000 to Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) Tallahassee to bring community “catalysts” together to implement sense of place projects that retain and attract talent in Tallahassee, engage citizens, mold future leaders and create engaged citizens. For more information about this project, please contact Betsy Couch, Executive Director of KCCI, at [email protected] or 850-509-3767.
“We are pleased to assist the Knight Foundation in funding valuable projects in our local community,” said Joy Watkins, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of North Florida. “There is quite a bit of good work being done in our community in the priority areas of interest to Knight. Knight’s funding will help increase the scope and impact of some of that work.”
This year, the Knight Fund received 40 applications. Although many of the projects were compelling, the Knight Foundation chose projects most closely aligned with their priorities.
The Knight Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation, was created in 2004 as part of Knight’s Communities Program which aims to improve the quality of life in the U.S. communities where the Knight Brothers owned newspapers. The counties in the geographic area of the Community Foundation are Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla County.
For more information about the 2014 projects and the 2014 Knight Fund grant cycle, visit the Community Foundation’s website, www.cfnf.org or contact Joy Watkins at 850.222.2899, Ext. 104 or [email protected].
About the Community Foundation of North Florida
The Community Foundation of North Florida is a nonprofit organization serving the 10-County Big Bend area by promoting and supporting charitable giving. The Foundation helps people give in perpetuity to their favorite charities and helps nonprofit organizations with grants, education and endowment building expertise.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org.