The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay strives to leverage the dollars entrusted to it by generous donors in our community. In accordance with its mission to build a better community through creative philanthropy, vision, and leadership, the Foundation holds itself accountable to those donors and to the community as a whole by asking, "What difference does the Foundation make in the community? What are we doing that might not be addressed otherwise?"

Our response comes in the form of the following special programs which are unique, powerful, and meaningful examples of living our mission and walking
our talk.


BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF TAMPA BAY - HYPE (HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE EXCEL) PROGRAM

HYPE is a gang prevention program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay that provides effective prevention programs for youth who are the most likely targets of gang recruitment by providing youth with positive out-of-school time activities and youth development programs.  Outcomes from the HYPE program include:
 

• 89% of participants showed increased competencies based on pre-and post-test data

• 84% missed less than 10 days of school

• 87% were on grade level and progressed to the next grade level

• 99% had no reported involvement with a gang or the juvenile justice system.

Click here to read our newsletter article about HYPE.
 

YMCA COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER AT SULPHUR SPRINGS

This initiative has strengthened the connection between schools and neighborhoods by leveraging school facilities in a low income area (Sulphur Springs) as the hub for community services and programs to create the conditions conducive for learning.  This program has transformed Sulphur Springs Elementary School into an active community center to enhance the quality of life and opportunities for the young people in this area.  Successes from year one include the school receiving a B score after being an F school for the past two years and a 27% increase in students scoring at 3.0 or higher on FCAT. 

Year two successes include continued academic gains including achieving 79% of their goals to make adequate yearly progress.  There has been a dramatic increase in parental involvement and community involvement which have earned Sulphur Springs Elementary the Five Star School Status for the second year in a row.  Every single family unit attended one or more family events at the school.  A program to continue parental involvement will begin this fall with a goal of engaging parents to participate in committees, PTA, etc. 
 

Sulphur Springs Elementary Wins State Reading Award
	Read Friday's St. Pete Times article about Sulphur Springs Elementary
	Read Saturday's St. Pete Times article about Sulphur Springs Elementary

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF TAMPA BAY - MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM

This program in Sulphur Springs will provide the middle school age piece of the “pipeline” and will support the fifth graders after graduating from Sulphur Springs Elementary.  The Boys & Girls Clubs ran a very successful program this summer at Webb Middle School and provided access to high quality learning opportunities geared toward the youth’s specific developmental needs to engage this age group. 

HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION - PROJECT SUCCESS

This program focuses on students attending the South County Career Center, a Hillsborough County School District alternative high school that combines basic academics with career and technical training.  Project Success assists the students with (1) pre-graduation needs (incidental expenses while in the career center such as uniforms, materials, etc.), (2) post-graduation needs (certification or association expenses, tools, materials, etc.), and (3) post-secondary scholarships to technical education centers or HCC). 

Successes include a dramatic impact on the graduating seniors with years one and two having a 100% graduation rate.  In year one 24 students planned to continue their education at HCC (compared to 4 the previous year) and in year two 34 plan to attend HCC.  The attendance rate has increased from 69% to 82% and there has been a 21% decrease in discipline incidents.

READY FOR LIFE - AGING OUT FOSTER YOUTH IN PINELLAS COUNTY

Ready For Life (RFL) is engaging foster care youth, private citizens, and public resources to assist Pinellas County foster youth in a successful transition to adulthood.  The website (www.readyforlifepinellas.org) has become a central hub of information for the youth aging out of the foster care system for resources in areas such as health, education, employment, housing, legal matters, etc.  Ready For Life is a public private partnership in conjunction with Eckerd Community Alternatives and JWB Children’s Services. During the 2009-2010 year over 200 youth have been engaged by being a member of the youth council or participating in the journaling project. 

The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay strives to leverage the dollars entrusted to it by generous donors in our community. In accordance with its mission to build a better community through creative philanthropy, vision, and leadership, the Foundation holds itself accountable to those donors and to the community as a whole by asking, "What difference does the Foundation make in the community? What are we doing that might not be addressed otherwise?"

Our response comes in the form of the following special programs, which are unique, powerful, and meaningful examples of living our mission and walking our talk.


Connected by 25

No home. No transportation. No job. No high school diploma. No credit. No sense of belonging. No hope.

Many foster youth have had virtually no safety net and few prospects when they turn 18 and are instantly held accountable for their own lives and livelihood. In far too many cases, once they turn 18 and the government checks stop coming, they are turned out of their foster homes, and 75% of those are still in high school!

Diane Zambito, Executive Director of Connected by 25, is working feverishly to change that. With leadership and convening efforts on the part of the Foundation, donors have stepped forward to support her efforts and help duplicate the services now being provided in Hillsborough County for Pinellas County.

The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, working with the Juvenile Welfare Board in Pinellas County, seeks to address and change the paths to crime, homelessness, and drugs that often accompany this forgotten segment of our society.

Financial support for this effort was provided by:

Gerry Hogan
Bud Risser
Cy and Joanne Spurlino
Community Foundation of Tampa Bay
St. Petersburg Times Foundation
Progress Energy Corporation
 

Philanthropy In Action

Community groups are empowered with philanthropic dollars from visionary donors and from the Foundation's Community Fund. The members of the community groups experience the process of making grants and, along the way, learn about the challenges of making good grant decisions and the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of the grant. They also learn about the good work being done by nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area, and many have become adept at raising additional funds and in-kind donations to successfully complete the required hands-on volunteer work that is a part of the process.

Funded initially by the Robert and Sharon Blanchard Fund, the following groups have participated in this unique method of civic engagement:

More than 450 public school principals and assistant principals from Hillsborough
and Pinellas counties have participated in this nationally-acclaimed leadership course.  Originally available to nonprofit directors as well, and originally funded through the Harold Corrigan Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Sun City Center,
the program's impact has been so positive that the school systems are now partially funding the cost themselves in an effort to provide access to its tools and systems to even more participants.

Within the Foundation, it has become nearly self-sustaining as donors, impressed by the reported outcomes of stronger leadership, better test results, improved behavior and attendance, and greater parental involvement have recommended grants from their donor advised funds to support and build on these successes.

Believing that every nonprofit should have a strong endowment to assure stability in good times and bad, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay issued a challenge:
Training in planned giving and marketing endowments have been important components to this successful program. To date, nineteen nonprofit agencies have completed their Challenge Grant program. They have successfully generated $8.7 million in endowment funds which now collectively provide more than $500,000 annually in income to improve the quality of life in our community. The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay Challenge Grant Program is proudly working with another twelve agencies toward their goals.