Community Foundation of the Florida Keys

10/20/2026

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday for Key Largo Chamber of Commerce & Florida Keys Visitor Center's Members in Motion event at the Italian Food Company. We will see you there for great food, drink, and company!

Join us for our upcoming Members in Motion event! 🍕✨

We are excited to partner with The Italian Food Company and The Community Foundation of the Florida Keys for an evening of networking, live music, delicious bites, and drinks. Come catch up with local professionals and learn more about how the Community Foundation supports our area!

🗓 Date: October 22nd

⏰ Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

📍 Location: Italian Food Company 98070 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo

Scan the QR code in the graphic or visi www.KeyLargoChamber.org

10/20/2026

A future charitable gift can take several forms.

You can include a gift in your will or trust, such as a specific amount or a percentage of your estate.

You can also explore naming the Foundation as a beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy. Your fund agreement with us will detail your charitable goals, and we will make sure they are carried out. Certain bank and brokerage accounts offer beneficiary arrangements, too.

These options can allow you to plan a future gift easily while keeping resources available during your lifetime.

🌱Your attorney or financial advisor can help determine the right approach. The Community Foundation can help you decide what you want your gift to accomplish in the Keys and make sure your wishes are carried out.

Talk with us:
[email protected] | 305-809-4995
[email protected] | 305-809-4991
cffk.org/legacy

10/19/2026

What would you like to help make possible for the future of the Florida Keys?

The causes you support today can have a place in your estate plan alongside the people you love. A planned charitable gift is a way to carry your values forward and continue caring for this community beyond your lifetime.

📆 October 19–25 is National Estate Planning Awareness Week.
It’s a good time to consider what you want your generosity to accomplish.

🌱 At the Community Foundation, we can help you explore a legacy gift that reflects your priorities and work with your professional advisors to put those wishes into a plan.

Start a conversation:
[email protected] | 305-809-4995
[email protected] | 305-809-4991
cffk.org/legacy

10/18/2026

ATTN: Nonprofits and Volunteer Organizations
Join Monroe County Emergency Management - Florida Keys and Volunteer Florida for a FEMA certified training:

👉️ G-489: Management of Spontaneous Volunteers in Disasters
📆 Tuesday, Nov. 10, 9:00AM
📍 Monroe County Emergency Operations Center
7280 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL

▶️ RSVP: Contact Holly Winhoven
📧 [email protected]
📲 305-797-1154

Course introduces skills and planning considerations required to manage large numbers of people who are not affiliated with an experienced relief organization, but want to help.

10/17/2026

Sixty years ago, a group of Keys parents wanted more opportunities for their children with disabilities, so they helped build MARC. Today, MARC supports adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in building independent lives and participating in our community.

We enjoyed touring MARC with the Key West Mayor and other community leaders to celebrate its 60th anniversary and see their work firsthand. Our tour finished with a delicious hot meal cooked and served by MARC clients. The Mayor also honored the milestone with a proclamation.

Congratulations to everyone who has helped carry MARC’s mission forward. Our community is stronger when everyone has opportunities to belong.

Read about MARC’s history in Keys Weekly:
https://buff.ly/UlVwL12

10/15/2026

🎉Congratulations to Peg Laron, the Florida Keys Volunteer of the Week, and to Take Stock in Children - Monroe County! 🙌

The annual Unsung Heroes Celebration is sponsored by Lower Keys Medical Center with marketing support provided by The Keys Weekly Newspapers.

"A longtime educator, business owner, and engaged community member, Peg Laron has been a strong champion for the Monroe County Education Foundation since joining the board in May 2019. During her four year term, she dedicated countless volunteer hours to supporting our mission, advocating for Take Stock in Children students, and uplifting the volunteer mentors who guide them. Peg has personally mentored four Take Stock scholars, investing in their academic success, personal growth, and future goals."

Thank you for your volunteer service, Peg!
Learn more and at cffk.org

10/14/2026

You know the causes you care about 🫶 Finding where your gift can help most takes local knowledge of the full spectrum of current nonprofit programming.

That’s part of what we offer at the Community Foundation. We connect donors with nonprofit needs throughout the Keys, including opportunities they might otherwise miss.

In her latest The Keys Weekly Newspapers column, our President and CEO Elizabeth Brown explains how a donor-advised fund can help you organize your giving while staying connected to our community.

Read her column:

By Elizabeth Brown October can be a spooky and fun time of year. There’s the Oct. 15 tax extension deadline for those of us who like to live dangerously.

10/12/2026

⌛️Time to Sign up for Leadership Success Academy! Spots are filling up. If you are a nonprofit leader or board member, this practical training is for you.

Learn from nonprofit leaders and experts with decades of experience as they lead sessions on governance, financial oversight, fundraising, board development, Florida nonprofit requirements, succession planning, and long-term sustainability.

📅 October 27–28
📍 REEF Ocean Exploration Center, Key Largo
💲 $140 for both days or $75 for one day. Lunch included.
👥 Group discounts available for three or more participants.
🛏️ Bayside Key Largo might have a few rooms left at the special room rate for LSA attendees. Call Bayside at 305-451-4450 between 7:00AM-3:00PM and ask for LSA room rate.

Session Leaders:

⭐️ Dr. Susanne Woods | Provost and Professor of English Emerita at Wheaton College and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of Miami, with extensive nonprofit board and leadership experience.

⭐️ Leah McDermott | Vice President of Policy and Programs at Florida Nonprofit Alliance and a nonprofit professional with more than 25 years of experience in governance, leadership development and nonprofit policy.

⭐️ Kevin Trapani | CEO of The Redwoods Group and Executive in Residence at Elon University’s Martha & Spencer Love School of Business.

⭐️ Kate Banick | Executive Director of Good Health Clinic and a nonprofit leader with more than 25 years of experience.

⭐️ Stephen Higgins, CFRE | President, CEO and Co-Founder of Carter Global, an international nonprofit consulting firm specializing in fundraising, governance and organizational planning.

⭐️ Elizabeth Brown | President and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, with nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, fundraising and program development.

⭐️ Liz Wooten | President of Connect For More, specializing in nonprofit capacity building, board engagement, organizational development and strategic planning.

Register at cffk.org/LSA

10/08/2026

Today is DAF Day!

Your donor-advised fund can help turn a nonprofit’s plans into something tangible that will make lives better for people in the Keys: healthy food on the table, a summer camp adventure, or a stable place to live.

Recommend a grant today to a nonprofit you care about. If you’re looking for ideas, the Community Foundation can help you find local opportunities that reflect your interests.

Curious about opening a DAF? We can help you explore whether one fits your giving goals.

Have a DAF with another provider? You can support eligible Florida Keys nonprofits through that fund, too.

What will your DAF do?

Contact us: [email protected] | [email protected]

10/07/2026

🎉Congratulations to Lisa Kost, the Florida Keys Volunteer of the Week, and to Growing Hope Foundation at Grimal Grove! 🙌

The annual Unsung Heroes Celebration is sponsored by Lower Keys Medical Center with marketing support provided by The Keys Weekly Newspapers.

"Lisa has been part of the Grimal Grove story long before it carried that name, witnessing the decline of the property and supporting its rebirth when rehabilitation began in 2013. After Hurricane Irma devastated Big Pine Key in 2017 and nearly wiped out the Zebra Longwing butterfly population, Lisa stepped forward to help restore one of the Keys’ most iconic species. Around the same time, Lisa also joined the Growing Hope board, helping guide the organization through difficult periods with steady leadership and devotion to its mission."

Thank you for your volunteer service, Lisa!
Learn more and at cffk.org