CFVI Newsletter | Winter 2021

In this Issue: CFVI 30th Anniversary | Island Spirit Fund Humanities Grants | Virtual Giving Tree Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Award  Virtual Learning Grants | And more!

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CFVI Celebrates 30 Years of Building Forward $47 million distributed throughout USVI since 1990

In 1990, in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, community members came together to create a philanthropic vehicle for lasting impact. With a $540,000 initial donation from Ambassador Henry and Charlotte Kimelman, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) was born. This December marks CFVI’s 30th anniversary.  “As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of CFVI, we are so grateful to our wonderful community and nonprofit partners, our network of generous donors, and our dedicated board members and staff,” said CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown, who joined the organization in 1995.

To read The Virgin Islands Daily News article, click here.

“It has been 30 years of living, listening and learning, challenges, celebrations and expansion. Through hurricanes, a global pandemic, and everything in between, the Foundation has been honored to serve as a trusted link between philanthropic dollars and impact-driven nonprofits and initiatives in the Territory. This has been our mission since day one. As we joyfully acknowledge this milestone, we continue to build forward in love and appreciation for our Virgin Islands."   -Dee Baecher-Brown, CFVI President

Since its establishment, CFVI has distributed more than 87 times the amount of that first donation from the Kimelmans – $47 million to be exact, including $43.9 million in direct grants and funded services and $3.1 million in scholarships benefiting USVI residents. Grants have supported and expanded early childhood education, services for vulnerable populations, environmental and marine recovery and resilience, health, trauma intervention and recovery, and a variety of essential initiatives contributing to the well-being of residents throughout the Territory.  Today, with assets of $18 million, CFVI is committed to meeting the long-term needs of the community. With a full-time professional staff of six and 14 volunteer board members, the Foundation provides administrative oversight to more than 150 named funds and programs.

CFVI Partners with Cruzan Rum's Island Spirit Fund and GlobalGiving to Distribute more than $495,000 in Grants throughout the USVI Funds support environmental/marine recovery, workforce development, and housing recovery projects

Following the 2017 hurricane season, St. Croix-based Cruzan® Rum established a direct aid fund to ensure that in the future no one would have to “weather a storm alone.”  Cruzan® set up the Island Spirit Fund to address the ongoing needs of communities affected by the storms. Through donations of $1 dollar for every case of rum sold, the Island Spirit Fund is supporting several organizations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI). So far, Cruzan has raised more than $3.5 million for the Island Spirit Fund. To read the full article, click here.

More than $410,000 Awarded to Support Humanities Programs and Activities in the Territory

The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has awarded $410,791 to 20 USVI nonprofit organizations and one individual with funding received from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).  “These grants will support humanities programs throughout the USVI, reflecting the unique gifts of our Territory’s diverse communities and the importance of our culture, heritage, and its preservation. We are so thankful to NEH, and to CFVI’s nonprofit partners for their creativity and commitment to enriching the lives of all of us with these exciting humanities programs,” said CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown. The purpose of the NEH funding is to support humanities programs, projects and initiatives such as festivals, literacy campaigns, speaker’s bureaus, teacher development, cultural tourism, humanities publications, films, exhibitions, and projects that preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources in the USVI. Requests for proposals were announced by CFVI in June and August of 2020, and over 50 applications were submitted.  To read the full article, click here.

CFVI Supports Youth Programs and Virtual Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic More than $110,000 distributed to 28 USVI organizations

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic over the course of the past five months, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has provided more than $110,000 in grants to support youth programs and virtual learning in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The first round of funding, a series of rapid response mini grants of approximately $1,000 each for youth programs, provided $22,950 to 21 nonprofit organizations throughout the Territory. Grantees used the funds for equipment and technology to facilitate remote enrichment experiences, program tuition scholarships, and personal protective equipment. “The grants were designed to address critical one-time needs associated with programs, projects, and initiatives serving children and youth in the Territory, with priority given to programs serving children from homes with financial challenges,” said CFVI Vice President and Director of Grants and Programs, Anna Wheatley Scarbriel.  To read the full article, click here.

CFVI's First Virtual Giving Tree Project Helps USVI Nonprofits Donations totaling more than $33,000 help with holiday-related needs for children, youth, families and seniors

What started with one random holiday request earlier this month turned into the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) launching its first Virtual Giving Tree Project, which so far has raised more than $33,000 (and counting) for USVI nonprofit organizations.  “After that initial request, I wondered about how CFVI could serve as a broker to help address our nonprofit community’s holiday-related needs for children, youth, families and seniors,” said Anna Wheatley Scarbriel, CFVI’s Vice President and Director of Grants and Programs. She followed up with a call to Dee Baecher-Brown, CFVI President, who felt it was definitely worth exploring. “Dee even came up with a name on the spot: Virtual Giving Tree!,” said Scarbriel. “Before you know it, we were matching up donors with requests right and left and our amazing accounting team of Susan Clark and Una Pascal were cutting checks by December 18,” said Scarbriel.   To read the full article, click here.

Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Award Shanna Challenger of Antigua and Amira Odeh of Puerto Rico Receive 2020 Award for Outstanding Environmental Leadership in the Insular Caribbean 

Shanna Challenger

Amira Odeh

The Advisory Committee of the Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership Award of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) is pleased to announce the selection of Shanna Challenger of St. John's, Antigua and Amira Odeh of Bayamon, Puerto Rico for receipt of the 2020 McFarlane Award, in recognition of their important work as dedicated and passionate environmentalists. The two were selected from a field of seven nominations that also included individuals from St. Lucia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "The nominations this year collectively represented an exceptional pool of talent and accomplishments, particularly noteworthy this year as we changed the age requirements with an emphasis on younger leaders," said review committee member Judith Towle. "Interestingly, all nominees save one were women, pointing, we believe, to a reality increasingly evident in the region that intelligent, educated, and committed young women are assuming a more resilient leadership role in the environmental field," she said. To read the full article, click here.

Judith A. Towle Environmental Studies Fund Award Funds will support marine mammal populations assessment in Haiti

The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2020 Judith A. Towle Environmental Studies Fund Award. Established at CFVI in 2003, the Judith A. Towle Environmental Studies Fund supports studies and activities that address environmental concerns that transcend the boundaries of any single island or island state in the insular Caribbean. Francklin Barbier (pictured) has been selected to receive $3,900 to support his Rapid Ecological Assessment Project through the Haiti Ocean Project. The goal of the assessment project is to document the abundance and distribution of marine species in the Gulf de la Gonave by utilizing local fisherfolk, the very resource users whose economic activities are a threat to the survival of these resources. It will be the first study of its kind in the area. To read the full article, click here.

2021 Angels Giving Campaign

The CFVI Angels community is the largest philanthropic network in the Territory. Since 1999, Angels have provided more than $6.6 million in unrestricted funding from individual and business donors who contribute $500 or more annually to the Foundation. Angel gifts directly contribute to the well-being of our Virgin Islands community. In 2019, nearly $5 million in direct support was provided by CFVI to organizations and individuals in the areas of community programs and services, health and human services, children and family programs, education, and the environment.

Help us continue this important work and celebrate CFVI's 30th anniversary! Will you be a 2021 Angel and be a part of Building Forward to a better tomorrow in our Virgin Islands?

Become a CFVI Angel Donor Today!

To learn more and view the 2021 Angels brochure, click here.

Grantee Highlights

Women's Coalition of St. Croix Thanks to funding provided by GlobalGiving, CFVI awarded a grant to the Women's Coalition of St. Croix to support their 2019 and 2020 youth summer programs at the JFK Housing community. Approximately 40 children participated in activities which consisted of academic and recreational classes, arts & crafts, and sports. The primary focus of the program was on the development of coping skills which included mindfulness activities, breathing techniques, and emotional development.  To learn more about the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, click here.

Island Green Living Association Thanks to Cruzan Rum's Island Spirit Fund (via GlobalGiving), CFVI awarded a grant to Island Green Living Association (IGLA) in order to launch the Island Green Brush Chipping Pilot Program, which aimed to recapture a rich and valuable resource on St. John (brown and green material), reduce the volume of debris headed for the territory’s overflowing landfills, and lower solid waste transportation costs. IGLA established an MOU with Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) and developed a brush chipping yard at the Susannaberg Transfer Station, where vegetative debris is brought by landscapers and homeowners on St. John. With the grant funds IGLA purchased the heavy equipment necessary to separate debris and began processing vegetative debris into mulch.  To learn more about IGLA, click here.

University of the Virgin Islands The J. Raymond Jones Fund at CFVI awarded a grant to the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to support the STEM Institute Summer 2020 Teacher Workshops. The grant was used to provide middle and high school STEM teachers with professional development focused on best strategies for effective online instruction, including MiFi devices, subscriptions to either a math or science professional organization, a gift certificate to Office Max for supplies, and certificates of completion. These resources, along with the laptops and iPad minis available on loan from the STEM Institute, are imperative to the teachers' success in teaching online. To learn more about UVI, click here.

Want more grantee highlights? We post weekly on social media and our website!

In Memory of Former CFVI Board Member Ruth E. Thomas, Ph.D

The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands sends our deepest condolences to the family of Ruth E. Thomas, Ph.D, who passed away in November. The beloved educator and principal served 33 years at her alma mater, Charlotte Amalie High School. She was one of the earliest and longest serving members of CFVI's Board of Directors from 1991 until 2004, and also served as CFVI's first Chair of the Scholarship Committee. "Personally, I am so grateful for having known Miss Thomas (as she asked to be called in lieu of Dr. Thomas) – for her wisdom, her commitment, and the Julie mangoes from her garden," said CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown. "We are deeply appreciative for her enduring commitment and many contributions. She will be missed dearly." (Photo from U.S. Department of Education)

CFVI is an Amazon Smile Charity

GREAT NEWS! CFVI is now an Amazon Smile charity! Shop at smile.amazon.com, select Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands as your charity, and Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to CFVI—no fees, no extra cost. Same products, same prices, same service. Experience feel-good shopping today at smile.amazon.com!

CFVI a Participating Charity in Combined Federal Campaign

The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all. CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with almost 200 CFC campaigns throughout the country and overseas raising millions of dollars each year. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season supports eligible non-profit organizations, like CFVI, that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world. To learn more about the CFC, click here.

CFVI Combined Federal Campaign Information: CFC Sunshine Zone 22 CFC# 45789 EIN 66-0470703

For Grantees: Grant Recognition Guidelines  We appreciate an acknowledgement of your grant from CFVI in whatever ways are within your organization’s communications capabilities. We encourage you to send us press releases or copies of publications or media coverage that mentions your grant. Please refer to the CFVI Grant Recognition Guidelines for more information, or contact Sean Liphard, CFVI Communications Manager, at seanl@cfvi.net.

New Funds, Fiscal Sponsorships and Grants New Funds/Fiscal Sponsorships Alisyo VI Amalie Global Donor Advised Fund New Grants Received Center for Disaster Philanthropy Edward S. Moore Family Foundation

Spread the Good News! During these unprecedented times, we could all use some good news! Help us spread the word about the important work CFVI is supporting throughout our U.S. Virgin Islands. Forward this newsletter to your colleagues, friends and family, and invite them to follow us on social media and join our mailing list!

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We are proud to have earned Guidestar's Platinum Seal of Transparency by sharing our key metrics and highlighting the impact we’re making. We are proud to have earned the Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. We are proud to be a vetted organization by GlobalGiving, which recognizes CFVI as a trusted partner and change-maker in the world.

CFVI Staff Dee Baecher-Brown  President         Anna Wheatley Scarbriel Vice President and Director of Grants and Programs   Sean Liphard Communications Manager Beth Nuttall Executive Manager  Susan Clark Accountant   Una Pascal Accounting and Administrative Assistant CFVI is a proud member of the

CFVI Office Hours Due to the ongoing pandemic, CFVI staff continues to work remotely Monday through Thursday and goes into the office on Fridays. If you need to reach us, please email general.info@cfvi.net.

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