Pictured: Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, a nonprofit organization for art & plant enthusiasts, served as a community connector during storms last year. It will receive a $50,000 grant from the Selby Foundation toward ADA pathways.

Communities around the country marvel at the generosity of individual donors, the number of foundations, and caring businesses that come to the table in our region.

We do not talk as much about what fuels this charitable giving, but we need to. Nonprofit organizations do not power themselves. People do: nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers. They take the front seats in addressing the biggest opportunities facing all of us. 

They accomplish multifaceted work by convening people with different perspectives, leading programs that address complex challenges, and building diverse funding sources that take time to grow. Many have years of experience working in their fields. 

Nonprofit staff are professionals. They carry a torch of hope for the present and future. But it is not hope alone that fuels their work; they pair their courage with deep knowledge of people and communities, along with innovation and the ability to quickly adapt. 

During our latest grant cycle, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation visited with leaders of 38 nonprofits in our region to talk about their funding requests and how their organizations plan to meet needs in our current environment. Many spoke about the work still in progress to recover from last year’s hurricanes. They shared increasing needs related to housing, mental health, and food security, as well as their innovative plans to continually meet people where they are.

In the Center of Effective Philanthropy’s recent study “Mounting Pressure: Foundations and Nonprofits on the Current Context,” 81% of nonprofit respondents indicated they have experienced or anticipate experiencing increased demand for services. Sixty percent recently initiated collaborations with other nonprofits. Locally, we often hear about the desire for nonprofits to work together. This is often happening already, both formally and informally. 

When SNAP benefits were not awarded recently, the network of nonprofits that work closely with children, families, and neighborhoods went into overdrive. With experience from hurricanes, COVID, and economic downturns, they activated their plans—leveraging resources at their own organizations and in partnership with others. 

The roles they took assured and supported neighbors without food. Unfortunately, this crisis also forced our nonprofit sector into disaster relief mode. As always, its workforce and volunteers were present and responsive. 

What can we do to help nonprofits? Yes, we can support them by giving. We can also get to know our nonprofit community better. We can stand up for organizations, the issues they address, and the people who power them by communicating with our elected representatives early and often. 

When Bill Selby established the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation in 1955, he and his wife Marie could not have imagined the place nonprofit organizations would hold in the fabric of a thriving community today. No one could have guessed.

It’s not just up to nonprofits and their people, though. If we know anything about our region, we know that we show up. Let’s pledge to stay even more active and engaged now and in the coming year. 

Pictured: Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, a nonprofit organization for art & plant enthusiasts, served as a community connector during storms last year. It will receive a $50,000 grant from the Selby Foundation toward ADA pathways.