The St. Joe Community Foundation
Grant Guidelines

ELIGIBILITY

The St. Joe Community Foundation accepts grant application from organizations recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, other than religious or political affiliated organizations whose purpose for the grant is political or religious activities.  Organizations should be based in Bay and/or Walton County or may be recognized as a County Chapter of a state or national charity serving residents of Bay or Walton County. 

FOCUS AREAS

Nonprofit organizations may submit their applications under one of the four pillars of the Foundation.

Supporting Cultural Arts: Projects and initiatives essential to cultivating, developing, educating and improving cultural experiences in the community.

Strengthening Education: Projects and initiatives to improve the educational process or access to education for children/and or adults in the community.

Improving Healthcare: Projects and initiatives that positively impact the physical and/or mental health and wellness in the community.

Protecting the Environment:  Projects and initiatives that protect, preserve and restore the communities’ natural resources.

APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

The St Joe Community Foundation, Inc looks for projects in Northwest Florida with a focus, but not a limitation on Bay and Walton counties that promise long-term returns on the quality of life in our region. Grants generally range from $1,000 to $50,000, although larger grants may be available based on determination of need. We look for programs that: Make Northwest Florida an even better place to call home, work toward fundamental improvements in the quality of life, include a plan for measuring success and financial accountability, are structured for sustainable impact, demonstrate a track record for success, or reasonable probability for success and economic sustainability, and leverage support in concert with others to better address the greatest challenges. 

The St. Joe Community Foundation typically does not fund the following:

Administrative or Overhead Costs

Grants to be used for Reimbursement Purposes

Brick and Mortar

Individual Causes

For Profit Organizations

Political Campaigns

 

All Foundation requests must be submitted on or before the below deadlines:

 

2025 GRANT DEADLINES

January 17

April 18

July 18

October 17

Please submit all Foundation requests to the below address:

St. Joe Community Foundation

Attn: April Wilkes, Executive Director

(april.wilkes@joe.com)

130 Richard Jackson Blvd, Suite 200

Panama City Beach, FL 32407 

 

Suggestions for Improving Your Application:

• Reach Out! Contact the Executive Director, April Wilkes (april.wilkes@joe.com) to discuss the idea first. She can help to guide you through the application and process. 
• Make the Connection! Articulate the community connection to your project objective. Describe the fundamental difference your project will make for the quality of life in the region. 
• Make Comparisons! It is a good idea to test the project objective and amount of request against the Foundation's pattern of giving before submitting an application. 
• Prioritize! If the request is a large monetary amount, be prepared to prioritize the project needs and a potential phased approach. 
• Leverage Support! Partnerships and matching grant opportunities are always welcome.

 

APPLY HERE