Impact Stories

We all know friendly competition thrives in our community, as anyone who has attended a tailgate or sporting event here will tell you. And that competitive spirit was actually the catalyst for one of the Community Foundation of North Central Florida’s best-known and successful efforts—the Women’s Giving Circle. It may seem hard to believe today, but back in 2006, the concept of a “giving circle” was relatively new. So, when the women on the CFNCF Board of Directors were brainstorming

It all started with a 60 Minutes episode. As well-known local banker Sam Goforth tells it, his aunt, a daughter of the philanthropic Harn family, saw a piece on the mental health crisis facing children in our country. Now mind you, this was almost 15 years ago, long before mental health moved into the forefront of our culture. Of course, this aunt had been serving local causes for years, both volunteering and through philanthropy. A significant gift to the Matheson

For some, the arts provide a pleasant background to everyday life. For others, the arts are life. Such is the case for Cathy Dawson, a clarinetist of 60 years. When she and her husband, Don Hessenflow, were scouting for a community to retire to, they knew that having a local orchestra was non-negotiable. Relocating in 2017 from San Antonio, where they had supported that community’s orchestra for many years, the couple immediately connected with Greg Johnson, president of the Board

Having devoted her career to elementary school music, it’s no surprise that Cheryl Poe jumped into action when a budget crisis threatened our local art and music programs. This was back in the summer of 2008, when Alachua County Public Schools’ solution to state cutbacks was to reduce art and music classes to half a year. At public meetings, then-ACPS Superintendent Dan Boyd presented the challenge—if the community could raise $850,000 in six weeks over the summer, he would return