Indian River Community Foundation

About Indian River Community Foundation

Indian River Community Foundation Inc channels much of its giving through a mix of discretionary grants, competitive community programs, and a $50 million Giving Forward initiative built to create permanent endowments for local priorities. That structure points to a foundation that is not only funding current needs, but also setting aside resources for long-term support in Indian River County. Its recent grants show that approach in practice: the foundation awarded $1,700,550 to Indian River Land Trust for animals and environment work and $1,042,400 to The Hope for Families Center for housing and shelter. Other sizeable gifts reached organizations tied to health, education, and youth development, including Cleveland Clinic Indian River Foundation, Learning Alliance Inc, and Boys & Girls Clubs Foundation of Indian River County Inc. The portfolio also includes support for arts and culture, historic preservation, and scholarships, aligning with the foundation’s stated focus areas. Competitive programs such as Head, Heart and Hands, General Community Grants, and Discretionary Grants for Animal Welfare, Environment & Historic Preservation show a local grantmaking model with published guidelines and, in some cases, a Letters of Idea process. The foundation’s grantmaking is designed to support both direct services and the infrastructure of nonprofit and philanthropic work.

What Indian River Community Foundation Funds

Community needs are central to the foundation’s portfolio. It gave $637,783 to Learning Alliance Inc for general operating support and $573,312 to Boys & Girls Clubs Foundation of Indian River County Inc for general operating support, indicating sustained attention to local nonprofit capacity. Housing and shelter also appear in the grant record: it awarded $1,042,400 to The Hope for Families Center for housing and shelter work. In education, the foundation supported Childcare Resources of Indian River with $394,110 for education, while School District of Indian River County received $300,000 for general operating support. Arts and culture is another clear thread, with $452,950 to Vero Beach Museum of Art Inc. Animal welfare, environment, and historic preservation are covered through a dedicated discretionary program and through support for Indian River Land Trust.

How Indian River Community Foundation Gives