Key West and the Florida Keys are indebted to a core group of community and business leaders who understand the potential value of an ever-growing community philanthropic fund. These individuals are bringing to the Foundation, at a key time in its growth, a uniquely useful affirmation of their support and encouragement.

They are our Very Important Partners (VIPs) in Paradise. Together with our Friends of the Foundation, their contribution is vital to Foundation’s expanding effectiveness.

CFFK’s current intensive fund-building efforts have been spurred by a dramatic $3 million charitable gift from the Rodel Foundation, brought into the Community Foundation as a 3 year challenge. The Community Foundation met and exceeded this challenge in early 2006, in just less than 2 and a half years.

The resultant growth of charitable assets in the Foundation is expected to lift the Foundation to an assets-level of $10 million by 2007, and at least $15 million by the end of this decade. At that level, CFFK’s grantmaking power will be greatly expanded, and the Foundation itself will move close to self-sufficiency, with no further need for outside operational support.

VIP membership addresses itself to a major element of CFFK’s growth plan: the pre-funding of operational expenses for at least the next three years, freeing the Foundation to mount a sustained, undistracted and accelerating outreach to the philanthropic potential of the community. VIPs in Paradise each have brought to CFFK a financial pledge of $15,000, with contributions to be made over three years or as a single gift.