We believe that fostering a strong civil society for future generations to enjoy and prosper within should be a goal that we all hold dear. In his career as a fundraiser, Francisco Gonzalez has learned the importance of voluntary charitable giving and how it changes lives. His Catholic faith also guides his belief that “It’s all God’s money anyways.” We must be grateful for what we are given and use our time, talents and treasure to the benefit of others. “Money itself is not the ends we are looking for. Love and happiness are. When we can be a part of brightening someone’s day or fostering an organization that is doing important work, we can and will experience more fulfillment in our own lives,” said Francisco. “However, philanthropy is not just donating money to the good causes in our community and around the world – giving of our time and talents are just as if not more important. When we can experience a direct connection between our gifts and those we are helping, we become increasingly knowledgeable about the challenges we are confronting and our purpose for being involved becomes more meaningful and urgent.”
Below are some of the great organizations and causes we support. We encourage friends, family, and readers to strongly consider learning more about the good work each of these organizations are doing and consider supporting them in whatever way possible. And don’t let this list of great organizations be limiting to you. We encourage you to find great local, national, and international causes to support. It will brighten your day to help others in need.
FLORIDA
AMIkids is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth develop into responsible and productive citizens. AMIkids’ mission is to protect public safety and positively impact as many youth as possible through the efforts of a diverse and innovative staff. AMIkids works in partnership with youth agencies, local communities and families. Started in Florida, AMIkids has multiple facilities across the Sunshine State and are now active in over a dozen states nationwide, with most located in the Southeastern United States.
The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida
The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation committed to raising, managing and distributing charitable funds to meet the spiritual, educational and social needs of the Central Florida community. Fully endorsed by the Diocese of Orlando and its Bishop, the Catholic Foundation of Central Florida works extensively with Catholic parishes, schools and ministries to help secure the resources they need to further their long-term goals and expand their witness. Their mission is to encourage selfless stewardship among individuals, families and organizations; safeguard and promote accountability of the gifts entrusted to their care; and engage donors to support the spiritual, educational and social needs of our faith community.
Catholic Foundation of Northwest Florida
The Catholic Foundation of Northwest Florida was established in 2007. The Foundation is a separately incorporated charitable foundation that is dedicated to Catholic activity in Northwest Florida. It support parishes, lay apostolates, and diocesan offices by awarding grants to innovative programs and ministries in the Catholic diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
Children’s Movement of Florida
By the year 2020, The Children’s Movement of Florida seeks to achieve three major goals to give young children better lives: (1) Ensure that every child in Florida has access to insurance to receive quality health care, (2) Address the thousands of children who are eligible for the state-subsidized School Readiness program, but are on the waiting list because it doesn’t have enough funding, and (3) Expand Help Me Grow, a free parent-resource program to address children’s developmental and behavioral needs, to all 67 counties in Florida.
Dedicated to building strong communities and informed citizens by providing Floridians with the opportunity to explore the heritage, traditions and stories of our state and its place in the world. Established in 1973 as a private non-profit organization, FHC is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. FHC uses the disciplines of the humanities to develop public programs and resources that explore history, literary and artistic traditions, cultural values and ethics.
The James Madison Institute is a Florida-based research and educational organization engaged in the battle of ideas. The Institute’s ideas are rooted in a belief in the U.S. Constitution and such timeless ideals as limited government, economic freedom, federalism, and individual liberty coupled with individual responsibility. The Institute’s mission is to keep the citizens of Florida informed about their government and to shape our state’s future through the advancement of practical free-market ideas on public policy issues. Since its inception in 1987, the Institute has remained independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan. It makes no attempt to aid or hinder the passage of legislation, nor does it accept government funds or respond to special pleadings from any sector.
Leadership Florida (LF) is a statewide community of leaders working for a better Florida. LF continually convenes a statewide community of committed leaders to enhance and recharge their leadership skills and to educate and inspire them to work across their strengths and diversities for a better Florida. LF engages Floridians by providing meaningful forums for sharing essential information and viewpoints, and creates opportunities for shared experiences that are inviting, inspiring and of lasting value.
Open Door Women’s Clinic of Tallahassee
Committed to providing compassionate and practical support to women with unplanned pregnancies. Women’s Clinic serves clients throughout Florida’s Big Bend area and South Georgia.
A Florida Not-for-Profit organization dedicated to planning and promoting music festivals and events that raise money to financially assist deserving charities that provide direct services to those in need. Rock By The Sea strives to create an outlet for these agencies to gain exposure with the public and facilitate donations. Through musical concerts, silent auctions, selling merchandise and general donations, Rock By The Sea creates awareness and provides an avenue that leads to involvement and enhancement of the direct services provided. In 2011, Rock By the Sea is donating the funds it raises to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, the Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee and Camp Sunshine in Atlanta.
SailFuture operates an innovative program that combines long-term housing, challenging sailing experiences, an accredited high school, life coaching, and job training to transform the lives of some of the most challenging youth in Florida’s child welfare system.
NATIONAL
To mentor boys into virtuous Catholic men, Fraternus engages the masculine heart and builds virtue through weekly meetings, outdoor excursions, discipleship groups, and summer camp. Mentorship and accountability are utilized to form boys into chaste young men of integrity, faithful to the Catholic Church as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) is a non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt educational organization whose purpose is to further in successive generations of college students a better understanding of the values and institutions that sustain a free and humane society. Founded in 1953, ISI works “to educate for liberty” — to identify the best and the brightest college students and to nurture in these future leaders the American ideal of ordered liberty. To accomplish this goal, ISI seeks to enhance the rising generation’s knowledge of our nation’s founding principles — limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, the rule of law, market economy, and moral norms. Through its integrated program of lectures, conferences, publications, and fellowships, the Institute annually works with hundreds of thousands of students and faculty from coast to coast. An array of free publications and other resources is available to students and teachers.
Since 1955, National Review magazine has defined the modern conservative movement and enjoys the broadest allegiance of American conservatives. National Review Institute was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1991. NRI’s mission is to advance the conservative principles he championed, complement the mission of the magazine, and support NR’s best talent. The Institute’s educational programs bring together leaders in business, philanthropy, media, and policy to help strengthen the broader conservative movement, while also educating emerging leaders and our fellow citizens on the principles of a free society. NRI’s partnership programs send NR’s best talent across the country, thereby amplifying and expanding the reach of the National Review mission.
The Philadelphia Society is a membership organization of educators, journalists, business and professional leaders, clergy–thoughtful analysts of current trends and public policy–all dedicated to the goal of deepening the intellectual foundations of a free and ordered society and to broadening the general understanding of its basic principles among the public at large. Founded in 1964, The Philadelphia Society holds regular meetings that explore pressing economic, political, cultural and other issues; provides a forum for some of the most original thinkers of our day; and generates incisive analysis that has influenced the ongoing debate on our national future.
Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is the largest, most active, and fastest-growing pro-liberty organization on America’s college campuses. With more than 900 YAL chapters and 308,927 youth activists nationwide, YAL seeks to identify, educate, train, and mobilize young people committed to winning on principle.
INTERNATIONAL
For more than 30 years, Unbound has brought hope to families living in poverty in the 22 countries where it does its work. Founded in 1981 by lay Catholics acting on the Gospel call to serve the poor, Unbound has grown into a movement of more than 250,000 sponsors who are supporting more than 300,000 children, youth and aging friends worldwide. Consider sponsoring a child or aging adult today.