Community foundations US Virgin Islands Current situation: Facts and figures from the 2010 CF-GSR survey Number of community foundations at the end of 2009. 3 Number of community foundations established in 2008-2009. 0 Total sum of assets, including endowments, at the end of 2009. No response Total sum of grants made by community foundations in 2009 $1.7 million* Total sum of the income/donations in 2009. $2.6 million* Percentage of population that has access to a community 100% foundation. Community foundation with the largest assets, including endowments, at the end of 2009, and the size of its assets. CFVI $5.8 million * Information only available for Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) Complete list of community foundations (with primary contact name and email address) 1 1. Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) Contact person: Dee Baecher-Brown, President E-mail: dbrown@cfvi.net 2. St. Croix Foundation for Community Development Contact person: Roger Dewey, Executive Director E-mail: stxfound@att.net 3. St. John Community Foundation Contact person: Paul Devine, Board member Community foundation staffing Community foundations in the US Virgin Islands have paid staff. Legal environment The legal environment in the US Virgin Islands is very favorable to community foundations. There are also legal/ tax incentives given to organized philanthropy, including community foundations. 1 2003 Community Foundation Global Status Report. Copyright 2003 Council on Foundations and Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support - Community Foundations (WINGS-CF).
Key trends affecting community foundation development The Territory s tax incentive program (Economic Development Commission benefits) for businesses has attracted new business to the USVI and requires philanthropic participation from those businesses. Community foundation activity and impact The table below shows the that community foundations in the US Virgin Islands are bringing to the community through grantmaking and other programmes: citizens more involved in people-led development less poverty/more equal society improvement in the position of marginalised groups more responsive authorities increased awareness of environmental issues support to arts and culture activities more trust within the community greater transparency/accountability stronger linkages across different parts of the community increased charitable giving through the community foundation Remarkably positive Positive Slightly positive No Some negative Examples: The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands plays a key role in the enhancement of early child care for low-income families with young children and in educating the community in general about the importance of excellence in early care for children (from birth to 8 years old). Important partnerships with government and community organizations have been forged and the impact of this work is considerable. Organized advocacy on this issue provides a model for advocacy by other coalitions on a broad range of issues. The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development provides an important service as a conduit for federal funds to local government agencies in the USVI. They also have made a considerable impact in community development and rehabilitation of abandoned buildings in the downtown business district on the island of St. Croix. The St. John Foundation provides a community forum for activist and citizen input on issues affecting residents of the USVI.
Community involvement The following table shows how community foundations in the US Virgin Islands involve the community in their work: Are community activists involved on boards/committees? Do community foundations promote the use of volunteers from the community? Do community foundations participate in community issues and discussions led by others in the community? Do community foundations promote information about the community (e.g. through Vital Signs or similar research and sharing of information)? Do community foundations convene or lead discussions on issues of community importance? Are community foundation Boards or governance structures reflective of the diversity of the community? Yes SomewhatNo Examples: The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands provides an annual report to the community, USVI KIDS COUNT, on the status of children and families, including indicators such as poverty rates of families with children, teen birth rates, school drop out rates, and juvenile crime. Community foundation income Types of funds most frequently supported by donors Donor-advised funds are the most frequently supported type of fund. Types of donors who give to community foundations Individuals, families, businesses are the main donors to community foundations. Fees for services for managing federal grants provide a significant support for the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development. Trends in donor engagement Donors are becoming more involved in their grant-making and taking an active interest in the needs of the community and the impact of their giving. Networks Community foundations in the Virgin Islands benefit quite a bit from national and international networks, and enjoy some good relations amongst themselves. The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands is the lead agency in a regional network, the Caribbean Philanthropy Network (CPN) which works with a steadily increasing number of Caribbean and philanthropic partners to enhance the quality and quantity of philanthropy in the Caribbean. Since 2008, a
volunteer Advisory Board of professionals with deep commitments to the Caribbean has worked to identify what is needed, what the network should look like, whom it is meant to serve, and how it will be able to achieve the basic goal of increasing and enhancing philanthropy across the Caribbean region. For more information on this initiative, visit the CPN website at http://www.caribbeanphilanthropy.org Sources of support for community foundations The world-wide economic downturn has had an impact on the philanthropic community in general. The Haitian earthquake in January 2010 had an important impact on Caribbean philanthropy, focusing the world s attention on the Caribbean region. While the urgent needs of Haiti in the aftermath of the disaster are significantly different from the long range strategic focus of CPN, the Haitian crises underscores the overall needs of the region and the value of having an established body to coordinate, build and maximize the value of philanthropic donations in the region Availability of other types of support 1. Technical assistance somewhat available 2. Peer visits and networking quite available 3. Skills training somewhat available 4. Information, knowledge management, and research support somewhat available Advocacy in public policy Community foundations in the US Virgin Islands play a role in advocacy in public policy. History of community foundations 2 There are three community foundations in the three U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. St. Thomas The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI), established in 1990, was created to serve both donors and nonprofit organizations of the VI that want to ensure the highest quality of life for present and future generations. Its primary goal is to build a collection of permanent funds to be used to enhance the educational, physical, social, cultural, and environmental well-being of children, youth, and families of the VI. CFVI is governed by a Board of Directors composed of community leaders interested in the welfare of the VI and managed by a professional staff. Today, CFVI manages more than 90 named funds, administers scholarships and community programs, awards grants, and coordinates the establishment of memorial funds. In 2009 CFVI provided $1.7 million in grants, scholarships and services in the USVI. To date, the Community Foundation has provided more than $10million in support to the community. Total assets of CFVI have grown to more than $7 million. St. Croix The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development was established in 1990 to foster economic and social development on St. Croix. In 1991, the foundation, together with the National Civic League, held a Healthy Communities Conference that identified the community's needs and built a consensus that 2 Ibid.
economic need is a root cause of many of the community's ills. As a result, the foundation decided to make economic development a priority. The St. Croix Foundation has been a leader in the redevelopment of St. Croix, by focusing on entrepreneurial education, business financing, youth development and community revitalization. The foundation also serves as a fiduciary for a number of smaller nonprofits on the island. St. John A smaller community foundation exists on the island of St. John. The St. John Community Foundation makes grants to community organizations to strengthen community ties on the island. These three community foundations have different outlooks, and focus their grantmaking in different ways. The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands is based on the island of St. Thomas and funds projects throughout the three islands. The St. Croix Community Development Foundation, as its name suggests, focuses primarily on programs that will help improve the local economy. The St. John Community Foundation, a somewhat smaller foundation, focuses its grantmaking on local projects on the island. Correspondent: Dee Baecher-Brown, President, Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands