CONTACT: DEANNA JAMES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
(TEL) 340.773.9898, (EMAIL) DJAMES@STXFOUNDATION.ORG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 28, 2018

St. Croix, USVI– St. Croix Foundation for Community Development announces the receipt of a recent gift of $25,000 to the Foundation’s hurricane recovery CARE Fund from Assured Guaranty. The generous donation was presented to St. Croix Foundation Board Chair, Willard John and Board Member Shomari Moorehead at the Foundation’s SMS Office by representatives of Assured Guaranty on Tuesday, June 19.

In recognition of St. Croix Foundation’s comprehensive hurricane recovery efforts, the award will support the Foundation’s CARE FUND, which has provided over half of a million dollars in financial support to numerous nonprofits on St. Croix.

As a 27-year-old place-based community foundation serving the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Foundation is committed to equity, resilience, and collaboration. St. Croix Foundation Executive Director, Deanna James, stated that “Contributions to our CARE Fund have special meaning to the Foundation because they affirm our unique brand of active philanthropy. Historically, conventional philanthropy’s response to disasters has been strictly financial. This type of unrestricted support to the CARE Fund allows the Foundation to continue advancing our comprehensive recovery agenda, which entails in depth data collection, nonprofit grantmaking, national philanthropic alliance-building and sustainable rebuilding. Assured Guaranty’s support inspires us even further.”

Through the CARE Fund, the Foundation has also provided grants to St. Croix’s vitally important nonprofit sector, which is filling some of the most critical service voids. Grants have been awarded from the Fund for 1) community-based programs that target the most vulnerable residents; 2) operational capacity in order to nurture greater self-sufficiency and resiliency; and 3) collaborative ventures that will diversify and ground the Virgin Islands’ economy in community.

According to Dominic Frederico, CEO and President of Assured Guaranty, “We are pleased to have selected the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development and the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands to partner with on USVI hurricane relief-related efforts. The relief work they are doing is important in helping the islands recover and thrive. The positive work, integrity and commitment that the people and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands have been showing during the rebuilding process is encouraging for the long-term future of the islands.”

The Foundation would like to extend its deepest appreciation to Assured Guaranty for their generous gift – and all the community partners locally and nationally that continue to support rebuilding. For more information on the St. Croix Foundation’s CARE Fund, please contact the Foundation at 340-773-9898.

About Assured Guaranty
Assured Guaranty helps provide funding for public projects such as the construction of roads, bridges, hospitals and schools in cities and communities across the United States and its territories with the goal of helping municipal governments access funding for essential public projects at affordable interest rates. We have insured public financings of the U.S. Virgin Islands since 1997, helping to raise more than $500 million to fund electric power, water supply and other essential public infrastructure. Assured Guaranty Ltd. is a publicly traded (NYSE: AGO) Bermuda-based holding company. Its operating subsidiaries provide credit enhancement products to the U.S. and international public finance, infrastructure and structured finance markets. More information on Assured Guaranty Ltd. and its subsidiaries can be found at AssuredGuaranty.com.

CONTACT: DEANNA JAMES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
(TEL) 340.773.9898, (EMAIL) DJAMES@STXFOUNDATION.ORG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 14, 2018

St. Croix, USVI- St. Croix Foundation for Community Development is pleased to announce the opening of the second cycle of its Hurricane Recovery CARE Grant, which will provide strategic grants to St. Croix-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and charitable initiatives that offer programs and direct services targeting the most vulnerable and underserved populations affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

From June 18 to July 23, 2018, St. Croix Foundation will be accepting applications for projects that will support nonprofit organizations as they strive to return their operations to pre-hurricane conditions. Grants will target nonprofits that serve the most vulnerable populations and which were directly impacted by recent storms. The second cycle of the CARE Fund will award competitive grants that address needs directly related to hurricane victims/recovery in the following priority areas:

• Existing services and/or programs
• Capacity building to allow expansion of existing services
• Reconstruction of facilities necessary for conducting programs that directly relates to needs of hurricane victims or recovery

Eligible applicants include 501 (c)3 nonprofit/civic organizations on St. Croix or those who are the sponsored project of a 501(c)3 organization. Projects must be completed within one year with a minimum budget of $1000. Priority is given to those organizations who are leveraging their work and resources for greater impact through collaboration with a partnering organization. The Foundation has also developed strict reporting guidelines to ensure the highest degree of accountability and focus in meeting outlined goals and timelines. All applications will be reviewed by St. Croix Foundation’s Grants Review Committee and final award decisions will be announced August 31, 2018.

Launched immediately following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the CARE (Caribbean Assistance and Relief Effort) Fund is providing direct support to front-line relief and long-term recovery efforts on St. Croix and throughout the US Virgin Islands. Grounded in a commitment to accountability, St. Croix Foundation is doing what they do best through the CARE Fund: supporting a holistic approach to community development while also ensuring real equity for St. Croix and resilience for our Territory.

In its first cycle in March of 2018, the Foundation’s CARE Grant awarded over $275,000 in grants to 16 nonprofit organizations. With 8 of 13 public schools on St. Croix having been condemned, the Foundation’s grants focused particularly on youth programs that are filling critical gaps for families and our young people. Grants ranging from $7,500 to $50,000 were awarded to the following organizations: AZ Academy’s Summer STEM Project, Caribbean Center for Boys & Girls -Fueling the Youth, Choices Basketball Association -Summer Training Camp, Christiansted Lighthouse Mission, CMCArts, Inc., Cruzan Cowgirls Horse Rescue, Frederiksted Health Care, Men’s Coalition -Developing Youth Resiliency, Onyx Opera, Music in Motion (at right) Good Hope Country Day School -Summer Theater Camp, St. Croix Walls Project, USVI Soccer Association, VI Perinatal, and World Ocean School. Additionally, focusing on sustainability, the Foundation has provided grants to Sejah Farms, the University of the Virgin Islands’ VI Literary Festival, Music in Motion, Caribbean Dance, Claude O. Markoe Elementary School, and the St. Patrick Alumni Association for its summer academic and steel pan program (in partnership with DIAM Management).

According to the Foundation’s Executive Director, Deanna James, The Virgin Islands has a long road of rebuilding ahead of us. And, as an operating foundation, St. Croix Foundation is utilizing a data driven approach to sustainable recovery by providing strategic grantmaking and direct services designed to leverage scarce community resources and ensure deep measurable outcomes.” “Taking into consideration the demographic realities of St. Croix, with higher poverty rates and fewer economic resources,” James continued, “St. Croix Foundation’s CARE Fund is supporting St. Croix nonprofits, targeting those that are filling critical social service gaps with fewer financial resources.”

CARE Grant Guidelines & Criteria as well as the online application can be found on the Foundation’s website at www.stxfoundation.org. The deadline for submitting grant proposals is July 23, 2018.

St. Croix Foundation wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to the countless national foundations, corporations and individual donors who have made the CARE Fund and these grants possible.

St. Croix Foundation invites Donors and community partners to contact the Foundation at 340.773.9898 or visit their website at www.stxfoundation.org for more information on how to support the Foundation’s rebuilding efforts through the CARE Fund.

Contact: Deanna James, Executive Director
(Tel) 340.773.9898, (Email) djames@stxfoundation.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2018

St. Croix, USVI- St. Croix Foundation for Community Development is pleased to announce over $275,000 in grant awards to St. Croix nonprofits. As a critical component of its Hurricane Recovery CARE Fund, the Foundation is awarding strategic grants to support a holistic recovery for St. Croix. Recognizing the critical service gaps that St. Croix Nonprofits are filling with scarce philanthropic support and limited local governmental funding, grants were awarded to St. Croix-based nonprofit organizations and charitable initiatives that offer programs and direct services targeting the most vulnerable and under-served populations affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Projects with efforts that span from after-school programs to community revitalization initiatives were funded through this first cycle of grants.  Grants ranging from $7,500 to $50,000 were awarded to the following organizations: AZ STEM Project, Boys and Girls Caribbean Center of the Virgin Islands, Choices Basketball Camp, Christiansted Lighthouse Mission, Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, Cruzan Cowgirls Horse Rescue, St. Croix Walls Project, Frederiksted Health Care, Men’s Coalition of the VI, Onyx Opera, Good Hope Country Day School’s Summer Theater Camp, USVI Soccer Association, VI Perinatal, and the St. Croix World Ocean School.

According to Executive Director, Deanna James, “St. Croix Foundation is committed to advancing a conversation around real equity in how investments are being made.” Emphasizing the importance of nonprofits in the Territory’s recovery efforts and in the philanthropic response to the disaster, James stated that “St. Croix Foundation has developed a set of standards and criteria which ensure that the most underfunded organizations are prioritized. It’s a formula the Foundation is advocating for from all policymakers and philanthropic entities.”

With 8 of 13 public schools closed on St. Croix, a compromised health care system, and 60% of blue roof tarps in the Territory located on St. Croix, priority was given to nonprofit organizations who are filling in vital gaps in health and human services, education, and the arts.  The St. Croix Foundation has also dedicated significant resources to nonprofits who are leveraging their work and resources for greater impact through collaboration with a partnering organization. Grantees will have to adhere to strict reporting guidelines to ensure the highest degree of accountability and focus in meeting outlined goals and timelines. Reporting is also strategically designed to allow the Foundation to collect further data on the nonprofit landscape and our community’s needs for services that, in turn, assists the Foundation in developing its own programmatic agenda including how to advocate for and assist nonprofits far beyond grantmaking.

Launched immediately following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the CARE (Caribbean Assistance and Relief Effort) Fund is providing direct support to both front-line relief and long-term recovery efforts on St. Croix and throughout the US Virgin Islands. Grounded in a commitment to accountability, through the CARE Fund St. Croix Foundation is doing what they do best: supporting a holistic approach to community development while also ensuring real equity for St. Croix and resilience for our Territory.

To date, the CARE Fund has coordinated and sponsored the shipment and distribution of approximately 250,000 pounds of relief aid; provided free temporary office space to over 15 NGOs displaced by Hurricane Maria including the Boys and Girls Club & the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council, who are now being permanently housed at the Foundation; conducted critical needs assessments and surveys of residents and nonprofits; and is also serving as the fiscal sponsor for the St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group (LTGR) at no fee.

St. Croix Foundation wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to the countless national foundations, corporations and individual donors who have made the CARE Fund and these grants possible, including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, JPB Foundation, AARP, Johnson & Johnson, Miami Foundation, and Newman’s Own Foundation; all of which awarded first time grants to the Territory to support St. Croix Foundation’s work and the Territory’s recovery.

St. Croix Foundation invites donors and community partners to contact the Foundation at 340.773.9898 or visit their website at www.stxfoundation.org for more information on how to support the Foundation’s rebuilding efforts and our CARE Fund.

Contact: Deanna James, Executive Director
(tel) 340.773.9898, djames@stxfoundation.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

St. CROIX, U.S.V.I., April 23, 2018 – The St. Croix Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund for St. Croix youth. Geared towards providing opportunities for St. Croix students to pursue their career goals through colleges or universities, scholarships not to exceed $5000 will be awarded to successful applicants. All applications will be reviewed on the basis of residency, school attendance, and GPA.

Graduates from a St. Croix public high school who have also attended a public junior high school and reside on St. Croix are eligible to apply. All applicants must provide proof of acceptance to an accredited college or university and must indicate and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Applications will be reviewed by the St. Croix Foundation Grants Review Committee and must be received no later than June 15 with awards announced by July 16.

The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund was established by their grandson Junior Gaspard, a native of St. Croix and graduate of Central High School and John H Woodson Junior High School, who wishes to honor his grandparents. Gaspard saw hard work and determination embodied in his grandfather’s spirit when he moved the entire family to St. Croix from St. Vincent while his grandmother’s resilience as she dealt with being blind provided a road map to overcoming anything with strength and perseverance. He has seen firsthand the drive and ability St. Croix youth and knows many of them just need the resources to seize the opportunity of higher education. Gaspard said, “There are talented students at a variety of income and GPA levels and we wanted to create a scholarship for students across the spectrum.”

To reflect the spirit of Patrick and Amelia Williams, this scholarship Fund also gives priority to young people who are involved in meaningful community service and who participate in extra-curricular activities. The Fund acknowledges the challenges that many young people face in becoming more involved in civics, however, and invites students to demonstrate in essays the reality of their socioeconomic issues to allow the Review Committee to better assess applications.

After visiting the island in December post-Hurricane Maria, Gaspard wanted to do something that could have a long-term impact. Knowing the challenges high-school students face preparing for and getting resources for college in a post-hurricane environment, this seemed to be most impactful way to help. “I remember going to double sessions and doing homework by kerosene lantern after Hurricane Hugo,” said Gaspard. “If this helps a few students who can persevere to get and stay in college, it will be a success.”

The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund will provide up to two scholarships a year with all scholarship recipients required to report on their successes and challenges throughout the year. This process will ensure that the Fund continues to meet current needs and to provide students with additional support if needed. Applications are due by June 15 and all applicants will be notified by July 16. The full application guidelines can be found on the Foundation’s website at www.stxfoundation.org. Applicants are encouraged to apply online; however, applications may also be mailed/delivered to St. Croix Foundation’s office at 1023 Market Street, Christiansted, VI 00820.

St. Croix Foundation wishes to extend its sincerest appreciation to Junior Gaspard, who is strategically giving back to the community and honoring those that provided him further opportunities that have led to his success! For more information about the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund, please visit the Foundation online or call at 340.773.9898.

Click here to read full press release: REVIVE & St. Croix Foundation Present 18,000 Pounds of Medical Supplies

 

 

Contact: Deanna James, Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 18, 2017

St. CROIX FOUNDATION IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS,

ESTABLISHES HURRICANE CARE FUND TO AID RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY

 

St. Croix, U.S.V.I. — St. Croix Foundation for Community Development announces to the community at-large as well as to their Fiduciary Clients that the Foundation is open for business and fully-operational with electricity, phones, and internet connectivity. Sponsored Projects should feel free to contact the Foundation by phone or internet. The Foundation’s modified office hours are from 9:00am until 4:30pm.

In response to the catastrophic impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the USVI and sister islands in the Caribbean, the St. Croix Foundation stands firm in its support of local and regional relief and recovery efforts and aims to work in partnership with organizations that are undertaking efforts to restore communities and families.

In support of local and regional relief and recovery efforts, the St. Croix Foundation has launched the CARE (Caribbean Assistance and Relief Effort) Fund. This fundraising effort is already providing direct support for front-line relief, rescue and recovery efforts undertaken by entities in the USVI and Caribbean Basin. The Foundation is currently collaborating with on-the-ground organizations that are delivering much needed services and goods, supplies, and equipment for immediate relief throughout the USVI, and this fund will support that effort for the immediate and long-term. Interested parties can visit the Foundation at www.usvigives.org to contribute gifts to the Fund.

To aid in immediate recovery and provide an equitable response for the future, the Foundation’s current efforts include:

• Coordinating and convening diverse community partners, national philanthropic networks, fellow nonprofits and volunteers to foster collaboration and maximize impact of relief efforts.
• Launching its Survey on the Status of Households Impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This survey asks St. Croix residents about the damages to their homes, the ages and unmet needs of individuals living in their home, the impact to their employment and more. Survey results will help connect organizations with individuals who have critical needs as well as to more broadly assess and inform the community-wide dialogue about next steps in the recovery process.
• Sponsoring the shipment of critical relief supplies like water, hygiene products, baby supplies and more.
• Sponsoring the cost of security for keeping relief supplies safe.
• Supporting distribution of relief supplies including a neighborhood distribution effort this past weekend in Williams Delight, an area hit hard by Hurricane Maria
• Conducting a Nonprofit Damage and Needs Assessment Survey currently being completed by local nonprofit partners to help assess the impact of the storm on St. Croix’s civic sector and what resources are necessary to get these organizations fully operational.
• Providing temporary office space for a growing number of nonprofit organizations displaced by the storm including the Boys and Girls Club and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council.

As an operating foundation, St. Croix Foundation’s efforts are ultimately aimed at supporting disaster recovery and building resiliency for the long-term. The Foundation is focused on leveraging its 27 years of experience in holistic community development as they stand in solidarity and collaboration with community partners who are working hard to bring relief and ensure equity for those most severely impacted by recent storms.

As the Virgin Islands Community embarks on the long, steady journey toward recovery, the Foundation wishes our community a focused and forward-thinking recovery. According to St. Croix Foundation’s Executive Director, Deanna James, “St. Croix Foundation does not just FUND the work, it IS the work. We have our sleeves rolled up and are hard at work supporting a progressive and prosperous future for the people of St. Croix and the entire Virgin Islands.”

For more information on the St. Croix Foundation and to learn more about the comprehensive recovery work being spearheaded by the Foundation, visit the St. Croix Foundation’s website at www.stxfoundation.org or contact the St. Croix Foundation directly at 340-773-9898.

 

In response to the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Irma on the USVI and sister islands in the Caribbean, the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development stands firm in its support of local and regional relief and recovery efforts, and it aims to work in partnership with organizations that are undertaking efforts to restore communities and families.

To help support local and regional efforts, the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development has launched the CARE (Crucian Assistance and Relief Effort) Fund.

This fundraising effort will provide direct support for front-line relief, rescue and recovery efforts undertaken by entities in the USVI and Caribbean Basin. The Foundation will collaborate with on-the-ground organizations that are delivering much needed services and goods, supplies, and equipment for much needed use throughout the USVI and sister islands, and this fund will support that effort for the immediate and long-term.

Please look at the link below to make your gift today!  Also, a Hurricane Relief Line has been set up to receive messages this week.  Please leave a detailed message at 678-532-9924.

Donate Today

Press Release 2017 White Paper Release

2017 FWE CHEFS & LINE UP