CONTACT: DEANNA JAMES, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
(TEL) 340.773.9898, (EMAIL) staff@STXFOUNDATION.ORG
St. Croix, US Virgin Islands – St. Croix Foundation for Community Development’s (SCF) Nonprofit Consortium is pleased to invite the Virgin Islands Community to its virtual 5th Anniversary Community Presentation on Thursday, September 16th, from 6:00pm – 7:15pm. Hosted by SCF in partnership with the Nonprofit Consortium, the Community Presentation will showcase the investment of the Foundation in the local Virgin Islands civic sector and highlight the collaborative service of our Nonprofit Partners.
Established in 2016, exactly one year prior to 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria, St. Croix Foundation officially launched the Nonprofit Consortium through a series of table conversations amongst over 50 grassroots and 501(c)3 local nonprofits to strategically build capacity within St. Croix’s Civic Sector in response to economic and political shifts that were decimating an already small donor pool. With a total investment of over $2.5 million into the Nonprofit Consortium, St. Croix Foundation along with NPC Partners will present its impact with scheduled contributors, which include all 30 members of the Nonprofit Consortium as well as national philanthropic thought partners from the Association of Black Foundation Executives and GlobalGiving. As stated by Deanna James, Foundation President: “With our status as a Territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands has a stifled voice, no vote at the federal level, and sit in a blind spot for many national funders. We knew that to improve access to services for our most vulnerable populations, the Foundation needed to work strategically to raise the collective profile and impact of our Civic Sector partners. To date, we have successfully gotten the US Virgin Islands onto the philanthropic funding map and are fostering new partnerships between our Nonprofits and a growing network of national private (nongovernmental) funders.”
Today, the NPC is a membership collective of roughly 30 civic entities serving St. Croix that has been nurturing and enhancing meaningful, community-based collaboration with the overarching goal of supporting greater social impact with investments that benefit the people of the Virgin Islands. The Consortium is organized into 4 sectors, including (1) Crucian Heritage, Arts, and Culture, (2) the Built and Natural Environs, (3) Education and Youth Development, and (4) Health and Human Services, with a collective service reach of over 10,000 residents. With 57% of member organizations reporting a staff size of only one to two employees, the Consortium’s organizations are harnessing the highest levels of collaboration for maximum efficiency and reach by emphasizing collaboration over competition. By creating space for nonprofits to share their visions, their missions, their data, and their stories, the Consortium has developed new collaborations, networks, and healthy systems in the US Virgin Islands.
The virtual Community Presentation this Thursday, September 16 at 6PM will report on the structure that is making the Consortium poised for even greater collaborative work, how nonprofits continued to excel even under COVID conditions, and how the Civic Sector is making the case for even greater investment in 2021 and beyond.
To join the St. Croix Foundation Nonprofit Consortium’s 5th Anniversary Community Presentation, Thursday, September 16, from 6:00 – 7:15PM, register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/st-croix-foundation-the-nonprofit-consortium-5-years-of-achievementtickets-169663521159
St. Croix Foundation extends its deepest appreciation to its partners and funders, GlobalGiving, TEAM Consultants, HIVE Fund, and the Momentum Fund for sharing an early, innovative vision of collaborative impact; and to the cadre of local nonprofits who provide critical services to our community. For more information on the Nonprofit Consortium or the Community Presentation, please contact staff@stxfoundation.org.
ABOUT ST. CROIX FOUNDATION
Established in 1990, the Foundation has served as a conduit for over 42 million dollars in funding for community-based projects throughout the Virgin Islands. With an incomparable track record of successful community development initiatives and national recognition for its work in education reform and small business development, the Foundation has also received international acknowledgment for its community revitalization initiatives and, today, continues directing its focus on energy independence, workforce development, education, youth and families, and of course, the broad-based support of nonprofits, including fiscal sponsorship, grantmaking, and the Nonprofit Consortium. www.stxfoundation.org