Philanthropist Delores Barr Weaver will be providing grants to numerous local nonprofits, made possible by her gift of $61 million to the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.
Her contribution to the donor-advised fund in July 2023 is the largest in the foundation’s 60-year history.
“The Community Foundation’s expert staff and charitable giving solutions have enabled me to have greater impact in the region I love than I ever could alone,” Weaver said in a Feb. 24 news release.
Grants will be made to nonprofit organizations as part of Weaver’s Legacy 2024 plan, developed in partnership with staff at The Community Foundation over the past six months.
“The Community Foundation is proud to work alongside Delores Barr Weaver, who continues to set the bar for philanthropy in Northeast Florida,” Isaiah Oliver, president of The Community Foundation, said in the release.
Instead of accepting applications for the grants, Weaver is focusing on selected nonprofits she has supported for many years.
The release said organizations that will benefit are covering issues that affect the lives of people in Northeast Florida and beyond.
Grants will support causes that include but are not limited to: ensuring all people can thrive, no matter their age, identity, or ability status; advancing the arts; revitalizing neighborhoods and expanding affordable housing; and addressing environmental issues, such as land conservation.
The plan includes grant types offered through The Community Foundation: one-time infusions of funds for specific projects or capital improvements; matching challenges intended to expand the beneficiary’s donor base and bolster its financial sustainability; and multiyear grants spanning three, five and 10 years that will position grantees to deepen their impact with a longer time horizon than one-time grants would allow.
The release said Weaver has a legacy of philanthropy in Northeast Florida since moving to Jacksonville as co-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1993. Beginning with her historic gift of $50 million in 2012 establishing the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund, she established permanent endowments for nearly 50 nonprofits, including 20 that receive ongoing annual support through the Delores Barr Weaver Forever Event Fund.
Weaver’s philanthropy exceeds $209 million, supporting more than 300 organizations in Northeast Florida and other regions.