CFVI Newsletter | Fall 2021
In this Issue: CFVI Recognized with Designations | 2022 Angels Giving Campaign
CFVI Employee Spotlight | Giving Tuesday | Euan P. McFarlane Award
Grantee Highlights | And much more!
CFVI Earns GuideStar's Highest Seal of Transparency and
Coveted 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator 
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has earned the highest level of recognition via two coveted nonprofit sector designations. For the second consecutive year, CFVI received the 2021 Platinum Seal of Transparency by GuideStar, the world's largest source for nonprofit data. And for the third consecutive year, the foundation received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator. Both honors are a direct result of CFVI's strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.
"It's important for our donors and grantees trust that we're using their donations wisely to accomplish our mission of enriching the quality of life
in the Virgin Islands for present and future generations."
-Dee Brown, CFVI President
In order to achieve GuideStar's Platinum level, CFVI provided extensive organizational metrics, such as in-depth information around financials, goals, strategies, capabilities and results, which gives donors and funders meaningful data to evaluate nonprofit performance.


Building Forward to a Better Tomorrow
2022 Angels Giving Campaign
The CFVI Angels community is the largest philanthropic network in the territory. Since 1999, Angels have provided $7.3 million in unrestricted funding from individual and business donors who contribute $500 or more annually to the Foundation.

Angel gifts directly contribute to the well-being of our Virgin Islands community. Since the arrival of the pandemic in March 2020, CFVI has provided nearly $6.5 million in grants and services to the territory.

This year’s CFVI Angels campaign is also an opportunity to celebrate the life of Frank M. Halley. Frank was a colleague, a friend and a “forever” Angel. When Frank passed away last December, CFVI received a generous gift from his estate which guaranteed Frank’s CFVI Angel support for many years to come. To learn more about the Mahogany Legacy Society, view the brochure and estate planning flyer. If you are interested in including CFVI in your future plans, please do let us know by filling out and returning a letter of intent.
Help us continue to bring positive change and enrich
the quality of life in the Virgin Islands.
Together we can do great things.
CFVI Employee Spotlight: Davica Brathwaite
CFVI welcomed Davica Brathwaite to the team in September. She was hired as the Grants and Programs Manager, where she is responsible for managing the activity of grants, scholarships, program procedures, and committees.

Davica is a certified Contracting Officer and is currently pursuing a degree in Economics at Colorado State University. Prior to joining CFVI, she worked in the field of Emergency Management, where she focused on building community capacity and strengthening the capabilities of long-term recovery groups throughout the territory.

Davica is passionate about the welfare of her community and intends to build relationships with organizations that also value community. Outside of work, she enjoys quality time with her dog Egypt and loves watching her favorite TV shows.

Davica can be reached at davicab@cfvi.net.
CFVI Unveils Updated Mission, Vision, Values and Focus Areas
OUR MISSION

To be a catalyst for positive change and enrich the quality of life in the Virgin Islands while preserving our islands’ unique cultural heritage by inspiring philanthropy, strengthening nonprofits and engaging the community. We do this by connecting people and resources with community needs.
OUR VISION

A vibrant, thriving Virgin Islands with opportunity for all fostered by a culture of generous giving.

OUR VALUES

  • Leadership – as a territory-wide community foundation providing grants, scholarships, and technical assistance in the Virgin Islands
  • Collaboration – trusting in the power of partnerships to create a more positive and transformative impact 
  • Knowledge – with a deep understanding of the Virgin Islands culture and the opportunities and challenges
  • Equity and Inclusion – believing that all voices are vital to the territory's future
  • Integrity – being honest, open, ethical and reliable in everything we do
  • Accountability – to our donors, partners and the community
  • Sustainability – championing actions that support long-term social, environmental and economic solutions
OUR FOCUS AREAS

  • Children, Youth and Families
  • Community
  • Early Childhood
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Health and Human Services
  • Humanities and the Arts
  • Disaster Recovery Assistance
Award to Honor Environmental Leadership in the Insular Caribbean

Nominations now being accepted for the 2021 Euan McFarlane Award

DEADLINE: November 15, 2021
For over three decades, one Caribbean award has consistently recognized and honored individuals in the insular Caribbean who demonstrate exceptional environmental leadership. Since 1987, 30 individuals from 19 Caribbean islands have been recipients of the Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership Award, established to acknowledge individuals who have displayed both exemplary and sustained leadership on behalf of the environment in the insular Caribbean. Their efforts have been an inspiration for their home islands and served as models for the Caribbean region.

To learn more and submit a nomination, click here.
Grantee Highlights
The VI Children's Museum
CFVI provided a grant to the The Virgin Islands Children's Museum (VICM), in partnership with the Princess Cruises Community Foundation, to create At Home Discovery Kits for 400 youth throughout the territory. Discovery Kit #4 was a Precipitation Science kit that included coloring pages, polymer snow, glue sticks, age appropriate reader books, math snow art geometry activity sheet, math symmetry activity sheet, tissue paper shapes, NISE Net: rain gauge, and a Where I Live activity book from the Division of Fish & Wildlife. By distributing hands-on activities to children throughout our community, VICM facilitates family engagement and hopes to inspire a continued interest in learning by providing fun and interactive ways to do so.

Friends of Virgin Islands National Park
Thanks to Cruzan Rum’s Island Spirit Fund (via GlobalGiving), CFVI awarded a grant to Friends of Virgin Islands National Park (FVINP) to extend efforts to propagate rare and native plants on St. John, and remove invasive plants in Virgin Islands National Park, including the establishment of a greenhouse/nursery to help increase propagation. Funds were used to support a Native Plant Giveaway where community members were paid to propagate native plants and then distributed them to the community for planting, along with providing books on native plants of St. John and on-site experts to talk about the plants and their care. Additionally, Friends built a greenhouse to exponentially increase the propagation of native plants (and make watering the seedlings easier/cost-effective) and incorporated planting into the activities offered to volunteer service groups staying at the camp, youth trail crew, school and community groups.

Education Connections VI
CFVI awarded a grant to Education Connections VI, Inc (with Veterans Resource Group Inc. serving as fiscal sponsor) to provide 8 months of on-site tutoring assistance for 24 students in grades 1 through 12 during school hours and virtual assistance and engagement before and after school hours. Funds were used to provide internet service, staffing, food service, cleaning services, personal protection equipment (PPE), and sanitation supplies.

St. Croix Montessori School
CFVI awarded a grant to St. Croix Montessori School to provide support for a rich and varied summer program for children ages three to 15. The program included crafts, gardening, language, math, field trips, guests presenters/speakers, a drama program and arts and music program.

Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts
CFVI awarded a grant to Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, with funding provided by Liberty Foundation to operate a four-week summer camp for 20 young people between the ages of 10-16 that culminated in a closing presentation. The camp was split into two sections: 1) Theater with a focus on social justice and 2) Chekere making and African drumming; highlighting African music as an instrument for personal and social change.

Want more grantee highlights? We post weekly on social media and our website!
Grassroots generosity and community action are powerful forces for good, especially in turbulent times. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past nine years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

We invite you to show your generosity in any number of ways during GivingTuesday⁠⁠—whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes—everyone has something to give and every act of generosity counts.

Please join us in Building Forward to a brighter future in the Virgin Islands!
Share Virtue of the Week with Others!
Do you know someone who would like to receive the Virtue of the Week? Simply forward this email to them and they can sign up by clicking on the button below.

The Virtues Project, a global grassroots initiative to inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life, sparking a global revolution of kindness, justice, and integrity in more than 100 countries.

The Project defines virtues as "the essence of the human spirit and the content of our character." The mission of The Virtues Project is to inspire people of all cultures to remember who we really are, what we aspire to be, and to live by our highest values.
CFVI is an Amazon Smile Charity
Did you know that CFVI is an Amazon Smile charity?

Shop at smile.amazon.com, select Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands as your charity, and Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to CFVI—no fees, no extra cost. Same products, same prices, same service.

Experience feel-good shopping today at smile.amazon.com!
CFVI a Participating Charity in Combined Federal Campaign
The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.

CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with almost 200 CFC campaigns throughout the country and overseas raising millions of dollars each year. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season supports eligible non-profit organizations, like CFVI, that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

CFVI Combined Federal Campaign Information:
CFC Sunshine Zone 22
CFC# 45789
EIN 66-0470703
For Grantees: Grant Recognition Guidelines

We appreciate an acknowledgement of your grant from CFVI in whatever ways are within your organization’s communications capabilities. We encourage you to send us press releases or copies of publications or media coverage that mentions your grant. Please refer to the CFVI Grant Recognition Guidelines for more information, or contact Sean Liphard, CFVI Communications Manager, at seanl@cfvi.net.
New Funds, Fiscal Sponsorships and Grants

New Funds/Fiscal Sponsorships/Donor Advised Funds
Elliott Mac Davis Fitness Trail Fiscal Sponsorship
Inge Verweij Donor Advised Fund
Schneider Regional Medical Center Agency Fund
VI Crawl Fiscal Sponsorship

New Grants Received
NEH A More Perfect Union
Emergency Food and Shelter Program

Spread the Good News!

Help us spread the word about the important work CFVI is supporting throughout our U.S. Virgin Islands. Forward this newsletter to your colleagues, friends and family, and invite them to follow us on social media and join our mailing list!
We are proud to have earned Guidestar's Platinum Seal of Transparency by sharing our key metrics and highlighting the impact we’re making.
We are proud to have earned the Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.
We are proud to be a vetted organization by GlobalGiving, which recognizes CFVI as a trusted partner and change-maker in the world.
CFVI Staff

President
 
Grants and Programs Manager

Accountant

Communications Manager

Donor Services Associate

Executive Manager
 
Staff Accountant and Office Administrator


CFVI is a proud member of the
UPDATE! CFVI Office Hours
Due to the ongoing pandemic, CFVI staff continues to work remotely Monday and Thursday and goes into the office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
If you need to reach us, please email general.info@cfvi.net.
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