The Community Foundation of North Florida (CFNF), in partnership with the Knight Foundation, is proud to announce $190,000 in grants that will directly benefit the Tallahassee community.
Awarded through the Knight Foundation Fund at CFNF, these grants will support six initiatives advancing economic mobility, civic engagement, digital literacy, and cultural resilience across the community.
The Knight Foundation’s ongoing commitment to Tallahassee focuses on expanding access to trusted information, fostering resilience by advancing economic opportunity, and revitalizing cultural spaces that increase connection, expression, and shared purpose.
Here are the 2025 Knight Foundation Grantees:
COCA – $20,000
The COCA staff and interns at the Creative Tallahassee Reception 2024, from left: Sam Joslin, Lindsay Merril, Vi Rogers-Rivera, and Sahara Lyon-Mundy.
To support The Art of Resiliency: Arts & Culture Impact, a three-part initiative to strengthen arts organizations through professional development, enhance data practices for greater community impact, and showcase sector resilience through economic data collection and dissemination in partnership with local stakeholders.
ASPIRE – $10,000
To expand the ASPIRE Data Dashboard fully integrating the Gates Foundation’s Education-to-Workforce Framework, equipping regional leaders with actionable data to improve talent pipeline alignment, workforce planning, and economic development.
FAMU SBDC – $20,000
To enhance support for the FANG Incubator and Accelerator Programs, fostering inclusive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility among underserved communities in Tallahassee’s urban core.
The Village Square – $5,000
To reintroduce Speed Date Your Local Leaders, a civic engagement event offering residents informal, rotating conversations with community leaders to foster mutual connection, understanding, and access.
South City Foundation – $35,000
To continue to expand its work through the recruitment of additional Block Champions, the establishment of a leadership program, and neighborhood events designed to strengthen social cohesion and community leadership in South City. Block Champions are South City residents that take a pivotal leadership role in driving effective civic engagement and working collaboratively to address community issues.
Community Foundation of North Florida logo.
Community Foundation of North Florida Collaborative Grant – $100,000
To launch a 12-month pilot of a College & Career Readiness Center in Leon County, which will be developed in partnership with community stakeholders. The center will provide academic and career guidance, FAFSA support, technology boot camps in AI, coding, and web development to build digital literacy and resilience among Tallahassee youth and career-switchers.
“We are grateful for the Knight Foundation’s continued investment in Tallahassee and for the opportunity to partner with them in stewarding these important community grants,” said Katrina Rolle, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of North Florida. “Together we are helping to build a more inclusive, resilient, and opportunity-rich future for our community.”
For more information about the Community Foundation and its partnership with the Knight Foundation, please contact Katrina Rolle at 850-222-2899 or krolle@cfnf.org. To learn more, visit cfnf.org.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee groups awarded $190K from Community Foundation