Jacksonville’s giving season has begun – and this year, it feels different.
Invitations are arriving, calendars are filling, and our team here at Resident News is gathering the nonprofit updates, event dates and community stories that will fill the next edition of Circles Social Datebook & Charity Register. But behind the familiar galas, luncheons and community gatherings, something larger is taking shape.
New leaders are stepping forward. Organizations are finding new ways to engage their supporters, and donors are asking more thoughtful questions about where their time, influence and dollars can make the greatest difference.
Social season may be rooted in tradition, but philanthropy is not standing still. Giving is changing – and Jacksonville is changing with it.
“The biggest change we’re seeing in giving is a demographic one,” said Isaiah M. Oliver, president of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. “We continue to serve long-standing philanthropic families where the next generation is continuing a legacy of giving back. We’re also seeing new residents choosing to move here all the time.”
In both cases, Oliver said, donors are looking for trusted relationships and community expertise to help them maximize the impact of their charitable investments. Sometimes that means continuing a family’s longstanding support of an institution; in other cases, it means investing in a new project or organization.
“Across the board, we find that giving is motivated by a love of the community we call home – and a desire to be part of making it even better for future generations,” he said.
The Landscape of Generosity
That changing landscape of generosity is already evident in several significant gifts across Jacksonville.
The Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation has donated $1 million to Elevate Jacksonville, marking the largest financial award in the organization’s history. The gift will establish an endowment at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, providing permanent support through investment earnings.
Elevate Jacksonville works with students at Jean Ribault Middle and High schools and other Westside middle and high schools through accredited curriculum, character development, post-secondary preparation, adventure experiences, and teacher-mentor relationships.
Another investment in Jacksonville’s young people is helping build something entirely new: The Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation has committed $250,000 toward the construction of Junior Achievement of North Florida’s planned 34,000-square-foot Experiential Learning Center.
Planned for Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Downtown campus, the center is expected to serve more than 30,000 students annually through immersive, hands-on experiences in career readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
Shannon Italia, president of Junior Achievement of North Florida, said the gift represents far more than an investment in a building. It will help students discover career pathways, develop important life skills and envision brighter futures.
Taking Action, Making Impact
Generosity, of course, is not measured only in dollars. Sometimes it looks like people rolling up their sleeves to meet a very practical need.
Presbyterian Social Ministries Inc. recognized National Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day on Sept. 15 by mobilizing volunteers to sort clothing at its Clothing With Purpose warehouse in Murray Hill. Members of Community First Credit Union’s Kindness Crew were among those helping prepare new and gently used clothing for distribution to area nonprofits serving individuals and families.
“You can’t access life naked,” PSMJax CEO Teri Ketchum said, noting that clothing often falls to the bottom of the list when families struggle to pay bills and put food on the table. “Clothing comes last. But really, clothing has to come first.“
Through large-volume donations from manufacturers and retailers, Clothing With Purpose distributed more than 218,000 items in 2025.
Good Times, Good Causes
Of course, gathering for a good cause remains a Jacksonville tradition, and October offers plenty of opportunities to come together and give back.
The Sanctuary on 8th Street’s Shindig gets the month underway Oct. 1, followed by a particularly full evening of giving Oct. 2: Along with the Jaguars Foundation’s Cocktail Party at Citri in San Marco, that Friday brings the Jacksonville Humane Society’s Toast to the Animals, Changing Homelessness’ Home for All SNKR Ball and DePaul School’s Drinks for Dyslexia.
Furyk & Friends follows Oct. 5-11, and tennis champion Venus Williams takes the stage Oct. 12 to launch the 2026-27 Florida Forum Speaker Series, presented by The Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. The month continues with Operation New Uniform’s Mission Possible Gala on Oct. 17 and Sulzbacher’s Transformations on Oct. 29.
Neighbors Spurring Change
While some opportunities to give begin with an invitation, others begin with a neighbor noticing what could be better.
Beneath the beautiful tree canopy at historic Riverside Park, Riverside resident Kim Clontz sees the potential to turn an aging playground into something extraordinary. Its equipment is more than 20 years old, and Clontz, founder of Friends of Jacksonville Playgrounds, wants to give families a compelling reason to stop, stay and play.
The proposed centerpiece is a custom-designed, 12-foot-tall snowy egret made of robinia wood, perched on a six-foot play mound with opportunities for climbing and exploration. A bird-themed area for younger children would offer a playful nod to the park’s beloved duck pond, which is also being renovated.
Bringing that vision to life will take more neighborhood generosity. JaxParks has budgeted $400,000 for the renovation, while the enhanced design, developed with KOMPAN, is expected to cost nearly $750,000. Following a request for support from Riverside Avondale Preservation, District 7 City Council Member Jimmy Peluso committed another $50,000. Private donors have pledged $150,000, leaving $150,000 still to raise.
For Clontz, whose playground work began with Boone Park South’s transformation in 2015, the goal goes well beyond new equipment.
“This is about giving kids a reason to put down their devices, get outside and discover what their bodies and imaginations can do,” she said.
It is also an investment in Five Points – a destination that could bring more families to the neighborhood and its shops and restaurants. Donations of all sizes are welcome. To learn more, visit jaxplaygrounds.org.
An endowment that will last for generations, a new learning center taking shape Downtown, volunteers sorting clothing in Murray Hill, a gathering in San Marco and a new place to play in Riverside – each is part of the story of a community that continues to evolve.
Giving may be changing, but its heart remains remarkably constant: people who love Jacksonville and want to leave it a little better than they found it. This season, Resident News looks forward to sharing more of these stories and celebrating those helping to write them.