Florida Beverage Association announces application period for its Community Grant Program
The Florida Beverage Association (FBA) today announced the opening of the application period for its Community Grant Program, a competitive grant funding initiative focused on advancing environmental sustainability and health and wellness programs across Florida. In its ninth year, FBA’s Community Grant Program is open to 501(c)(3) charity organizations or a state or local governmental entity that will use the grant funds for a charitable purpose.
The Florida Beverage Association, the state trade association representing non-alcoholic beverage producers, marketers, bottlers and distributors, oversees the grant program. The Florida beverage industry employs nearly 20,000 Floridians across the state with a direct economic impact of $14.8 billion. In addition to the statewide grant program, Florida’s beverage companies and their employees generously contribute $124.5 million to charitable causes across the state.
“Forming strong community partnerships to advance causes we all care about – like environmental sustainability, health and wellness – is a top priority for members of Florida’s beverage industry,” said Elizabeth DeWitt, president and CEO of the Florida Beverage Association. “We are proud of the far reach of FBA’s grant program in our state and hope that as we look toward a decade of this initiative we can continue to have an impact where it matters most.”
Previous community grant recipients focused on environmental and sustainability programs include:
• Keep Alachua County Beautiful
• The Skills Center
• Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
• The city of Coral Gables
• Sea Grant Florida
• Santa Rosa County
• The Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida
• Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
• The city of Orlando
• Orange County Public Schools
• The city of Miami
FBA Grants Recipients who have received grant funding for their work promoting nutrition and active lifestyles include:
• The Children’s Home Society of Florida
• The Florida Recreation and Park Association Foundation
• The city of Tampa
• The “I’m a STAR” Foundation
• Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces
Grant applications should be submitted online through FBA’s website by Wednesday, Jan. 31. To be considered for a grant, all nominees must meet the requirements listed in the “Grant Program Criteria” found on the FBA website at flabev.org. Grants awarded through the FBA program are generally capped at $25,000; however, flexibility can be considered for unique situations. In addition, some grant applications may be eligible for a matching grant from the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA). Learn more on ABFHA grants HERE.
All applications will be reviewed by the FBA Board Grant Subcommittee. FBA Community grant recipients will be selected and notified by the FBA Board of Directors by March 15. The FBA will submit their selections for award to the ABFHA matching grants program. Matching grants from the ABFHA will not be announced until May. General questions may be directed to FBA president and CEO Elizabeth DeWitt by phone at 407-385-2708 or by email at Liz.dewitt@flabev.org.