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Consortium of Florida Education Foundations Inc

Annual Giving
$14.9M
Grant Range
$2K - $0.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $14.9 million (2023-2024 fiscal year)
  • Total Member Fundraising: $100+ million annually
  • Grant Range: $2,000 - $5,000 (STEM grants); varies by program
  • Geographic Focus: Florida statewide (65 school districts)
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Member Assets: $227 million collectively

Contact Details

Website: https://educationfoundationsfl.org/

Phone: 352-338-0250

Email: info@cfef.net

Grants Portal Contact: jaynemoraski@cfef.net

Address: PO Box 358719, Gainesville, FL 32635

Grants Management System: https://cfefgrants.educationfoundationsfl.org/

Overview

Founded in 1987, the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF) serves as the professional association for local education foundations aligned with Florida's county-wide school districts. The organization supports 65 active education foundations across Florida's 67 counties, collectively representing 99% of the state's 3 million K-12 students. With member foundations holding $227 million in assets and raising over $100 million annually, CFEF acts as a statewide convener, capacity builder, and grant program administrator. In fiscal year 2023-2024, CFEF distributed $14.9 million through its grant programs, impacting 1,234,178 students and 54,838 teachers across 106 funded projects. The organization administers Florida's School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program, which has allocated over $81.8 million since 2001, and manages corporate-sponsored grant initiatives from partners including Florida Power & Light, Wells Fargo, and HCA Healthcare Foundation. Charity Navigator rates CFEF with a Three-Star rating (85%).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program

  • State-funded $1 for $1 matching program
  • $6 million in state allocation matched with $9.2 million in private sector investment (2023-2024)
  • 57 school districts participated, funding 106 projects
  • Applications submitted through member local education foundations
  • Rolling basis as allocated by Florida Legislature annually

STEM Grants

  • $2,000 - $5,000 per grant
  • Up to six grants awarded annually
  • Focus on innovative, hands-on K-12 STEM programs
  • Deadline: September 12, 2025
  • Applied for through local education foundations

FPL EmPOWERing STEM Educators

  • Corporate-sponsored program
  • Supports STEM education initiatives
  • Deadline: June 15, 2025

Wells Fargo "Investing in Florida's Future"

  • Corporate-sponsored program
  • Deadline: August 15, 2025

HCA Healthcare Foundation Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida

  • $1 million over three years
  • Funds 15 local education foundations
  • Focus on nursing and allied health career pathways
  • Individual foundation grants approximately $33,750 over three years

Florida Lottery "Lighting the Way to a Bright Future"

  • Application opens: October 3, 2025
  • Deadline: October 31, 2025

The Able Trust Partnership

  • Focus on students with disabilities
  • Deadline: September 18, 2025

Career Catalyst Program

  • Application opens: August 18, 2025
  • Deadline: October 10, 2025

Priority Areas

CFEF focuses funding on seven strategic priority areas:

  1. Literacy - Reading programs and literacy initiatives
  2. Low Performing Students - Targeted interventions and support
  3. Increasing Graduation Rates - Retention and completion programs
  4. Teaching Quality - Professional development, classroom grants (over $13.5 million annually), teacher resource stores, recruitment and retention
  5. Career and Technical Education - Workforce development and career exploration
  6. Student Resiliency - Social-emotional support (838,000 students impacted through Resiliency Through the Community initiative)
  7. STEM Education - Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs

Additional areas of support include:

  • Scholarship programs (estimated $17.6 million annually distributed by member foundations)
  • Digital literacy
  • Financial literacy
  • Healthcare career pathways

What They Don't Fund

  • Food purchases (not a priority; must be paid by foundation's private donations, not state matching grant funds)
  • Rewards or incentive prizes (not allowable from state matching grant funding)
  • Individual students or families (grants flow through local education foundations to schools and programs)
  • Direct grants to schools outside the local education foundation network

Governance and Leadership

Board Officers

  • Kim Jowell, Chair - Pinellas Education Foundation
  • Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, Vice Chair - Jacksonville Public Education Fund
  • Meghan Magamoll, Treasurer - Public Education Foundation of Marion County
  • Jennifer Vigne - Education Foundation of Sarasota County (recently elected Chair in a prior term)

Board Members (Selected)

  • Thom Jones - St. Lucie County Education Foundation
  • Janice Kershaw - Brevard Schools Foundation
  • Mike Grego - Former Superintendent
  • Andrea Messina - Florida School Board Association

The Board of Directors is composed of up to 17 individuals elected by the membership, with at least three-fourths serving as chief executives of member education foundations. An Executive Committee, including officers and five members-at-large, governs the organization and directs activities on behalf of all member foundations.

Staff

  • Amity Schuyler - President/CEO
  • Tracy Burger - Director of Organization and Member Development
  • Jayne Moraski - Director of Grants and Programs
  • Angel Adams - Director of Communications and Sponsorships
  • Zuzana Lukackova - Director of Operations
  • Lura Murfee - New Worlds Reading Program Coordinator
  • Chris Clore - Administrative and Database Coordinator

The organization also maintains a Strategic Advisory Council with leaders from educational, governmental, and philanthropic sectors.

Mission Statement

"We envision a state where every student and teacher in all schools succeed." - CFEF Mission Statement

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations does not accept direct grant applications from individual schools, teachers, or organizations. All grant applications must be submitted through your local county-wide school district education foundation.

Application Process:

  1. Identify Your Local Education Foundation - Connect with the education foundation aligned with your county-wide school district. CFEF has 65 member foundations across Florida's 67 counties.

  2. Register on the Grants Portal - Applications are submitted through the CFEF Grants Management System at https://cfefgrants.educationfoundationsfl.org/

  3. Complete Online Application - Save applications as "DRAFT" while completing required information and uploading attachments. Once complete, save as "FINAL" to submit.

  4. Work Through Your Local Foundation - Your local education foundation will review, approve, and submit applications on behalf of eligible schools and programs in their district.

Application Deadlines by Program (2025-2026)

  • STEM Grants: September 12, 2025
  • FPL EmPOWERing STEM Educators: June 15, 2025
  • Wells Fargo "Investing in Florida's Future": August 15, 2025
  • Career Catalyst Program: October 10, 2025 (opens August 18, 2025)
  • Florida Lottery "Lighting the Way to a Bright Future": October 31, 2025 (opens October 3, 2025)
  • The Able Trust: September 18, 2025

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by program. Applicants should expect:

  • Mid-Year Reports: Typically due January-February (specific dates vary by program)
  • Final Reports: Typically due April-June following the grant year

For the 2025-2026 cycle, example timelines include:

  • STEM Grants: Mid-year report due January 31, 2026; Final report due April 30, 2026
  • Wells Fargo Program: Mid-year report due February 13, 2026

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. In 2023-2024:

  • 57 school districts participated in the State Matching Grant Program
  • 106 projects were funded
  • $14.9 million total investment distributed

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not explicitly documented. Contact your local education foundation or Jayne Moraski at jaynemoraski@cfef.net for guidance on reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Priority Areas

Projects must clearly address one or more of CFEF's seven strategic priorities: Literacy, Low Performing Students, Increasing Graduation Rates, Teaching Quality, Career and Technical Education, Student Resiliency, or STEM Education.

Demonstrated Impact

Based on the 2024 Annual Report, successful projects demonstrate:

  • Direct impact on students and teachers (2023-2024 grants impacted 1,234,178 students and 54,838 teachers)
  • Measurable outcomes - local education foundations must report measurable outcomes for their initiatives
  • Innovative approaches to classroom learning
  • Support for workforce development and career pathways

State Matching Grant Specifics

For the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program:

  • Projects must serve low-performing students and literacy initiatives
  • Must encourage STEM and career/technical education
  • Should improve teaching quality and/or increase graduation rates
  • Private sector match must be secured before application submission
  • Foundation must certify that cash match is secured when submitting

Budget Restrictions

  • Food purchases are not a priority and must be funded through private donations, not state matching grant funds
  • Rewards or incentive prizes are not allowable from state matching grant funding

Institutional Support

Successful applicants benefit from:

  • Strong relationship with their local education foundation
  • Alignment with school district priorities
  • Community partnerships and volunteer engagement (member foundations engaged 14,328 volunteers in 2023-2024)
  • Local private sector matching contributions

Contact for Assistance

Applicants requiring assistance should contact:

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Work through your local foundation - You cannot apply directly to CFEF; all applications must go through your county's local education foundation member organization.

  • Leverage the state match - The School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program provides a powerful 1:1 match, effectively doubling private sector investment. Secure your private match before applying.

  • Focus on the seven priorities - Projects should clearly demonstrate impact in at least one of the seven strategic priority areas, with particular emphasis on measurable student and teacher outcomes.

  • Think statewide impact - CFEF administers corporate-sponsored programs that reach across Florida. Strong applications demonstrate potential for broader impact beyond a single classroom or school.

  • Budget carefully - Avoid including food or incentive prizes in state matching grant budgets; these must come from private funds only.

  • Emphasize innovation and hands-on learning - Particularly for STEM grants, successful projects feature innovative, engaging approaches that increase student skills and career pathway interest.

  • Plan for reporting - Successful applicants must submit mid-year and final reports with measurable outcomes. Build evaluation metrics into your project design from the start.

References

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