Young Jacksonville-area philanthropists make first grants to nonprofits

Eleven budding Jacksonville area philanthropists who spent six months learning how to strategically invest their money have awarded their first grants — $5,000 each to personally selected nonprofits.

They are the 2024 class of The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida's Weaver Philanthropic Initiative, which was founded in 1999 to identify "emerging philanthropists." After studying community issues and honing their "philanthropic priorities," each of them chose a nonprofit and made a donation, which was matched by the foundation for a total of $55,000.

Receiving grants were nonprofits 904WARD, Ability Housing, Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida, Child Guidance Center, Daniel Kids, Feeding Northeast Florida, Florida Nonprofit Alliance, Here Tomorrow, Jacksonville Jewish Center, Read USA and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville.

The new philanthropists are Ansley Busch, Brian Bush, Maureen Bush, Marion Cangemi, Melanie Cost Young, Stephanie Harden, Brooke Michaelis, Shelita McGowan, Erik Rostholder, Entrice Rowe and Jake Wolfburg.

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