Every gift matters

She sells seashells

Massachusetts resident Zoe Barnhill grew up visiting her grandparents at their home on Sanibel. She loved shelling there with her mother.

Those fond memories, and her avid shell-collecting habit, led her recently donate the proceeds from her shell bracelet sales to the Sanibel-Captiva Recovery Fund.

“I have collected all kinds of shells over the years,” she said. “I really felt like I needed to do something to help out, but since I do not live close by, I decided I could raise money to donate. Attached is a photo of some of the bracelets I made! I am so glad to be able to support the islands!”

Thank you, Zoe, and thank you to all the generous people supporting the rebuilding of Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

CFI gathered leaders of island nonprofits on Captiva in September 2022.

Helping the HelpersNonprofit Employee Assistance Program

Raised: $200,000

Awarded: $180,000 (as of 5/15/23)

Recipients: 70 individuals from 11 nonprofit organizations

Average grant: $2,500

The Nonprofit Employee Assistance Program launched in November to help employees of nonprofit partners throughout Sanibel and Captiva islands whose lives were impacted by Hurricane Ian.

Current and former CFI board members and their Donor Advised Fund partners offered a match of up to $100,000 to launch the program. The 1:1 match was successfully met before the Dec. 15 deadline.

Jack Evans, one of the first donors to the recovery fund, took a week off from work to volunteer at F.I.S.H. He and his wife have vacationed on Sanibel for 35 years.

Two nonprofit organizations, Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), each contributed $5,000.

What executive directors said

“About one-third of the staff has been displaced. This is a wonderful way to show how grateful we are for the critical work that all our nonprofits’ employees provide to our community.”

-James Evans, CEO Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

“We can’t thank CFI enough for the generosity and speed with which the funds were raised. Our CROW staff, as well as the teams from the other nonprofit organizations, can begin to rebuild their lives.”

-Alison Charney Hussey, Executive Director Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW)

“F.I.S.H.’s. structure lends itself to this type of program and we are happy to partner with CFI. We are eager to assist those who work so hard for the benefit of the islands.”

-Maria Espinoza, Executive Director F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva, Inc.

What a grant recipient said

“My grandmother’s home was destroyed and she passed as a result of the storm. I have been a member of this SWFL community since I was born 23 years ago. My family and I endured numerous hurricanes throughout my life, but this one left us devastated. We are scrambling to fix my grandmother’s flooded home, while grieving the loss of my only grandparent. I am grateful for this assistance as I will be able to alleviate some of the heavy burden for both repairs and funeral expenses that my family is attempting to cover.”

-Taylor Lukasik