Jessie Ball duPont Fund

Congratulations to our trustee Rev. Allison DeFoor for receiving the Regional Leadership Award from the Northeast Florida Regional Council for his dedication to regional collaboration and coordination. jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/jan/… As President & CEO of the Northeast Florida Land Trust, he has strengthened conservation efforts in Clay and Nassau Counties, supported successful voter-led initiatives, and championed statewide funding efforts that resulted in $400 million dedicated to land conservation. A seventh-generation Floridian who has worked across the state throughout his career, Rev. DeFoor moved to Jacksonville 10 years ago and has since made a lasting impact on many local and regional organizations, including our own.

Jacksonville was selected as one of only 32 cities from across the world to participate in the EU Cities Gateway Program, and our Director of Impact Investing @ChrisECrothers has the honor of representing our city alongside @cityofjax and DIA. The program kicked off this week in Toronto and will bring cities together to address shared urban challenges and co-develop innovative solutions through study visits, workshops, and webinars over the next three years. Jacksonville is part of a cluster of cities across the U.S., Canada, Spain, Italy, and Finland focused on affordable housing, and we look forward to learning from cities at different points in their journey and bringing back ideas to strengthen the solutions already taking shape in our city.

A momentous day for Jacksonville! This morning at the opening of Riverfront Plaza, we got to witness the kind of transformation many of us began envisioning back in 2021 when we convened the riverfront activation planning effort. It’s incredible to see that shared vision brought to life through the efforts of @cityofjax, @jaxparks, DIA, our own @DowntownSondra and so many partners, and we’re grateful to have contributed to the early foundation of a riverfront for all.

This #GivingTuesday, we’re entering our sixth year in a row of matching dollars to our participating nonprofit grantees. Check the list here and double your impact today: dupontfund.org/givingtuesday

This week, our VP of Programs Elle Hempen joined philanthropic leaders from across the country at #CEP2025. She engaged in conversations central to our mission, such as exploring collaborative funds, strengthening non-profit capacity and impact investing, while also learning about using AI to streamline grantmaking.

What a wonderful day to come together and provide a roof over the head of more neighbors in need. Congratulations and thank you to @sulzbacherjax and the @duPontFund on the opening of the Tiny Home Village today. This group of 10 homes will house referrals from @THEJFRD's PATH Team. It’s my hope that we can expand this first-of-its-kind partnership as shelter options continue to grow. Today is about what is possible when we work together to reduce homelessness in Jacksonville, and this new Tiny Home Village is a testament to that ideal.

Another milestone in our work to help create more housing opportunities! Today we joined @CityofJax, @sulzbacherjax and @THEJFRD to open a tiny home village that will provide more safe and stable shelter options for our neighbors who would otherwise be without housing. Pilot projects like this are what happens when the philanthropic, private and public sectors come together to design solutions.

Join us in welcoming Carmen Warner as our new Senior Financial Analyst! With nearly two decades of experience in financial operations and investment accounting, she’ll play a key role in aligning our resources with our mission and goals.

We’re thrilled to welcome Elle Hempen as our new Vice President of Programs! Elle brings deep experience in government innovation, urban resilience and social impact, and will lead implementation of our strategic priorities.

It was an honor to stand alongside our friends at @JAXCLT for the groundbreaking of their first house build. It marks a major milestone for an organization we’re proud to have supported as founding partners and funders in their mission to create housing that is permanently affordable.

In today’s ever-evolving landscape, bridge loans can give foundations the short-term flexibility to sustain their impact by bridging funding gaps and seizing timely opportunities. Our own @ChrisECrothers is joining our friends at @MissionInvest tomorrow to discuss how bridge loans can help foundations stay nimble. missioninvestors.org/events/bridge-…

Together with resident leaders, partners and funders, we had the opportunity to share insights from our efforts OutEast and learn from inspiring neighborhood revitalization efforts across the country at this year’s @PurposeBuiltCS conference. We’re proud to be part of a network that believes Prosperity Starts with Place and even more excited that next year, Jacksonville will host this powerful gathering of changemakers!

We’re looking for a Senior Financial Analyst to join our team! If you’re passionate about using finance to drive impact and want to be part of a mission-driven organization working to create communities of belonging, we’d love to hear from you. Deadline to apply is March 26:

Over the past five years, we’ve helped 126 grantees grow their donor bases and raise $50 million through digital fundraising training with our partners at @lightful. This proves that investing in a nonprofit’s capacity and mentorship can drive results far beyond dollars raised.

It only takes one person to start something, but it takes a village to make waves. For #BlackHistoryMonth, we're spotlighting icons from our murals and looking beyond their best-known accomplishments to learn more about what they did for their community. Rutledge Pearson might sound familiar to you because of his achievements as a baseball player—or, if you're too young to remember that, maybe because a local elementary school bears his name. But did you know schools in Duval County progressed as far as they did because of Pearson's work? He was an educator who fought for equal educational opportunities for Black students at the height of segregation. Despite facing resistance, he was resilient and firmly believed in the right to education. He made history as one of the FIRST Black teachers in Duval County, passionately advocating for the integration of Duval schools. Beyond his role as an educator and his work in education, Pearson was also a very active civil rights leader who spent hours marching for justice and equality. He did all this while being a father to four kids and being a husband. His family continues to preserve his legacy.

Eartha White dedicated her life to helping the underserved and building Jacksonville's social welfare with facilities for the homeless, elderly and sick, as well as the first public school for Black children in Bayard. #BlackHistoryMonth

She went on to become one of the most prominent figures in the Harlem Renaissance, but she spent many of her formative years right here OutEast:  Zora Neale Hurston used her powerful words in short stories, poems, plays and novels to portray the South's racial struggles, most notably in her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Jacksonville is a city rich in history, and the LaVilla neighborhood stands as a cornerstone of Black culture. Once referred to as the "Harlem of the South," LaVilla was a vibrant community for Black Americans in the early 20th century. It was home to multiple thriving businesses, jazz clubs, restaurants, and theaters. LaVilla was also a place where countless influential figures started, including the Johnson brothers, whose legacy inspired the park's namesake. Despite facing segregation and adversity, LaVilla’s residents built a home that became a cultural and artistic hub. Today, it is our job as a collective to put life back into these once-vibrant communities. It takes a village. #BlackHistoryMonth

In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, we celebrate the legacy of LaVilla, home to many humanitarians, artists, and creatives who shaped Jacksonville's history and American culture. Iconic figures like the Johnson brothers and literary giant Zora Neale Hurston, who captured Black life in the South, called LaVilla home. Other notable pioneers from the neighborhood include Eartha White, Dr. A. B. Coleman, and Eugene Butler. Musicians from LaVilla, including members of the Original Swing Band, played a pivotal role in defining the jazz scene. Today, LaVilla’s legacy as a hub of creativity and activism continues to inspire change.