Goodbye and hello: Carol McLaughlin retires after eight years

Since 2000, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation has seen more than 6,000 scholarship applications and 1,000 grant applications processed and reviewed, an emergency relief grant program for natural disasters established, collaborations and mergers between local nonprofit agencies nurtured, and countless agencies and students have been counseled and supported. We also succeeded in being selected by the Foundation Center as a location for their Cooperating Collection (a searchable database of more than 90,000 grant makers nationwide) and more than $27.5 million in grants and scholarships have been awarded.

Although it sounds like it, these accomplishments were not the hard work of an entire department of dedicated employees. These things happened because of the passion and commitment of one person: Carol McLaughlin.

McLaughlin, the chief program officer of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, will retire June 30 after eight years.

In her honor, the trustees of the Community Foundation have established an endowed scholarship fund in Carol's name.

Douglas While we may be saying goodbye to Carol as our Chief Program Officer, we know that she will still be a part of our community and our hearts. She is even returning for six months beginning in August as a part time consultant to create a smooth transition to the new director of programs.

The imprint Carol has left will reverberate through our community for many years to come. Thank you, Carol, for all that you've given to Southwest Florida.

Welcome, Anne Douglas

Anne Douglas has been named director of programs, to succeed McLaughlin.

Anne recently moved from Virginia where she was the program officer for The Cameron Foundation, a health legacy foundation. Like community foundations,

The Cameron Foundation

provides grants in many areas of funding such as healthcare, human services, education, conservation and historic preservation.

During her tenure with the Cameron Foundation, she has developed a capacity selfassessment tool for nonprofits, established the Foundation's grant making strategies, and partnered with a community foundation and other funders to create the Southside Virginia Nonprofit Resource Center, a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center (like the one we have). She has previous work experience in coordination, development, public relations, and grant writing with a variety of nonprofits.

McLaughlin Anne has a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University and a Masters of Social Services from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.

She grew up in Texas, has a son and daughter (both grade school age), likes to read and garden, and is very excited about relocating to Southwest Florida.

Since starting June 2, Anne has already begun working with applicants in preparation for the Community Foundation's grant cycles which deadline this month, researching ideas for our scholarship program and attending community events.

Please help us give her a warm welcome to her new community home.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has been supporting the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry through endowed funds for nearly 32 years. With assets of more than $57 million and over 320 endowed funds, the Community Foundation has provided more than $30 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves.

For more information, please call 274-5900, or visit their web site at www.floridacommunity.com.