We’d like to let you know what we have been doing since our successful December 2019 FCA Statewide Summit, and where we hope to be going with your help and engagement in the coming years. Created in 2015 to address Florida’s civic deficits and highlight civic innovations in Florida’s communities, the Florida Civic Advance (FCA) has been a convener, connector, and source of civic information.
2021 is a decisive time for the Florida Civic Advance (FCA) as it transitions from a project incubated at Florida State University to becoming an independent nonprofit statewide membership organization. In 2020-2021 this transition has included:
- Establishing a successor nonprofit corporation based in Florida (Florida Civic Advance, Inc.) and seeking a nonprofit 501c3 status through the US Internal Revenue Service;
- Creating an initial diverse board of civic leaders from the nonprofit, private and public sectors to guide the new organization;
- Continuing with the FCA mission as nonpartisan convener, connector, and source of civic education and excellence. The FCA will advance civic life and volunteer service in Florida by supporting civic progress in communities so they can work together and prosper;
- Updating the FCA website and social media presence;
- Launching a curated online FCA series, FCA First Friday’s Programs, showcasing projects, organizations and individuals that are strengthening and supporting civic progress in Florida’s diverse communities. The FCA First Friday’s program will launch on February 4, 2022, at 12:00 noon and highlight innovative strategies nonprofit volunteer organizations have advanced their work during the pandemic. We will continue the FCA First Friday’s programming in 2022;
- Conducting a FCA membership drive and seeking foundation and other support to support the new organization; and
- Pursuing our near-term FCA strategic priorities to: Develop an on-line capacity and presence to obtain and share information about civic engagement activities and trends in Florida; Expand the diversity of the FCA membership network to include greater involvement of leaders and organizations from business and faith based communities, and that are representative of Florida’s diverse communities; and Become more sustainable by increasing membership and support for its status as a newly formed nonprofit membership organization.
The FCA Board’s vision for Florida, is for every community to be inclusive, caring, equitably engaged, and working collaboratively to promote civic opportunity and actions that advance prosperity for all. Realizing the FCA vision will increase the civic spaces and the level of civic activities in Florida’s communities in areas such as volunteering, helping neighbors, philanthropy, voting, and citizens engaging with government that will exceed the national average and position Florida as a national leader of innovative civic strategies and practices.
We envision communities building civic capacity and traditions that are guided by the values of mutual respect, diversity, inclusion, and transparency. These values are grounded in the belief that the ultimate purpose of civic engagement is to build stronger communities that are resilient, just, caring, and supportive. In action, these values are driven by principles of collaboration, cross-sector engagement, problem-solving, and consensus-building in efforts to increase and improve civic engagement to meet community challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
FROM: Jim Murley, President, Lila Jaber, Vice President, and Jeff Johnson, Past President
RE: Update on the Florida Civic Advance Transition
DATE: January 2022
