Nonprofits to showcase work at 1st philanthropy fair
Puerto Rico Community Foundation President Nelson I. Colón-Tarrats
By Nicole Ortiz-Marrero
Special to News is my Business
The Puerto Rico Community Foundation (FCPR, for its initials in Spanish) will be holding the first “Philanthropy Fair” this week, during which various nonprofit organizations will have the opportunity to showcase their work and impact on the community.
The fair will encompass different activities for kids and adults, including artistic performances, a health clinic offered by the Gregoria Auffant Hospice, boxing and taekwondo classes, and several speakers including Education Secretary Rafael Román-Meléndez and Nelson Colón-Tarrats, CEO of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation and chairman of the Board of Directors of Hispanics in Philanthropy.
“The Philanthropic Fair will become an event where organizations will showcase their work in the community, and present the programs and services they offer. It will be an event for the whole family,” said Mary Ann Gabino, senior vice president of the FCPR.
Gabino noted the importance of understanding the key roles of social work and philanthropy, and the opportunity the fair represents to those corporations seeking social investment opportunities and are looking to strengthen their social responsibility programs.
“It’s a way for organizations to present themselves to the community in general and also to the business community, which is always seeking innovative social responsibility projects,” said Gabino to News is my Business.
As part of the fair, the FCPR will be giving the organizations its “philanthropy ribbon,” which was launched in 2002, which is the representative symbol of philanthropy and through which nonprofits raise funds for their initiatives.
“The ribbon has come to represent a fundraising mechanism for some and for others a symbol of hope that we can work together for a better place to live,” said Colón–Tarrats.
In turn, Gabino explained that the ribbons cost $1 of which .50 cents are donated to the organizations that sell them.
“In the past year, at a certain point, there were 24,000 or 23,000 ribbons on the street, with 50 percent of the earnings going to the nonprofits involved,” said Gabino, noting an interest shown by the organizations to sell the ribbons to generate their own funds.
On the list of participating nonprofits for this week’s event are: New Hope Home, Fondita of Jesús, Community Outreach–Sacred Heart University, Social Action, Cost Control, AYANI, Dr. García Rinaldi Foundation, FERNI Foundation, Gregoria Aufant Hospice, and Teen Challenge, among others.
Gabino emphasized it’s an open opportunity for all organizations that want to participate.
The fair will be held at the Luis Muñoz Marin Park in San Juan this Friday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
