Working Together So Jacksonville Works for Kids

Founded in late 2001 with the financial support of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the Jacksonville Kids Coalition has become a leading voice for the children of Northeast Florida. Dedicated to improving the lives of kids through programming and public advocacy, the Coalition represents over 50 area nonprofits along with other interested individuals committed to the sole purpose of working on behalf of children. 

The Coalition’s primary goals and activities include:

• Helping to make children’s issues a top political priority by educating candidates, voters and the community on the status of children in Northeast Florida.

• During election years, conduct forums to educate candidates on available services and programs, community strategies proven to be the most successful and challenges in our neighborhoods today. Candidates also receive background information and facts and figures regarding the needs of children. This has helped to make the organization a reliable resource for legislators and others requiring information about children.

• Advocating on a city and state level, meeting with the Mayor, City Council and state legislators throughout the year, as necessary. Typically responding to budget cuts and diminishing funds allocated to nonprofits that work with children, the Coalition identifies gaps in services and waiting lists of youth for those services, highlighting how devastating cuts to those programs would be for Jacksonville’s children. 

Annual activities include:

• Lobbying trip to Tallahassee to meet with state legislators
• Meetings with the Mayor and City Council members
• Research
• Membership meetings
• Advocacy Trainings/Forums
• Annual Celebration of Children’s Week