Beverlee Raymond
Beverlee Raymond Helps Nonprofits To Help Others
For every well-known charity, there are dozens of others that are operating with little recognition and even smaller budgets. That’s where Palm Beach philanthropist Beverlee Raymond comes in.
In 2013, she and her husband, John, launched Extraordinary Charities, an organization whose mission is to create a Directory for Charitable Giving to raise awareness of small but deserving nonprofits operating in Palm Beach County.
Raymond was drawn to philanthropy after the death of her mother, who had been sick for years and whom she was with almost every day.
“After she passed, I didn’t know what to do,” says Raymond. “My husband met a woman in Washington, D.C., who published a catalog for philanthropy. I thought it was a cool concept, and we told her we liked her model. She said go for it.”
Each nonprofit listed must be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that files an IRS Form 990 in Palm Beach County, in operation for at least three years and have a budget of $3 million or less. They are vetted through site visits and interviews with leadership. The hope is that, the more attention they receive, the more donations will come in.
Bringing attention to those charities was just the beginning. Last year, Raymond purchased a 16,000-square-foot building and offered space to charities in the directory for a nominal fee. Seven of them took her up on it. Six have offices; the seventh, Feed The Hungry Pantry of Palm Beach County, uses the industrial coolers onsite to store food. There’s also a 5,000-square-foot kitchen where Meals on Wheels and St Ann Place cook for those they serve.
Family Promise of North/Central Palm Beach County, Digital Vibez, aZul for Better Living, Trindy Gourmet and Morning Day Community Solutions are among those with office space. There’s also a multimedia room equipped with smart boards as well as a laundry room, a shower, a break room and storage rooms.
Because many of these nonprofits work on a shoestring budget, Extraordinary Charities also funds some of their programs and assists them with fundraising efforts.
“Our goal is to create exposure for these charities to grow and flourish so they can continue to help those they serve,” says Raymond.
Extraordinary Charities is located at 2635 Old Okeechobee Road, West Palm Beach. For more information, call 561-366-7032 or visit extraordinarycharities.org.
Wonder Women Special Advertising Section