Local Pair Nominated for Distinguished Volunteer Award

provided to The Santiva Chronicle

The Charitable Foundation of the Islands is proud to announce the nomination of Jane Majeski and Pam Browning as co-recipients of the Distinguished Volunteer Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Lee–Collier Chapter.

This recognition honors the leadership and commitment of Jane and Pam to community giving through the launch of 100+ Women Who Care Sanibel & Captiva. Spearheaded by the pair in 2025, the initiative has already raised over $36,000 in critical funding for nonprofits serving Sanibel and Captiva.

The idea for the program was born during a casual round of golf, when Pam Browning — who also helps lead a successful 100+ Women Who Care chapter in Dayton, Ohio — shared the concept with Jane Majeski, a CFI Board Member and CFI Leadership Alumni, Class of 2022. Inspired by its simple yet powerful model of collective giving, Jane and Pam teamed up to bring the initiative to the islands.

Together, they built the Sanibel & Captiva chapter from the ground up — organizing events, recruiting members, and ensuring that local nonprofits received meaningful and timely support. Their shared passion for philanthropy and deep ties to the community have made the program an immediate success.

Savannah Kelly, Director of Community Engagement at CFI, praised their efforts. “The energy and generosity Jane and Pam brought to this program were incredible,” she said.

“Thanks to their dedication and leadership, over 150 women signed up to be part of the inaugural season—an amazing show of support for island nonprofits and proof of how much this community cares. They didn’t just launch a giving group—they launched a movement.”

Reflecting on the program’s impact, Pam Browning shared, “Launching this program on Sanibel and Captiva has been one of the most rewarding experiences. The generosity of this community is inspiring, and I’m so grateful to see so many women come together to make a difference where it matters most. It’s been incredible to watch women from all walks of life unite around a common goal—to give back to the place we all love. The ripple effect of their impact is already being felt by the nonprofits we support.”

Jane Majeski added, “It has been a joy to work alongside Pam and help create a space where women can connect through giving. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and even more excited for what’s ahead. This is only the beginning. Seeing neighbors, friends, and newcomers raise their hands and say ‘I want to help’ has been deeply moving—and it reminds me how powerful community-led philanthropy can be.”

With plans to continue leading 100+ Women Who Care next season, Jane and Pam remain committed to fostering generosity, strengthening community connections, and supporting the causes that matter most to Sanibel and Captiva.

They will be formally recognized—alongside other honorees from across the region—at the 2025 National Philanthropy Day Celebration on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Baker Senior Center in Naples. Each honoree will receive two complimentary tickets to attend the celebration.

For more information about 100+ Women Who Care Sanibel & Captiva, visit SanCap100.org.

For details about sponsorship opportunities or attending the National Philanthropy Day event, click here.

About Charitable Foundation of the Islands: (MyCFI.org)
The mission of the Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI) is to inspire philanthropy, leadership, and collaboration for the vitality of the Island community. CFI has served the Sanibel and Captiva communities since the 1990s through the Francis Bailey Society and was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2011.

100 Who Care Alliance About Us – 100 Who are Alliance
The 100 Who Care Alliance was started as a volunteer effort by four 100 Who Care chapter heads that wanted to create a format for sharing ideas and learning from the best practices of other 100 Who Care chapters. As chapter heads, we all have to address similar issues and challenges within our giving circles. We recognized that since we are in such diverse geographical locations, most of us can’t meet other chapter heads face to face and often, we don’t even know about each other. Towards that end, the Alliance was created to connect us, the 100 Who Care Chapter Leaders.