Workforce Florida (WFI) is pleased to announce the establishment of a new web-accessible Information Clearinghouse/Gateway designed to improve communications and collaboration among the workforce services community, Community-Based Organizations and Faith-Based Organizations (CBOs & FBOs). This site and function are partially intended to satisfy the commitment made in a recently awarded US Department of Labor CBO-FBO coordination grant awarded to Florida (SGA SGA/DFA 02-107). However no grant funds have been used to design or implement this website and state-level coordination function, expressly in order to insure sustainability when grant funds expire and to allow greater scope/flexibility in the use of the website beyond workforce-related issues and activities.

The elements and contents of this site were designed by WFI staff in consultation with several of the state-level "umbrella" CBO-FBO organizations listed as the core contacts points, notably the Florida Catholic Conference (Pat Chivers) and the Florida Coalition for the Homeless (Greg Mellow). While fully understanding that all effective collaboration in actual delivery of social services necessarily occurs only at the local level, and not in Tallahassee or state headquarters, the primary operational purpose and function of this site is to serve as an information and communications conduit to and among the state-level "umbrella" organizations with the expectation that they will use their existing communications channels to pass relevant information and encouragement on to their local chapters/members/partners affiliates. Accordingly the website mainly consists of links that allow for self-service in making contacts, cross-referrals, troubleshooting, gathering information/research, getting grant announcements/forms/tips, "cutting and pasting," and learning about best practices and activities elsewhere, particularly in Florida. In order to keep this site and clearinghouse low-maintenance, low-cost and highly sustainable, there is no intention to have meetings, formal mailing lists, membership lists, specialize newsletters, any full-time dedicated staff or predisposition to mission/content creep. We will make every effort to keep the contents current, accurate and uncluttered, and will send email alerts/notifications to the listed state-level "umbrella" organizations to announce new grant-opportunities, or similar developments of special interest to CBOs-FBOs, relying on the "umbrella" organizations to then pass along that information as appropriate in your judgment. Those alerts will also be posted chronologically on the website in the "Newsletters/Notices/Alerts" section, so that your local affiliates and the rest of the cyber world can monitor and access them directly.