Liza serves as president of the Volunteer USA Foundation – a foundation aimed at strengthening families through volunteerism and community service. Prior to her current position, Ms. McFadden was president/CEO of Volunteer Florida Foundation, a foundation whose mission was to strengthen Florida’s families through volunteerism and community service. Email Liza!
The foundation is now one of the leading funders in the state, last year alone granting over $20 million if funds to local community and faith-based groups to assist Floridians rebuild their homes and their lives in the wake of hurricanes Charley, Jeanne, Francis and Ivan, and another $5 million in literacy, mentoring, and volunteer programs. During Ms. McFadden’s two year tenure at the foundation, several of their programs have been recognized statewide and nationally, including the Teen Trendsetters Reading Mentors, which won the Harris Wofford Award for best youth program in the nation in 2004; and in 2005 Ms. McFadden was awarded the Governor’s Award for the outstanding response of the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund in addressing unmet needs. Key areas of focus for the Foundation include the management of the Governor’s Community and Faith-based Advisory Board, the Florida Mentoring Partnership, the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative, and the Points of Light awards program designed to recognize outstanding volunteer efforts. Ms. McFadden is a great believer in the ability to leverage private, public and individual generosity to creatively assist those in need. Donors to the Foundation last year were from all 50 states in the nation, and included such diverse groups as Goodwill, to provide vouchers for hurricane victims, to the Jimmy Buffet Foundation and the Women’s Tennis Association who created huge events to capture the imagination of Floridians in how to help their neighbors.
In the past year the Foundation has funded over 350 community and faith-based groups. These groups included wellk nown entities like the Mennonites to help rebuild in poor areas, and innovative projects like Fresh Ministries “Women to the Rescue”.