President's Message
Welcome to the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale! Thank you for visiting our website and for the opportunity to share more about our organization.
What is the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale? The Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale (JLGFL) founded on June 28, 1937, is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. JLGFL is part of The Association of Junior Leagues International Civic Leadership Development for Women (ajli.org). One of the oldest, largest, and most effective women’s volunteer organizations in the world, with more than 125,000 women in 300+ Leagues across six countries supporting our mission.
It is an honor to serve as the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale President. I joined the League fifteen years ago to volunteer in the community after moving from North Carolina. A member invited me to a social event and after engaging with such a diverse group of women, I applied to the new member class right away. Our organization promotes voluntarism through supporting our legacy projects, Done in a Day (DIAD) volunteer opportunities, and committee projects. Whether our members are participating in a Habitat for Humanity build, serving meals at Broward Partnership for the Homeless, or planning one of our annual fundraisers, we donate our time and learn new skills to invest in the community. Through free training events and leadership opportunities, our members have a chance to develop skills in public speaking, project management and financial planning outside of their home or work environments.
We are one of the few Junior Leagues that has established more than a dozen community organizations. Some of our legacy projects include the FLITE Center, SOS Children’s Villages, and Museum of Discovery and Science. Check out our commemorative sculpture in downtown Fort Lauderdale south of the King Cromartie House one of the earliest homes built in the area.
Our membership also supports continuing community impact projects such as Human Trafficking Awareness and Childhood Fitness & Nutrition. Over the past year, we responded to the issue of food insecurity in our community by partnering with Feeding South Florida, The Pantry of Broward, and other groups by supporting emergency food assistance programs. As a membership organization, we come together for our members and we remained committed to responding to the needs of our community. This has been the case since 1937 and our mission has not wavered.
Come join our League Family!
A very special thank you to our members, sponsors, partners, friends, and families for your generous support and sharing in our years of service as you are all part of our legacy.
Much love,
Elizabeth Swann, PhD, ATC, FNAP
President 2022-2023