J.A. Morton-Jones

“I am a community member first in whatever community I work in. My love and respect for the human spirit and the struggle toward self-actualization is what moves and shapes me.”

J.A. Morton-Jones, CAP, brings deep, community-rooted insight and creative vision to her role as philanthropy advisor for Pinellas Community Foundation’s Social Opportunity Works Fund. Since 2018, she has helped guide the Fund’s mission to direct more than $1 million to under-resourced communities across Tampa Bay, supporting organizations that often operate with grassroots budgets and extraordinary commitment to their neighbors.

With a passion for uplifting nonprofit caregivers and amplifying community voices, J.A. works collaboratively to help create sustained, meaningful impact. She is especially inspired by PCF’s commitment to curiosity, growth, and moving beyond status quo philanthropy.

In addition to her work with PCF, J.A. is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and author, writing as J.A. Jones and Jake-ann Jones. She is a founding board member of the Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project and co-organizer of the Tampa Bay Afrofuturism Festival. She served as Creative Pinellas’ 2022 Artist Laureate, and her recent projects include the screenplay CUDJHIAL for SunHaus Productions. A regular contributor to The Weekly Challenger, J.A. uses storytelling, strategic communication, and advocacy as tools for community building.

She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Brown University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The City College of New York, and recently earned her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation.