THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA CO INC

I) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DONORS WHO BELIEVE THEY CAN BE THE ONE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, GRANTS WERE MADE TO ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING THE FULL SPECTRUM OF CHARITABLE MISSIONS TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY BY MEETING BASIC NEEDS, EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT. SPECIFIC CAUSES FUNDED INCLUDE ANIMAL WELFARE, THE ARTS, HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND OTHER AREAS. OUR SUPPORT OF LOCAL NONPROFITS GOES DEEPER THAN THE MILLIONS IN GRANTS WE AWARD EACH YEAR. OUR TEAM HELPS BUILD THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE DONORS' CHARITABLE DOLLARS MAKE AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT BY OFFERING WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS, SUPPORTING CONSULTING SERVICES, AND OTHER CAPACITY-BUILDING BENEFITS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR ONGOING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDE SUPPORT TO LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS INNOVATIVE, URGENT AND EMERGENCY NEEDS, SO THAT UNEXPECTED OBSTACLES OR OPPORTUNITIES CAN BE ADDRESSED BY NONPROFITS AS PART OF THE IMPORTANT WORK THEY DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.II) THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY BELIEVES THAT ALL WHO WISH TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION AND INCREASE FUTURE POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS SHOULD HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM. EACH YEAR, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO A VARIETY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PURSUING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS.III) EACH YEAR, SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS ARE MADE TO THE COMMUNITY FROM THE FUNDS OF DONORS WHO ENSURED SUPPORT OF VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND CAUSES IN PERPETUITY. SUBSTANTIAL TIME, FUNDING, AND STRATEGIES ARE COALESCED TO SUPPORT AN ARRAY OF KEY INITIATIVES SPEARHEADED BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. WE HAVE DEDICATED OURSELVES TO HELPING THOSE IN NEED IN OUR COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING IMMEDIATE, TARGETED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (PRIMARILY FOR MORTGAGE, RENT, CHILDCARE AND UTILITIES) TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ON THE VERGE OF HOMELESSNESS THROUGH THE SEASON OF SHARING FUND, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING OUR REGION'S YOUTH THROUGH OUR STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND OPERATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SARASOTA COUNTY SCHOOLS. TO ADDRESS LONG-TERM NEEDS REVEALED THROUGH EMERGENCIES, OUR SUNCOCAST DISASTER RECOVERY FUND SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCY. ADDITIONALLY, OUR EXTENSIVE WORK IN EDUCATION LEVERAGES NATIONAL RESEARCH AND INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE CAMPAIGN FOR GRADE-LEVEL READING, THE REGIONAL COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP OF EDEXPLORESRQ, AND THE STRAUSS LITERACY INITIATIVE LED BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. INSPIRED BY ASCEND AT THE ASPEN INSTITUTE, WE HAVE FOCUSED THESE EFFORTS (AND OTHERS) THROUGH A TWO-GENERATION LENS, WHICH SEEKS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF BOTH VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS TOGETHER IN ORDER TO CREATE A COMMUNITY IN WHICH A LEGACY OF ECONOMIC SECURITY, SOCIAL CAPITAL, AND EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS PASSES FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.THE GIVING PARTNER: IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ENCOURAGE INFORMED GIVING, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FUNDS AND MAINTAINS A LOCAL ONLINE RESOURCE TO REVIEW NONPROFITS SERVING OUR FOUR-COUNTY REGION. NEARLY 800 NONPROFITS HAVE PROFILES THAT ARE EASILY ACCESSED BY POTENTIAL FUNDERS, DONORS AND THE PUBLIC AT THEGIVINGPARTNER.ORG. EACH PROFILE SHARES GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL AND PROGRAMMATIC INFORMATION. THIS PLATFORM IS USED TO ASSESS GRANT FUNDING BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, OUR DONORS AND OTHER REGIONAL FUNDERS. IT IS ALSO A KEY COMPONENT OF THE REGION'S ONLINE GIVING CAMPAIGN, THE GIVING CHALLENGE, WHICH THE FOUNDATION ORGANIZES FOR THE COMMUNITY ON A ROLLING SCHEDULE. SINCE 2012, DONORS FROM THROUGHOUT OUR REGION HAVE SHOWN THEIR LOVE FOR LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS BY PROVIDING MORE THAN $92 MILLION IN UNRESTRICTED FUNDING TO SUPPORT THEIR MISSIONS THROUGH NINE CHALLENGES TO BENEFIT MORE THAN 700 NONPROFITS LISTED IN THE GIVING PARTNER. IN FALL 2020 WE LAUNCHED A NEW EFFORT TO ANALYZE TRENDS IN COMMUNITY NEEDS PROVIDED THROUGH PUBLIC DATABASES, COMBINED WITH OUR DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF AND THE DATA RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH THE GIVING PARTNER. THE SCOPE OF WORK IN THIS AREA EXTENDED IN 2023 TO A COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ROLE TO BRING ATTENTION TO KEY ISSUES REVEALED THROUGH OUR PUBLICLY-AVAILABLE COMMUNITY INDICATORS DASHBOARD THAT EXAMINES TRENDS IN FOUR KEY AREAS: ECONOMY, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND HOUSING.