Apply for Selby Foundation SAM Grants Starting February 1
SARASOTA, Florida - The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation SAM Grants Cycle opens on Wednesday, February 1, and will close at 3:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. The Grant Portal will be open during that period for area not-for-profit organizations to create an account and access existing accounts as they begin the application process. Grant recipients will be notified by Wednesday, May 31.
Awarded tri-annually, the Small and Mighty (SAM) grants were created to meet the emerging needs of area nonprofits with operating expenses under $300,000. The Foundation’s grants support the construction, acquisition and/or renovation of facilities, as well as the purchase of equipment or software. These grants may also include the costs of related technical services. Projects focusing on education, human services, arts and community projects including history, science, and/or the environment will be given top priority.
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GiveWell Community Foundation welcomes Dorena Geary as Controller
Lakeland, FL (January 17, 2023) – GiveWell Community Foundation is proud to announce Dorena Geary, CPA, as the organization’s new Controller. Dorena brings with her 40 years of experience in accounting. Geary recently moved to our community from Austin, Texas, where she previously served as Vice President of Operations at the Texas Methodist Foundation. She is a graduate of Sam Houston State University and the Southwest CUNA Management School.
“We are delighted to have Dorena joining the GiveWell Community Foundation team,” said GWCF President/CEO, John Attaway. “Her knowledge and experience in accounting for foundations will be a great addition to the organization.”
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Plans for nearly $5 Million of Hurricane Ian Recovery Charitable Donations Underway
The Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund has identified common funding gaps, best practices to support strategic grantmaking post-crisis.
SARASOTA, FL – In the two months since Hurricane Ian’s historic U.S. landfall, donors from our community and across the country contributed nearly $5 million to be applied to long-term recovery efforts through the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
The Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund supports long-term, long-range programs to sustain human service agencies serving people in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties as they recover from Hurricane Ian’s impact. Long-term recovery includes support for the economic, social, spiritual and emotional well-being of a community following a large-scale disaster — needs that often emerge after emergency disaster-response efforts have concluded.
“Through the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund, our region has the support to improve not only the lives of those who have been devastated by Hurricane Ian, but also our important community networks for the long run,” said Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “The outstanding support from contributors will be met with thoughtful recommendations to distribute those generous gifts so that our region has better knowledge, tools and resources to meet today’s challenges, and improve our responses to future disasters.”
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Susie Bowie to become CEO of Selby Foundation effective March 1, 2023
SARASOTA, Florida (November 21, 2022) - The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation’s Board of Directors is proud to announce that Susie Bowie, currently Executive Director of the Manatee Community Foundation, will become its next CEO effective March 1, 2023. As previously announced, Carol Butera, the Foundation’s current CEO, will retire in April 2023.
Board Chair and lead in the search effort, Barbara Zdravecky, noted “Susie’s demonstrated leadership in the local Foundation arena compliments the values of our founders, Bill and Marie Selby. The attributes of humility, collaboration, stewardship, innovation and social responsibility match well with her style and accomplishments.”
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The LGBTQ Community Fund Awards a Total of $87,000 to Five Local Agencies
Grants will support teens, disabled adults, nonprofit leaders, and transgender youth
JACKSONVILLE, Florida (November 17, 2022) – The LGBTQ Community Fund for Northeast Florida approved $87,000 in grants to five local nonprofits in its ongoing efforts to build an inclusive community where all people can thrive. Grantees will be funded from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
“We are proud to invest in organizations serving LGBTQ communities as they need support now more than ever,” said Glenn Miller, chair for the Advisory Board for the Fund, which is housed at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. “We are grateful to the Fund’s donors for their generosity, which is making a growing impact in Northeast Florida.”
The grants represent funding for both new and existing programs for LGBTQ people of all ages.
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Season of Sharing Enters 23rd Year Beginning Nov. 13
The longstanding safety net fund expected to be vital helping individuals and families with immediate needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County will kick off the 23rd annual Season of Sharing fundraising campaign on Nov. 13, with donations amplified through partnerships with The Patterson Foundation and Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The Season of Sharing fund is a longstanding, vital safety net for residents of Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties experiencing acute need. The fund offers residents one-time financial assistance for basic living expenses such as rent or mortgage, utilities, transportation, or childcare. Since its inception in 2000, Season of Sharing has raised and distributed more than $34 million benefiting more than 41,000 households.
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GiveWell Community Foundation and United Way of Central Florida Respond to Polk, Hardee, Highlands Communities Affected by Hurricane Ian
LAKELAND, FL (November 7, 2022) – GiveWell Community Foundation (GWCF) and United Way of Central Florida (UWCF) announce $205,600 in grants to provide Hurricane Ian relief throughout Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties. After surveying the most pressing needs in the hurricane’s aftermath, twenty local nonprofit organizations were selected to receive funding that will support recovery and rebuilding efforts throughout the community.
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Selby Foundation Awards 3rd Quarter “Small and Mighty” Grants to Three Area Nonprofits
SARASOTA, Florida - The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation has awarded its 3rd Quarter 2022 “Small and Mighty” (SAM) grants totalling nearly $29,000 to three area nonprofits. These awards will be used for capital purchases and technology upgrades that allow the benefitting organizations to more effectively deliver their mission to the community. 
About the Award Recipients
La Musica Di Asolo, Inc. - Formed as a 501(c)3 in 1987, La Musica offers performances by outstanding European and American musicians and free admission to students and educators to their concerts. The organization’s primary focus is to reach out to young students, stimulating a love for music which will bring them as older students and adults to rehearsals and performances. Through these programs, La Musica strives to foster a growing audience for the arts.
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Apply for Selby Foundation Q4 SAM Grants starting September 30
SARASOTA, Florida - The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Q4 SAM Grants Cycle opens on Friday, September 30, and will close at 3:59 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1. The Grant Portal will be open during that period for area not-for-profit organizations to create an account and access existing accounts as they begin the application process. Grant recipients will be notified by December 31.
Awarded quarterly, the Small and Mighty (SAM) grants were created to meet the emerging needs of area nonprofits with operating expenses under $300,000. The Foundation’s grants support the construction, acquisition and/or renovation of facilities, as well as the purchase of equipment or software. These grants may also include the costs of related technical services. Projects focusing on education, human services, arts and community projects including history, science, and/or the environment will be given top priority.
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SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS PARTNER FOR RETURN OF “ON THE TABLE SWFL” INITIATIVE
October 12 mealtime conversations unite residents, inspire solutions to strengthen the region.
Fort Myers, FL (September 6, 2022) – Charlotte Community Foundation, the Collaboratory, and Collier Community Foundation today jointly announced the return of a major regional civic engagement initiative, On the Table SWFL. On Wednesday, October 12, thousands of neighbors, colleagues, friends, and new acquaintances will gather to share their stories and generate ideas to create a more sustainable and vibrant Southwest Florida.
Anyone across the region can host an On the Table SWFL session, and everyone is welcome to join the conversation and have their voices heard. The topics, issues and ideas discussed during each conversation will be completely organic and driven by participants’ interests and
perspectives, as well as the opportunities and challenges in their community that are most important to them. Mealtime conversations can take place in homes, backyards, at local restaurants, schools, community centers, places of worship, libraries, offices, retail
establishments – literally anywhere a host chooses. They can be sit-down, catered, picnic or potluck – completely up to each host.
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UWCF Announces 2022 Campaign Goal
United Way of Central Florida announced on Thursday its highest fundraising goal for the organization to date in front of a crowd of donors, volunteers and community members at LEGOLAND Florida Resort.
Campaign Chair Melony Bell, along with Resource Development chair Nick Plott, announced that the total fundraising goal for 2022-2023 is $10,657,000.
“If we all just give 10% more of ourselves; time, talent or treasure; this will demonstrate the power that we can have in our community,” Bell said. “Together, we can make a difference for our neighbors.”
To help achieve this goal, companies and organizations choose to run their campaign early to help kickoff the year. These companies are called “Pacesetters” and this year, raised more than $400,000.
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Kacie Smyth Named Director, Donor Services at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
She was the Foundation’s first-ever Women’s Giving Alliance Director
JACKSONVILLE, Florida (August 24, 2022) -- The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida has promoted Kacie Smyth to Director, Donor Services. Kacie joined The Community Foundation in June 2021 as the Foundation’s first-ever director of the Women’s Giving Alliance (WGA), an initiative of The Community Foundation. In her WGA role, Kacie partnered with the member-elected volunteer leadership and managed all operational aspects of the 400+ member organization, including membership, communications, and grantmaking. In her new role, Kacie will manage donor services, including donor relationships and customer service initiatives. She will work with the VP, Donor Services to implement the strategic direction for donor education, stewardship, asset development and philanthropic leadership initiatives.
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Bishop and Parker Family Legacies Continue As One Foundation, Two New Trustees Appointed
BRADENTON, Florida, August 1, 2022 -- The Edward E. and Lillian H. Bishop Foundation and the Mary E. Parker Foundation have recently completed the process of consolidation and will be conducting business as the Bishop Parker Foundation. This consolidation combines the assets of the two Foundations, providing administrative and operational efficiencies. At their July meeting, two new Trustees were appointed to join Robert Blalock, Burdette Parent and Mary Jarrell. 
Barbara M. Jennings is a community volunteer with extensive, valuable experience working with local Manatee County non-profit organizations. Barbara is a retired businesswoman and university administrator who came to Bradenton from Ohio. She has earned university degrees in three separate fields – education, urban studies, and law. Her multi-disciplinary background is especially valued as the Foundation continues to strategically focus on best meeting its mission and goals to build a better community.
Mary L. Ruiz is CEO of Ruiz Strategic Advisors, a management consultancy specializing in strategic planning for growth companies and nonprofit agencies. She is a senior healthcare executive and a respected leader in impacting public behavioral health policy. She worked as Chief Strategy Officer of Centerstone of America, a multi-state behavioral health system based in Nashville, TN. From 1996-2016, she served as CEO of Centerstone of Florida, a hospital and outpatient behavioral health system headquartered in Bradenton. Mary chairs the Board of Trustees of New College of Florida, the public liberal arts honors college the state university system. She is past president of the Internationals Women’s Forum of Southwest Florida, a global invitation-only group of preeminent women leaders.
The Edward E. and Lillian H. Bishop Foundation, incorporated in 1964, has made outstanding philanthropic contributions to Manatee and Sarasota organizations, greatly impacting their ability to implement mission goals. After the Bishop’s passing, Mary E. Parker carried on their legacy of philanthropy in addition to setting up and administering her own Foundation. The lives of thousands of people and animals have been positively impacted by the millions of dollars contributed through the years, with the majority of gifts being made anonymously. The areas of interest supported by the Foundation continue to be health, education, human services, environment, the arts, and animal welfare.
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Selby Foundation Announces Retirement of President/CEO Carol Butera and Search Committee Process
SARASOTA, Florida - The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation’s Board of Directors has announced the retirement of its President and CEO, Carol Butera, effective in Spring 2023.
Butera joined the Foundation in July 2017 as its Executive Director and was later promoted to President and CEO. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as Vice President of Development at Children First for a decade and at the Sarasota YMCA for a decade prior to that. Her career service in the nonprofit sector goes deep - she came to Sarasota in 1996 after working in Haiti for the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. Her goal has always been to bring lifelong change to children and families in the community. And, her leadership of the Foundation over the past five years has had a tremendous impact.
“Carol’s experience in the nonprofit sector and her kind - but firm - hand as she guided nonprofit organizations to eligibility for grants has made her uniquely qualified to be a mentor and coach - not just a grantor,” shared Barbara Zdravecky, Board Chair of the Selby Foundation. “Carol demonstrates personal commitment to skillfully manage multiple projects, while at every opportunity, conveying sincere appreciation with grace and style.”
Butera’s accomplishments include moving the Selby Foundation from a Trust to a Private Foundation in 2019 enabling the Foundation to better manage its corpus of $70 million dollars and to direct its programs in perpetuity. During her tenure, Butera expanded the traditional two-year grant cycle adding Small and Mighty Grants (SAM) quarterly which enable nonprofits with annual operating expenses of less than $300,000 to apply for grants outside of the traditional grant cycle. With the Board’s leadership, Butera recently commissioned two scholarship studies in the region which will lead to strengthening the Foundation’s current scholarship program, helping it to focus on critical gaps in the four-county region.
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UWCF Awarding $32,513 in Grant Funds for Family Financial Stability Programming
United Way of Central Florida is officially requesting proposals from qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for a Family Financial Stability Grant.
$32,513 in grant funds are available for the development or expansion of Family Financial Stability Programming in Polk or Hardee Counties of Florida. Preferred consideration will be given to programs providing service in northeast Polk County.
Programming proposals must include general public access to financial education classes and free tax preparation services. Additional programming may include money coaches, mentors, access to online financial education and other services known to improve the financial stability of low-income individuals and families. Only new programs or nonprofit organizations that do not currently receive funding from the United Way of Central Florida are eligible.
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UWCF Providing $4,889,173 to Services for Central Florida Residents
The money raised is allocated to services within Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties that focus on the areas of Early Childhood Education, Academic Achievement, Community Partnership School, Financial Stability, Health, Ending Hunger and Basic Needs.
Community Investment Team volunteers confirm that the current services UWCF purchases are the best use of our donors’ investments. They do this by reviewing program applications, discussing program outcomes, and participating in site visits. Teams then make informed funding recommendations that help kids succeed in school, provide financial stability resources for individuals and families, and give everyone in our community access to services that meet their health needs.
Each team is comprised of individuals with a combination of the following skills: strategic thinking, outcome measurement, community leadership and financial expertise. Teams also meet with experts in the field, participate in a group discussion and develop an informed, consensus-based recommendation.
The Community Investment process ensures wise investment of hard-earned dollars contributed to our campaign and is unique to United Way. A full list of our 2022-2023 purchased services can be found here.
The total allocation for these 80 funded services is $4,889,173.
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Selby Foundation Announces $887,000 in Scholarship Awards for the 2022-23 Academic Year
The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation has awarded over $656,000 in need-based scholarships to 154 new and returning scholars from Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota county high schools.
Additionally, the Foundation has made institutional awards totalling $231,000 which will benefit students attending University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Charlotte Technical College, Suncoast Technical College, Manatee Technical College and State College of Florida. Awards are made by those institutions to students based on financial need.
The Selby Scholar program is a four-year, renewable, need-based scholarship program, which selects 40 high school graduates from the surrounding four-county area each year, based on students’ academic preparedness, as well as their demonstration of maturity, grit, and resilience in the face of adversity.
The 2022-23 Selby Scholar cohort includes high-achieving graduates from 17 high schools and two associate-degree colleges in the Foundation’s four-county service area. The students will be attending Florida colleges and universities as well as Wake Forest University, Kalamazoo College, Barnard College of Columbia University, Macalester College, Columbia College Chicago and College of the Holy Cross.
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