Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation recently approved grants for 20 local nonprofits that support the community in the areas of arts and culture, early learning, student success, business development, foster care, ecological restoration, and more. Six of the grants will go toward capacity building for nonprofits to strengthen their infrastructure and, in many instances, add full-time staff.
In the area of education, Barancik Foundation approved:
Opportunities for All 2023
- Our investment: A $350,000 grant to The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the organization’s Opportunities For All program.
- Diversifying the Business Community: Employees and employers win when there is a mutual understanding and appreciation for a diverse workforce. Opportunities for All supports minority-run small businesses and paid internships to grow social capital and create long-lasting relationships.
Capacity Grant to Support Program Growth
- Our investment: A $200,000 grant to Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County to increase organizational capacity.
- Investing in Scholars: Take Stock in Children’s approach helps students graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills they need to attain a college degree or certification and successfully enter the workforce.
The Future Project: Statewide Early Learning Roadmap
- Our investment: A $225,000 grant to The Children’s Movement to support The Future Project.
- Early Learning is Front and Center: The Children’s Movement is creating an actionable roadmap for policy and funding grounded in parent and educator voices.
Stop-Out Student and Summer Melt Initiative
- Our investment: A $20,000 grant to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County to support post-secondary education efforts.
- Why it Matters: Research shows the most promising solution for leveling the nation’s ballooning income and wealth gaps is first-generation students earning bachelor’s degrees. Through PLANit Sarasota, the Education Foundation is helping families and high school graduates learn about the potential long-term consequences of taking a “gap year.”
Experience the Future
- Our investment: A $75,000 grant to J5 Experience for capacity building.
- Here is Why: By nurturing the mother/daughter bond and creating intergenerational cycles of opportunity, J5 is building stronger families and future leaders. This grant allows the team to add a full-time director, contracted certified teachers, paraprofessionals, and tutors.
Expanding Opportunities in Middle School
- Our investment: A $155,000 grant to Links to Success for ongoing operational support.
- Giving Students a Head Start: Desoto County’s median family income ranks second to last in Florida, posing significant challenges for students to receive the necessary educational resources and opportunities to excel. Links to Success provides resources, services, experiences, and guidance to help students achieve academic success.
To support humanitarian causes, Barancik Foundation is investing in:
Project 180 Residential Program Home Purchase
- Our investment: A $450,000 grant to Project 180 for the purchase of an additional home.
- Because Recidivism is Complex: Project 180 is intentional in its approach to reducing recidivism. It is not just about putting a roof over someone’s head but also about recovery, employment, finances, relationships, and health. The result? Workers, volunteers, good citizens, and better fathers.
Venice Expansion
- Our investment: A $180,000 grant to The Twig Cares to expand operations in Venice.
- So Every Child in Foster Care Knows They Matter: The Twig empowers children in families connected with the foster care system to believe in themselves and the future. With this grant, The Twig is expanding its Venice location, allowing for more donations, shoppers, and impact.
Hope Village of Manatee
- Our investment: A $350,000 grant to Help to Home to support the Hope Village project.
- Addressing Homelessness: The organization is securing 16 new temporary housing units in Manatee County for homeless residents throughout our region.
Disaster Recovery and Resiliency
- Our investment: A $100,000 grant to United Way of South Sarasota County in support of its efforts to advance hurricane recovery through the Long-Term Recovery Group.
- Recovery is Far from Over: Individuals and families struggled to make ends meet before COVID-19 and inflation. Hurricane Ian exacerbated their needs, leading United Way to form the Long-Term Recovery Group. This investment builds capacity by helping the nonprofit retain case managers to continue supporting south Sarasota County residents.
Foster Care Stability
- Our investment: A $145,000 grant to Bridge a Life to support foster and adoptive families.
- Creating Family Permanency: Bridge a Life is meeting foster families where they are and utilizing technology to strengthen partnerships with other organizations that can help their mission. Last year, 99% of the families they served stayed together.
Continued Growth and Capacity Building
- Our investment: A $200,000 grant to Truly Valued for capacity building.
- Building their Team: Truly Valued promotes positive self-esteem, education, confidence, and character among youth and families. This investment allows the nonprofit to increase staffing and expand programmatic needs.
Protecting Students and Respecting Families in Sarasota
- Our investment: A $250,000 grant to Equality Florida Institute to provide support for LGBTQ parents, their children, and youth.
- Their Work is Critical: This investment supports the nonprofit’s efforts to connect, train and empower parents, community advocates, and students. It also allows for professional development of mental health providers who work with vulnerable LGBTQ youth and families.
With a focus on mental health, Barancik Foundation approved:
No Wrong Door Strategy
- Our investment: A $1,000,000 grant to First Step of Sarasota to support the organization’s No Wrong Door strategy.
- Pivotal to our Community: This investment allows the nonprofit to expand its crisis emergency location, creating a true “no wrong door” facility to provide services when and where they are needed.
Serving Those Who Served
- Our investment: A $150,000 grant to Operation Warrior Resolution for capacity building.
- Why We Support it: This veteran-run nonprofit provides innovative, holistic treatments for mental health to veterans and their family members, alleviating PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health-related issues.
Teen Health Educator Program Expansion
- Our investment: A $225,000 grant to Healthy Teens to support current operations and expand Sarasota County services.
- How it Works: The nonprofit is dedicated to the success and well-being of teens, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about their physical, mental, and emotional health.
In the area of arts and culture, Barancik Foundation is investing in:
Protecting Freedom of Artistic Expression
- Our investment: A $400,000 grant to Hermitage Artist Retreat for general operating support.
- Why Their Work Matters: As an incubator for diverse and original works across all artistic mediums, the Hermitage inspires creative minds to achieve their greatest potential. This grant allows the nonprofit to enhance its educational programming and strengthen staff resources.
Enhancing the Howard Bros. Circus Model Experience
- Our investment: A $100,000 grant to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation to enhance the Howard Bros. Circus Model.
- The Big Picture: Ringling Museum is updating the iconic display with a commitment to engaging with and providing access to diverse audiences.
To support the environment, Barancik Foundation approved:
Start-Up Capacity Building
- Our investment: A $121,000 grant to Oyster River Ecology for capacity building.
- Critical to the Environment: The nonprofit is working to restore and preserve the ecological functions of the Suncoast while increasing understanding of the natural systems on which we rely. With its first full-time executive director, the organization will build partnerships, elevate public engagement, and drive major ecological restoration and enhancement projects.
Sharing Myakka’s Magic
- Our investment: A $150,000 grant to Friends of the Myakka River for capacity building.
- A Local Gem: Myakka River State Park is one of the region’s most under-appreciated natural wonders and under-utilized environmental education resource. With the addition of a full-time executive director, the nonprofit will increase education efforts, outreach, and impact.
The Board also approved a $300,000 investment into Barancik Foundation’s Affordable Housing Initiative for work on a Newtown improvement project.
