Our Board of Directors last week approved $8,154,945 in grants to fund the vital work of nonprofits in Sarasota and the surrounding region.
These grant awards include big investments in the construction of a new Boys & Girls Club in Newtown, improved access to prenatal care for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies, and affordable housing for teachers in DeSoto County. The funding also brings Barancik Foundation’s grantmaking for the year to more than $23 million.
“Many of these grants are investments in long-trusted partners to meaningfully scale work that our community depends on,” said President|CEO Teri A Hansen. “From expanding accessible healthcare and creating new affordable housing to preserving environmental water quality and fostering climate resilience, these organizations and projects are directly serving our region’s most urgent needs.”
The following grants were approved in each of our grantmaking focus areas:
Education
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties – $1 million to support construction of a brand-new facility and expanded campus at the Roy McBean Club on the Irving and Marilyn Naiditch Campus, which provides academic, wellness, and leadership programs for youth in the Newtown community.
Girls Inc. of Sarasota County – $750,000 to sustain and expand trauma-informed mental-health services and other supports through its Family Strengthening Program and to provide scholarships to offset membership fees for families in need. A portion of this grant ($250,000) is a match to encourage additional donations from the community.
Humanitarian Causes
One Stop Housing Cares – $1.2 million to support the creation of a 72-unit workforce housing community adjacent to Nocatee Elementary School for teachers and staff of the School District of DeSoto County.
Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Foundation – $800,000 to expand the Chamber’s CareerEdge workforce training initiative and its entrepreneurial support and internship programs. A portion of this grant ($200,000) is a match to encourage additional donations from the community.
CareerEdge provides no-cost training for in-demand jobs like nursing assistants.
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation – $800,000 to support Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s new Pregnancy Care Team, which helps pregnant women—particularly those with high-risk conditions—access prenatal and maternity care.
Links to Success – $570,000 to connect more families in DeSoto County with the education and resources they need to thrive.
MCR Health – $391,000 to increase philanthropic support and brand awareness for its low-cost, high-quality healthcare services.
Our Board also earmarked funding for two of the Foundation’s ongoing initiatives:
- $800,000 in matching funds for First 1,000 Days Suncoast, which connects families with resources for healthy childhood development from pregnancy through age two.
- $167,445 through the Foundation’s Recidivism Initiative to support reentry navigators and other programming at the Sarasota County and DeSoto County jails to help inmates successfully reintegrate into the community after their release.
Arts and Culture
Florida Cultural Group – $100,000 to support the Common Grounds café project at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, which will provide training and employment for individuals with disabilities.
Environment
Brookfield Zoo Chicago – $1 million to support the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, the world’s longest-running study of dolphins in the wild, which provides critical data on the environmental health of the Sarasota Bay ecosystem.
Climate Adaptation Center – $300,000 to scale its ability to provide trusted, science-based information about the local impacts of a changing climate and strategies for adaptation and resilience.
Sarasota Bay Watch – $100,000 to expand water-quality projects and build its staff capacity in order to enhance coastal ecosystem restoration.
Youth Leaders with Sarasota Bay Watch prepare clams for seeding in Roberts Bay.
TREE Foundation – $50,000 to support enhancements to the Canopy Walkway and visitor experience in Myakka River State Park.
Other grants
Barancik Foundation also awarded $126,500 in grants to eight organizations that founders Chuck and Margie Barancik had supported on an annual basis during their lives.
