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Hear from staff and partners as we share stories of our work and lessons learned in the field. Through our learning and evaluation, we seek meaningful and actionable impact.
Hundreds of curious, creative, community-minded folks converged on the historic Sarasota Opera House last week for the 10th anniversary edition of the PINC Experience. PINC—short for People, Ideas, Nature, and…
Greg LubereckiDecember 12, 2024
Barancik Foundation’s Board of Directors recently approved $3.2 million in grants to support vulnerable families, expand access to early education, bolster environmental sustainability, and more. The funding includes: $900,000 to…
Greg LubereckiNovember 19, 2024
Congratulations to the 25 outstanding Sarasota County Schools educators selected for Barancik Foundation’s 2025 TIME Fellowship! The TIME Fellowship provides public-school educators with the resources to experience meaningful professional renewal…
Greg LubereckiNovember 7, 2024
“I’m not usually speechless, but…,” Kevin Purcell said, trailing off. Mr. Purcell, a 21-year educator at Heron Creek Middle School, had just been presented with the Ripple Effect Teacher Award…
Greg LubereckiSeptember 24, 2024
Sarasota County Schools educators have until September 30 to submit a proposal for Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation’s 2025 TIME Fellowship program. Barancik Foundation will select up to 25 applicants…
Greg LubereckiAugust 22, 2024
More than $5.2 million in grants approved by our Board of Directors last week will help lift struggling families, build staff capacity at critical nonprofit organizations, expand arts and cultural…
Greg LubereckiAugust 14, 2024
Tonya Wallace has joined DeSoto County-based nonprofit Links to Success in the new role of First 1,000 Days Family Navigator. Wallace will guide and connect DeSoto families to a range…
Greg LubereckiJuly 26, 2024
Leslie Harrell’s kind eyes got a bit misty when we first met to talk about her work. “I’m kind of feeling some way right now,” she said. “I’m going to…
Greg LubereckiJuly 16, 2024
Charles Harris earned his master’s degree in Management Information Systems. Computer programming. And he hated it. “You’re creating interfaces for something, and you don’t even know what it goes to,”…
Greg LubereckiMay 31, 2024
Five outstanding Sarasota County Schools educators were recognized last week with the Ripple Effect Teacher Award for their expansive impact in the classroom and beyond. Leaders from the school district…
Greg LubereckiMay 28, 2024
Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation recently awarded nearly $6 million in grants to support early education and youth development, affordable housing, mental health services, and more. “These grants exemplify Chuck…
Greg LubereckiMay 14, 2024
Parent advisor Tonika Conaway and Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation Senior Vice President Kelly Romanoff have been selected as co-chairs of the Steering Committee of the First 1,000 Days Suncoast…
Greg LubereckiMarch 25, 2024
Kelly Romanoff, our senior vice president for strategy and evaluation, has been selected as a 2023-24 Change Leaders in Philanthropy Fellow. The fellowship is a program of Grantmakers for Effective…
Greg LubereckiFebruary 28, 2024
We are pleased to announce that Stephanie Jones and Ben Hanan have been reelected to our Board of Directors. Each will serve a three-year term on the Board. Stephanie is…
Greg LubereckiFebruary 16, 2024
Our Board of Directors recently approved $11.8 million in grants aimed at further improving the quality of education in Sarasota County’s public schools and preschools, expanding access to health care…
Greg LubereckiFebruary 13, 2024
Adults living with severe and persistent mental illness encounter numerous obstacles to achieving optimal health and wellness. Because many (75%) are diagnosed as young adults, they can face a literal…
Greg LubereckiFebruary 7, 2024
The Barancik Foundation family mourns the passing of former Foundation board member Gerry Lublin. Gerry and his wife, Sheri, first met fellow Longboat Key residents Chuck and Margie Barancik playing…
Kelly RomanoffFebruary 5, 2024
This year’s Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research has been awarded to Sergio E. Baranzini, PhD, for his pioneering efforts to apply Big Data to understanding the origins of…
Greg LubereckiJanuary 31, 2024
Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation has expanded its staff by hiring food and nutrition innovator and 2023 Bush Fellow Omar Guevara-Soto for the new position of Strategic Initiatives Officer. Guevara-Soto,…
Kelly RomanoffJanuary 10, 2024
Story and photos by Lindsay Luberecki, junior, Pine View School. The ornate and expansive main hall of the Sarasota Opera House glowed green, illuminated by lights on the floor and…
Greg LubereckiDecember 28, 2023