Community Foundation of Sarasota County Receives National Recognition

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County renewed its accreditation with the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® establish legal, ethical, effective practices for community foundations everywhere.

The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® program requires community foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grant making and administration every five years. With more than 500 community foundations already accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors. National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® is the first program of its kind for charitable foundations in the United States.

“Renewing this accreditation is an incredible accomplishment and point of pride for our Community Foundation,” says Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “As we carry out our mission to achieve community impact through philanthropy, we demonstrate a deep commitment to the transparency, quality, integrity, customer service and accountability that our donors value so highly. The trust our donors have in us is affirmed by our achieving the highest level of accreditation.”

The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of over $304 million in more than 1,300 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $24.8 million dollars this past year in the areas of education, health and human services, the arts, animal welfare, and the environment. Since our founding, more than $184 million has been invested back into the community through grants and scholarships.