Leaders of Local Foundations Tell Us About the Critical Needs Our Community Is Facing

Roxie Jerde
President and CEO, Community Foundation of Sarasota County

“Ours is a changing community thanks to all that makes it attractive to live here—the natural beauty, our arts scene, great schools and public health resources—and it’s incredibly important to consider how we ensure that everyone who lives here can enjoy those resources today and long into the future. Accessibility for some in our community is a major challenge, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

“We encourage those who want to make a difference to get immersed in what they’re passionate about, either as a volunteer or through charitable support. We offer The Giving Partner as a free resource to discover nonprofits that are serving our community, and we also recently released our Community Indicators Dashboard to see trends in education, health care, housing and our economy that are specific to this region. Those are two good places to start to gain a broader understanding of our community’s richness and where support is needed.”

Susie Bowie
President and CEO, William G. & Marie Selby Foundation

“Workforce and technology are two spaces with emerging needs. Nonprofits
are seeking the same talent that’s in high demand for every industry. The foundation’s long-established Selby Scholars program funds renewable four-year college scholarships for students in our four-county region. Many of them share aspirations to support social change through community leadership—a natural pipeline for local charitable organizations when students graduate.

“Covid fueled a quick need for the Selby Foundation to support organizations with grants for hardware and software to bring programs, services and administration online in remote environments. Today, there is an increased need for new technology that fosters efficiency, connected systems and increased access for clients. Together with funding for other capital needs we provide, these investments may seem unexciting, but they are essential business needs.”

“The affordable housing crisis remains a priority. We must collaborate on many fronts—public, private and nonprofit organizations—to deal with it. Access to affordable health care services, including mental health, and upskilling workers to earn a livable wage are big needs, too. It’s ultimately about continuing to weave a social safety net so no one falls through.

Teri Hansen
President and CEO, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

“What we have yet to see are the downstream impacts of recent government funding decisions. Cuts for things like early learning, leaving dollars on the table that could have funded more affordable housing—those will create new problems beyond the immediate losses.

“Another thing we have to prepare for is the human impacts of climate change. In the near term, we need our vital nonprofits to be resilient and able to respond. Longer term, though, things like heat, flooding, red tide—they’ll create new challenges for the people our nonprofits already serve. We must prepare now.”

Phillip Lanham
President and CEO, Gulf Coast Community Foundation

“Affordable housing is a major concern and continues to be a priority for Gulf Coast. Heroes’ Village is the first dedicated facility for veterans in Sarasota County, and there’s definitely a need for it—not just for the housing, but for the wraparound services that go with it. Homelessness is a symptom of a bigger issue, like addiction or mental health struggles. It is a true partnership between government, in this case the City of Sarasota, and Gulf Coast and Gulf Coast donors. We’re hoping to cut the ribbon on it in November.

“We’re working with several other partners in the affordable housing space. We have a potential project with the city across from City Hall, where three institutional funders are coming together to help the city purchase the land. That will be another powerful philanthropic and government collaboration to provide affordable housing in the urban core of Sarasota.”

Veronica Thames
Executive Director, Manatee Community Foundation

“The ALICE Threshold [a measurement of the income a family needs to afford basic living expenses] continues to move in a negative direction, with 44 percent of the households in Manatee County falling below that threshold. They’re working hard, but not making ends meet, and we see a direct correlation between that and the ability of future generations to thrive. It has that ripple effect.

“So we have a multi-pronged approach. We are seeing that VPK [voluntary prekindergarten] programs are the key to success in school. There’s such a direct relationship between those early learning years and someone’s ability to succeed. But VPK enrollment has gone from 35 percent in 2019 to 33 percent, and the issues are affordability, availability and the programming, or lack thereof, at some centers. Working toward investing in that 0 to 4 years old age group is critical for the future of our country.”

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Read more of the piece, originally published in September 2024 in Sarasota Magazine, here.