Local Black-Led Nonprofit Organizations Join National Give 8/28 Day Supporting Black Communities, Community Foundation of Sarasota County Initiates Local Support with “Kickstarter” Grants

SARASOTA, FL – Culminating the month-long celebration of Black Philanthropy Month, several local nonprofit organizations will participate in the third annual Give 8/28, a national charitable giving day dedicated to inspiring philanthropy by and for Black communities. From 8am-11pm on August 28, Give 8/28 will virtually drive support of more than 400 Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofit organizations with the goal of raising $250,000 nationwide for causes that directly impact the communities they serve.

As a way to encourage local involvement, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County awarded $250 grants to the first 20 nonprofit organizations who registered to participate within Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. More than ten organizations voiced their interest to join the give day hosted by the Young, Black and Giving Back (YBGB) Institute, which has been offered since 2018.

This year’s local participating organizations include:

• Manasota ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History)
• Brotherhood of Men Mentor Group
• D.I.V.A.S. of Sarasota Inc
• Dollar Dynasty Inc
• Gamma Xi Boulé Foundation
• Howard Club of Southwest Florida
• Learn My History Foundation
• The Multicultural Health Institute
• The Newtown Nation Inc
• Sarasota Bradenton Kappa Alpha Psi Project Guide Right
• Sarasota African-American Cultural Coalition, Inc
• Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, Inc.
• Seond Chance Last Opportunity
• Truly Valued
• Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
• With more organizations potentially joining Give 8/28 pending participation

“The power of charitable giving, at its heart, ensures everyone’s voices can be heard and that diversity is respected, celebrated, and encouraged,” said Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. "The spirit behind Give 8/28 brings into the spotlight the diversity of our community and how grand, macro societal change comes from within our community.”

To support participating nonprofits on Friday, August 28, visit https://www.give828.org.

Give 8/28 was created by the Young, Black and Giving Back Institute, a nonprofit organization who seeks to educate, inspire, and empower Black Gen-Xers and Millennials to invest in changing their communities through philanthropy. Held annually on August 28, the date holds both historic and symbolic significance for Black communities, reflecting the day when Emmett Till was murdered in 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech, and Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, among others.

In order to participate, nonprofit organizations have to demonstrate that their board, leadership, and staff are predominantly Black and that the organization’s primary purpose is to work to build the political, economic, and/or social power of Black communities. Registration ended on August 19.

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About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County 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 $418 million in more than 1,500 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $21.5 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $274 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.