President and CEO appointed to national steering committee

SARASOTA, FL - Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s President and CEO, Roxie Jerde, has been appointed to the national steering committee of the Community Foundation Public Awareness Initiative (CFPAI). CFPAI works to educate the public about how community foundations are improving communities throughout the nation. The initiative represents more than 150 community foundations in nearly all 50 states. In this role, Jerde will join with CEOs from across the nation to offer guidance on how national issues such as philanthropy, tax policy and social change affect charitable giving in local communities.

“We’re delighted that Roxie accepted our invitation to join the expanded steering committee and help ensure it reflects a diversity of views, perspectives, geographic regions and foundation sizes,” said Jeff Hamond, of Van Scoyoc Associates, which oversees the initiative.

Together, the steering committee will work to inform and educate lawmakers and media on a variety of topics that influence community foundation’s ability to transform lives now and in the future.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to serve as an advocate for community foundations across the nation,” says Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “Although needs may differ by locale, we are all united in knowing that community foundations are committed to providing support, systems and resources that positively impact the lives of those in our communities. I look forward, along with my peers on the committee, to ensuring decision-makers at the national level understand the role and profound value community foundations play in creating communities where all thrive.”

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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 $520 million in more than 1,570 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $27.5 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 $350 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.