Foundations and Donors Grant Over $1.8 Million for COVID-19 Relief

Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation have awarded over $880,000 in grants from their joint COVID-19 Response Initiative, providing relief to nonprofit organizations leading the region’s COVID-19 assistance efforts.

Additionally, donors to Gulf Coast have directed nearly $1 million in grants from their donor funds at the foundation for COVID-19 impacts locally and beyond.

“Together with Barancik Foundation and many other generous donors, we have been able to invest over $1.8 million in relief for community organizations and regional residents hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Mark S. Pritchett, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “Our nonprofit partners are being forced to innovate as demand grows for their safety-net services, so we had to change our own grantmaking model to ensure they could put philanthropic dollars to work even more quickly in our community.”

More than 30 grants have been awarded from the foundations’ COVID-19 Response Initiative to date, falling into several high-need areas. Almost 40 percent of the funding is supporting emergency assistance like food and housing. About a quarter has helped sustain vital health care and behavioral health services, often through telemedicine and virtual counseling.

Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center received a $10,700 grant last week for new expenses and challenges posed by the pandemic, including deep cleaning its shelter, providing food and supplies for clients, and offering therapy by video. “We are deeply concerned about the barriers that those in abusive relationships face as they experience increased fear and isolation, and we are working on new ways to reach those who need us,” said Jessica Hays, president and CEO of SPARCC. “The fast, flexible process through which these funds are being made available allows us to focus on the needs of our staff and those we serve.”

Grants from Gulf Coast donor funds, meanwhile, are supporting everything from basic needs to animal welfare and arts organizations that have been staggered by coronavirus impacts. In addition to those direct grants, nearly 100 donors have contributed a total of more than $1 million to the foundations’ COVID-19 initiative fund. Those gifts have come from individuals and families as well as funding partners such as Bank of America Charitable Foundation, FCCI Charitable Foundation, Jane’s Trust Foundation, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, and the Truist Charitable Fund.

“Philanthropy is a vital resource to complement local and federal emergency response efforts,” said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO of Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. “We’re grateful to the many generous individuals who are collectively leveraging funds to help our frontline nonprofits.” 

Latest Grants

The following grants, totaling $580,350, were awarded from the COVID-19 Response Initiative from April 9 to 15:

Basic needs

All Faiths Food Bank – $40,000 for hunger relief in Sarasota County. Funded by $20,000 from the Truist Charitable Fund, matched by the COVID-19 Response Initiative.

All Faiths Food Bank – $110,000 to address increased demand in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. Funded by $85,000 from William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, matched by $25,000 from the COVID-19 Response Initiative.

Meals on Wheels of Sarasota – $75,000 to meet increased demand during the pandemic. Funded by $15,000 from William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, matched by $60,000 from the COVID-19 Response Initiative.

Harvest House – $50,000 to meet the immediate needs of clients, including increased demand at its community food pantry 

Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center – $10,700 to deep clean its shelter facility, supply food for clients, offer virtual therapy, and provide hazard pay for shelter staff

The Salvation Army of Sarasota – $650 to provide emergency assistance to North Port residents

Health care and mental health

Tidewell Hospice – $100,000 to support additional staffing and medical supplies amid a surge in need for in-home care as area hospitals manage their bed capacity

First Step of Sarasota – $11,800 to deep-clean residential facilities for its crisis stabilization, jail diversion, and high-risk adolescent substance-abuse recovery programs

Jobs and financial security

Goodwill Manasota – $33,700 to hire back five GoodPartner Coaches to provide counseling and connection to services for more than 330 furloughed Sarasota-area team members

CareerEdge Funders Collaborative – $20,000 to support displaced workers in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Funded by $10,000 from the Truist Charitable Fund, matched by the COVID-19 Response Initiative.

CareerSource Suncoast – $20,000 to support displaced workers in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Funded by $10,000 from the Truist Charitable Fund, matched by the COVID-19 Response Initiative.

Education and Childcare

Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland – $24,500 to provide virtual home visitation to mothers and grandmothers in Charlotte County to address their children’s developmental concerns

Children First – $50,000 to support staff, children, and their families during the pandemic. Funding includes $10,000 from the Truist Charitable Fund, matched by the COVID-19 Response Initiative.

Education Foundation of Sarasota County – $20,000 to support its services to Sarasota County Schools during the pandemic. Funded by $10,000 from the Truist Charitable Fund, matched by the COVID-19 Response Initiative.

Suncoast Technical College – $4,000 to produce personal protective equipment on 3D printers for use by local healthcare providers

Youth services

Teen Court of Sarasota – $10,000 to maintain supports for students and their families through virtual jury duty and community service, increased counseling, and help with unexpected needs