Selby Foundation Invests $47,606 in Nonprofit Organizations

April 26, 2024 – Sarasota

The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation has awarded $47,606 in grants to nonprofit organizations with small budgets that are building stronger communities through education, advocacy, environment, and the arts in Southwest Florida.

Seven grantees include:

• Literacy Council of Manatee County – $11,928 for software supporting learning gains for English Language Learner adults
• Margwine Organization – $10,000 for climate control in spaces used for tutoring and mentorship of at-risk girls and for community programs hosted by partner organizations
• Oyster River Ecology – $10,000 toward a skiff for oyster restoration in the Manatee River and related citizen engagement/environmental education
• Creative Arts Academy – $5,040 for an interactive whiteboard to support multicultural music education for an after-school program serving at-risk youth
• Friends of Shannon Staub Public Library – $5,000 for outdoor signage helping residents access their local library
• Project Pride SRQ – $4,000 toward technology for the organization’s new executive director position supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Sarasota
• Arts Advocates – $1,638 for furnishings to accommodate growing audiences learning through visual arts

The “Small and Mighty” grant cycles were created by the Selby Foundation to support nonprofits that may be overlooked because of less access to development resources or larger charitable gifts. Opportunities to apply are open three times per year to 501c3 nonprofits with budgets of $300,000 or less that serve Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte or DeSoto counties.

Regardless of organizational size, the Selby Foundation funds capital needs such as equipment, technology, building-related items, vehicles and software that are necessary for nonprofits to succeed. For more information, visit SelbyFdn.org.

Incorporated in 1955, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation invests in community success through the charitable legacy of Bill and Marie Selby, two giving people who cared deeply about opportunity for others in our region. Its work includes the signature “Selby Scholars” program, awarding high-achieving, high-financial need students with last-dollar scholarships for up to four years of college; capital funds for established nonprofit organizations; and supportive services for both nonprofits and students beyond the dollar.