Apply for Selby Foundation Q4 SAM Grants Starting September 30

September 12 – Sarasota

The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Q4 SAM Grants Cycle opens on Friday, September 30, and will close at 3:59 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1.  The Grant Portal will be open during that period for area not-for-profit organizations to create an account and access existing accounts as they begin the application process. Grant recipients will be notified by December 31. 

Awarded quarterly, the Small and Mighty (SAM) grants were created to meet the emerging needs of area nonprofits with operating expenses under $300,000.  The Foundation’s grants support the construction, acquisition and/or renovation of facilities, as well as the purchase of equipment or software. These grants may also include the costs of related technical services. Projects focusing on education, human services, arts and community projects including history, science, and/or the environment will be given top priority. 

Carol Butera, President and CEO of the Selby Foundation shares “We created the SAM grants in 2021 to address barriers for organizations with smaller budgets to access funding for projects that, ultimately, will have a huge impact on the communities they serve. We are always energized to see what is being accomplished in our community by so many ‘small and mighty’ organizations.”  

SAM Grant Impact

For the Creative Arts Academy in Sarasota www.creativeartsacademyfl.org, one of the recent 2022 SAM grant recipients, the nearly $13,000 provided by the Foundation went a long way toward completing the buildout of the organization’s recording studio and individual workstations where students compose their own works.  According to Lane Ruise, the organization’s Founder/Director, “We were able to purchase keyboards, interfaces, cables, a mixer and headphones to complete the setup. The funds will also allow us to update our larger recording space with mikes, stands, loudspeakers, amplifier cables and a vibraphone for live recordings.  All of this allows us to expand our work in teaching students engineering skills to run a digital audio workstation.”  Mr. Ruise further added, “We firmly believe that the arts can change young lives for the better by offering an opportunity to learn discipline, gain a sense of achievement, develop mentally and grow in confidence and self-respect.”

Recipients of the third quarter 2022 SAM grants cycle will be announced in early October.