The Patterson Foundation Gives More Than $450,000 to Agencies Strengthening Season of Sharing’s Impact

January 6, 2021 – Sarasota

The Patterson Foundation is giving a one-time honorarium of more than $450,000 to the fiscal agents and community agencies strengthening Season of Sharing’s impact on families and individuals in our region. These organizations share their time, resources and expertise to ensure that all funds donated by the community to Season of Sharing go directly toward helping people in crisis regain their stability. The honorarium amount each fiscal agent and community agency receives is determined by the number of cases they serve through Season of Sharing.

Every year, donors contribute funds to the Season of Sharing campaign. Once the money is raised, fiscal agents and community agencies throughout Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties pass through the funds with no overhead allocation. Those nonprofit agencies arrange and send payments where needed on behalf of families and individuals in our region who are struggling to make ends meet. The funds help cover essential needs like utility bills, child care, transportation or food vouchers.

“The Patterson Foundation is proud to celebrate 10 years of helping our neighbors in need through the Season of Sharing campaign,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “Without the many partners and agencies involved donating their time and resources, Season of Sharing would not be able to strengthen the thousands of people it serves in our community. Their efforts are more important than ever during the pandemic, as many in our region find themselves facing significant financial hardship for the first time in their lives.”

The community has raised more than $2 million so far in this year’s campaign — setting a record for the most money raised for Season of Sharing in its 21-year existence with weeks still remaining in the current campaign. During that span, The Patterson Foundation has given an additional $400,000 total through four individual $100,000 gifts, which have been triggered each time the community has raised $500,000 toward Season of Sharing. The community can continue to activate an unlimited number of $100,000 gifts from The Patterson Foundation by donating to Season of Sharing through Jan. 31. 

Created through a partnership between the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Herald-Tribune Media Group, Season of Sharing is a trusted way for neighbors to help neighbors following an unexpected crisis. Since 2010, The Patterson Foundation has given $5.9 million to Season of Sharing.

The honorarium was announced during a surprise virtual event with representatives from these agencies in attendance. The gift is a part of Honoring & Onward, a celebration of The Patterson Foundation’s decade of impact through people, organizations and communities while continuing to connect, learn, share, evolve and strengthen its efforts to realize shared aspirations.
To donate or learn more about Season of Sharing, please visit www.CFSarasota.org. Join the conversation on social media using #SeasonOfSharing.

About The Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation strengthens the efforts of people, organizations and communities. The Foundation focuses on issues that address common aspirations and foster wide participation, along with ways organizations learn and share as they evolve. For more information, please visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org and connect with @ThePattersonFdn on Twitter.