Image courtesy Pixabay

This time of year, many people are still committed to their New Year's Resolutions. It’s only a few days in, after all, and the resolve to stay on course is strong. As time goes on, however, many of us lose our grip on the determination to keep up the heavy lifting it takes to achieve these goals.

It makes sense that so many eventually abandon their resolutions. While we might naturally constantly seek self-improvement, achieving goals can be difficult, if not impossible, when everything else in our lives remains the same. Goals require extra attention and need to be supported.

While goals can be personal, they also extend to organizations, including nonprofits. The nonprofit sector, responsible in large part for the great quality of life we enjoy in Sarasota, routinely embarks on large projects in the name of carrying out their missions, which range the gamut: providing basic necessities like healthcare and housing to those who can’t afford them, creating the vibrant and notable arts scene that draws so many to our community, or protecting land and water quality to sustain the wellbeing of our environment. 

If some of these missions seem daunting, it’s because they are. The challenge of accomplishing these varied missions is compounded by the reality that the work is often carried out on a shoestring budget. 

Supporting the work of nonprofits is a priority at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, as it is through their visions and missions that we move closer to creating a community where everyone can reach their full potential. A key support is capacity building grants, which provide vital dollars for building the capability of nonprofits to achieve their goals. Whether these grants support staff, volunteer and board development, software that reduces the time and burden of daily workloads or tools that help them expand their reach, these investments help ensure that nonprofits can make new goals and stick with them, ultimately expanding their impact.

Recently, capacity building grants have gone out to various nonprofits to support a spectrum of goals. One, to Adventure for All, will help the nonprofit develop a strategic policy so that it can continue providing unique, empowering experiences to people with disabilities.  Another, to Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, will support the implementation of asset management software, enabling sustained focus on developing girls into strong leaders. 

Imagine if we all enjoyed support for achieving our New Year’s Resolutions. It seems many more would be realized, rather than discarded after a few months. Reaching goals is possible when the right support is put into place, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to provide vital assistance to these nonprofit organizations that truly brighten our community. This funding helps ensure that innovations and new projects can be committed to and completed, empowering nonprofits to truly achieve the impact they imagine. 

Roxie Jerde is President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Image courtesy Pixabay