Each year, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County distributes more than $2 million to arts organizations in the county, through Sarasota County’s Tourist Development Cultural/Arts grants program. Applicants for TDC/A grants must demonstrate both artistic excellence in their proposed projects, as well as tourism appeal—as arts remain an important economic driver for the county—and these applications are reviewed each year by a volunteer panel of Sarasota County residents. And as the arts and culture community gears up for season, the Arts and Cultural Alliance has announced that the organization is now accepting applications for those interested in serving as members for this year’s panel.

“It’s part fun and part hard work,” says Dr. Fern Tavalin, TDC/A Grant Manager, and the commitment will last throughout the season. Beginning in October, panelists must commit to attending several arts and cultural events made possible by previous grants, to give them a sense for what kind of projects the program looks to support each year. But with a pair of complimentary tickets, they won’t have to attend alone. Panelists will also work with Tavalin to get to know the grant process and what successful applications typically look like. “Before they read the projects they will be scoring, they get a chance to read the ones from last year,” she says.

This is all preparation for when the application review process begins in earnest, come the following March. With all applications in hand, panelists attend an in-depth orientation program that further explicates the grant approval process, including the particular criteria used to assess each new application. Decisions are not to be made via personal preference, but scored on these pre-set parameters. “We put a lot of emphasis on fairness,” says Tavalin. Because the program has grown so much, it often supports as many as 38 organizations a year, winnowed from many more applicants, and Tavalin says panelists should expect to put in anywhere from 40 to 60 hours reviewing applications and interviewing artists. The process often extends through April and May as well.

Those looking to serve on this panel must live in Sarasota County, and should have a range of expertise, with experience not only in the arts, but also the administrative or business side of the arts. The Arts and Cultural Alliance has also expressed a particular need for visual or performing artists to serve on this year’s panel, but Tavalin believes the experience to be a valuable one for all chosen, whether lifers or new arrivals, regular culture-hounds or recovering homebodies.

“It exposes the panelists to organizations that they otherwise would not know anything about,” she says. “So it’s good for that broad exposure, and it’s also good for people who are new to our community, because they can learn about the arts and culture here.”

Applications to serve on the TDC/A grants program panel are currently open. The deadline for application is August 30. 

2019-2020 TDC/A Grant Panelists Application

When Minnesota natives Gary and Barbara Rodkin first came to Sarasota in the mid-1990s, they were immediately captivated by the area. “It was our first time on the west coast of Florida,” Gary says. “We fell in love with Sarasota and Siesta Key. That was really the beginning.”

They called the area home for a few years, until Gary’s career as a “corporate warrior” took the family north. He served as chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Beverages and Foods North America, and then as CEO of ConAgra Foods in Omaha, Nebraska. Regardless of where the Rodkins lived, they maintained strong roots in Sarasota. “We were part of the community when we came here,” Barbara says. “Our kids went to school here, so we got to learn a lot about this community. Gary was on some boards here. And we didn’t lose those connections.”

Philanthropy has always been a core tenet for the Rodkins. The couple has given to a number of organizations including Rutgers University, their alma mater. When Gary retired in 2015, and they decided to split their time between Greenwich, Connecticut and Sarasota, they began researching ways to give back to their adopted home. “We were looking to be able to make an impact where there was a real need in the community,” Gary says. They found that need in the Sarasota Memorial Community Specialty Clinic, a facility where volunteer physicians and a small team of SMH staff have been providing medical care to uninsured and underinsured residents for more than two decades.

“What really struck us about this program was that it was so well-established,” Barbara says. “As we explored it further, met the people running it, and came to understand what they were doing, we saw the potential to serve significantly more people.” The Rodkins have pledged $1 million to grow the clinic’s capacity and significantly increase the number of patients it can serve. Their other aim is to shine a spotlight on the program, which up to now has been operating with little fanfare, and encourage others to get involved. “The program is so under the radar that people don’t really know about it,” Barbara says.

Gary and Barbara hope the exposure their donation generates will encourage a new crop of doctors to volunteer their services for those in need. “We think it’s terrific that doctors are willing to give their time,” says Gary. “We hope that as the story gets out, more doctors will volunteer.”

The couple intends to stay fully involved and hands-on as the program evolves. “An important word for us in our giving is accountability,” Gary says. “When we give, we want to ensure that it’s going to be deployed in an effective and efficient way, so the outcomes they’re looking for truly come to be.” 

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Today, August 21, The Bay—the initiative driving the redevelopment of the under-utilized 53 acres along Sarasota Bay into a public park—is hosting another set of Community Outreach meetings as part of its ongoing efforts to engage and collaborate with the people of the community. This is an opportunity to learn about The Bay, ask questions and meet the team behind the largest open-use park development in Sarasota. Join Bill Waddill and the design team behind The Bay as they share the latest on the evolved design of Phase One and give the community a view into their progress towards realizing the possibilities of The Bay.

In efforts to reach as many individuals as possible, they will be hosting two sets of outreach meetings, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The first is from 1:30pm to 3pm and will be held at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. The second is from 6pm to 7:30pm at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. 

The Bay Sarasota

Ongoing collaboration helped five local animal welfare organizations receive FAF (Florida Animal Friends) grants totaling nearly $100,000 last week, as they continue to try to stem the tide of unwanted litters of puppies and kittens in the Southwest Florida region. The Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County, Animal Rescue Coalition, Animal Network, Inc., Humane Society of Manatee County and Gulf Shore Animal League each received amounts ranging from $15,000 to almost $25,000, making FAF’s contribution to the 2019-2020 trap-neuter-return (TNR) and spay/neuter programs in the region an unprecedented amount. Additional support is being provided by Feline Friends of Southwest Florida, a local trapping and transport charitable organization. FAF is a private entity in Florida that disburses revenue made on the sale of the Florida Animal Friend Specialty License Plates.

Through these programs, there will be more than 2,000 sterilization surgeries provided over two counties, which are predicted to lower the births of unwanted puppies and kittens in those areas. 

Humane Society of Manatee County

Goodwill Manasota earned significant recognition during the recent Goodwill Industries International summer conference. The organization won the “Retail Excellence: Market Leadership by Share of Used Goods” award (for the sixth consecutive year) for having the highest market penetration of its donor market, the “Retail Excellence: Market Leadership by Donations” award (for the fifth year in a row) for capitalizing on the highest proportion of its available used goods market, and the "GILPS Organizational Safety" award (its first), recognizing the organization’s commitment to positively influence safety policies and practices that strengthen its Goodwill. The organization is evaluated in the medium-sized agency category, which includes Goodwill agencies with revenues between $26.9 and $57.3 million. During the annual conference, Goodwill Industries International recognizes Goodwill agencies that have maximized revenues, capitalized on the highest proportion of the available used goods market and been efficient in running their operations. 

Goodwill Manasota

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast has been recognized as the Large Agency of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The organization was selected based on growth in the number of children served, quality and length of mentoring matches, and increased revenues, which ensure the agency can continue to grow and serve more children. The agency also made key strategic decisions that have allowed it to innovate and grow over the past year. The winning agency has focused on growing the number and maintaining the quality of mentoring relationships (“matches”) between caring adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and youth (“Littles”). This past year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast has served over 1,800 youth across a 10 county footprint.  

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast

The Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller has partnered with TrieData to offer the ability to electronically certify official records online. Called Clerk E-Certify, this new service uses advanced encryption features that aim to produce secure, tamper-proof electronically certified copies of official records in minutes. Traditionally, in order to obtain a certified copy of an official record, a phone call or trip was required to the Clerk’s office to have a paper copy certified, stamped and delivered. The public can now access this new online service by visiting the official records search page through the website below. To search, simply locate the official record, and once the image of the document appears, click on purchase certified copy from E-Certify to begin the process.

To learn more, visit the website below. 

Clerk E-Certify