SaraSolo Productions, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit theater group run by Artistic Director Ann Morrison and Managing Director, Blake Walton–two award-winning professionals with decades of experience in acting, directing and teaching across the country. Here in Sarasota, they create community and in-school workshops to help soloists develop their own voices and original presentations. “We are always thinking about teaching and helping others develop their own material,” shares Walton. “Creating solo work can be a lonely process so by holding workshops, we are able to give soloists a way to support each other while writing their own individual pieces.”

Six years ago, after running several successful solo festivals for adults, Morrison and Walton thought how great it could be to do the same with teens. With a bit of inspiration from Carrie Mills who runs the theater program at Booker Middle School, they decided to create an intergenerational program where teens and adults aged 60+ would interview one another and each write a monologue from that interview. What they found was remarkable, shares Morrison. “We noticed that these unlikely pairs became friends and they learned about a generation they don’t speak to normally.”

Those same middle school students who took part in the original workshops at Booker Middle School are now in their junior year at Booker High and the work continues to be part of their programming under the direction of Sunny Smith. “It’s amazing when we bring both schools together,” explains Walton. “The students learn from each other and for some, the ten-minute piece they create becomes their wild card to get into college no matter what they are planning to study.”

About four years ago, SaraSolo received a $10,000 grant that helped pay for that year of their in-school programming. Lately, though, they’ve had to rely mostly on individual donations. “This is a vulnerable program because the students are often saying things that are new to those around them and we want to give them a safe space to do so. We also want to make sure the audience is somewhat vetted–that they are actually there to watch and listen,” says Walton. “ It’s theater, it's art and kids are using all sorts of media to tell their story and it’s beautiful.”

According to their mission statement, the theater company is “dedicated to the development and presentation of unique, brave, and uplifting solo performances that illuminate the human condition–especially of those who are considered other than.” As Morrison explains, “Middle schoolers and people over the age of 60 are often unheard in the community. We want to shine a light on those who have to mask and hide, whether it’s because of developmental disabilities or for any other reason that makes them feel marginalized. We want to give them a chance to speak and feel safe.”

From November 1st through December 31st, the organization is celebrating their “Season of Thanks”. They are asking supporters to help them raise $15,000 to help keep these in-school programs healthy and vital. “Rather than asking folks to donate on Giving Tuesday, we are giving them a chance to relax and think about their last bit of support for 2023. The season is also our opportunity to thank all those who support us because it does go both ways,” adds Morrison. 

Pictured: Through intergenerational programming, students and adults over 60 are able to create unique solo performances. Photo by Ann Morrison.

To make a donation or learn more about Sarasolo, click here:

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation’s Board of Directors recently approved over $5 million in grants. The funding includes 11 grants to regional nonprofit organizations working in education, mental health, humanitarian causes, and arts and culture. The Barancik Foundation Board also directed significant funding to the Foundation’s First 1,000 Days Suncoast initiative ($700,000) and Affordable Housing initiative ($1.5 million). The grants and initiative investments were approved at the Board’s quarterly meeting in early November. “Across many of these grants, we see the difficulties that families in our region face as they try to remain financially stable,” said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO of Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. “On the whole, we are investing in everything from early interventions to crisis response, and we are grateful to our nonprofit partners that are doing this innovative and necessary work. “We also recognized the chance to help launch or grow some innovative and exciting new educational and artistic programs,” Hansen added. “We can’t wait to see how they impact and enhance our communities.” 

To learn more, visit.

Nearly 20 local middle and high school students have joined together with an inspiring common goal: building and launching a rocket 10,000 feet. The Team True Fire Rocketry Club, an initiative of the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab, was founded in 2022 by Riverview High School graduate Sebastian Grabowski, who is currently pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Sebastian passed the leadership baton to Riverview High junior Daniel Desear to lead the team to new heights in its second year. Team mentor and Suncoast Polytechnical High School teacher Russell Finger provides the group with support and guidance. The Team True Fire Rocketry Club operates out of the state-of-the-art Faulhaber Fab Lab facility, gathering weekly to research, experiment with rocket fuel formulations, fabricate key rocket components such as the nozzle and nose cone, and even program sensors that will collect valuable data during the rocket's flight in Spring 2024. Several enhancements to the prior year's strategy are underway, including experimentation with new fuels to increase propulsion and surpass last year's rocket altitude. The team is seeking donations to help them build their rocket and achieve their goal of launching it 10,000 feet. Contributions of any size make a difference and will contribute to nurturing the next generation of STEM leaders. Anyone interested in supporting the students' quest to turn their dreams into reality can make a secure donation through the team's GoFundMe page: https://gofundme.com/f/2324-rocket. In addition to monetary support, the group is seeking donations of GoPro or Insta360 cameras to collect action shots and to be mounted onboard the rocket during flight. To get involved or learn more, please contact info@suncoastscience.org or call 941-840-4394. 

Pictured: Team members Tanner David and Hana make igniters for the rocket.

Members of Impact100 SRQ, a collective of local women philanthropists committed to funding high impact, sustainable initiatives, celebrated their 5th Giving Year on Wednesday, November 8, at their Annual Celebration & Award Ceremony. They heard presentations from the 10 nonprofit grant finalists who were selected by volunteer members from this year’s applicants, each with the opportunity to receive funding. The 763 members in 2023 funded 7 grants of $109,000 each in keeping with the organization’s giving model:  At least 100 women annually donate $1,000 each to fund grants of at least $100,000 to local nonprofits. At the event, the 10 nonprofit grant applicant finalists each gave short presentations to explain their initiatives and the sustainable impact each project would have on the community. Following all the presentations, Impact100 SRQ members were able to cast their votes for which initiatives they wanted to fund. Upon tabulation of the votes, the 7 recipients were announced. “Thanks to the generosity of our dedicated members, Impact100 SRQ continues to make meaningful and positive change in our community,” says Impact100 SRQ President Pam Kandziora. “Every Member Matters. By making philanthropy accessible for all women in Sarasota and Manatee Counties through our collective giving model, the impact is multiplied by each and every member and we truly make a difference. In just 5 years since the chapter’s inception, we have funded 22 grants, totaling $2,400,000.” The more women who join the organization, the more grants can be funded. The membership drive for 2024 is now open until March 26, 2024. To learn more about Impact100 SRQ and how to become a member, visit the website at www.Impact100SRQ.org. All nonprofit organizations that plan to serve Sarasota and Manatee Counties seeking funding for high impact initiatives are encouraged to apply for an Impact100 SRQ grant in 2024. 

To learn more, visit.

The Florida Center for Early Childhood recently welcomed Kate Reed as its chief philanthropy officer. Reed has spent two decades in the nonprofit and corporate sectors leading development, strategic planning and marketing efforts. She most recently served as the regional resource development director for the Salvation Army where she worked exclusively with high-capacity funding partners and, previously, as the chief advancement officer for All Star Children’s Foundation. Before moving to Sarasota, Reed was the chief marketing and advancement officer for Girl Scouts and, for 16 years prior, held progressively responsible positions that spanned vice-president of marketing and culminated in senior vice president of interactive advertising and content with SONIFI Solutions, a leading provider of media and connectivity solutions for hospitality and healthcare organizations. In her new role, Reed will focus on deepening the culture of philanthropy at The Florida Center and enhance the organization’s capacity to innovate and scale new solutions, while leading the development team to raise vital funding to sustain and expand offerings to children in need. Reed will also oversee marketing and communications efforts. “We are thrilled to welcome Kate to our team,” says Florida Center CEO Kristie Skoglund. “Kate is a heart-centered leader with a distinguished track record in both the corporate and nonprofit world. She is a champion for children, a creative strategic thinker and passionate about connecting philanthropists with causes that make a difference in our community and beyond. I know she will bring a spirit of creativity, ingenuity, and passion to our enterprise.” Although Reed has extensive background working in the corporate world, she says that her move to the nonprofit world six years ago was well planned. “The missions of the nonprofits I have worked with, especially those that address early childhood trauma and education, resonate deeply with me. My time spent working with vulnerable children opened my eyes to how important it is to reach them at a young age and that experience was transformative and life changing. The Florida Center is a gem in our community, and I am honored to be part of its remarkable team.” Reed says that working within the structure of a publicly traded company was a “rigorous environment that demanded accountability and transparency and I bring that philosophy to my nonprofit work.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties will honor Jaime and Julie DiDomenico at the 10th Annual Champions for Children Gala on Saturday, November 18. The signature event will be presented by the Annette J. Hagens Memorial Foundation in honor of Jaime and Julie DiDomenico whose generosity has been instrumental in empowering local youth to achieve their full potential. All proceeds from the event will provide thousands of BGCSDC Club members a world-class Club experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who walks through its doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. Jaime DiDomenico, a longtime Board member who served as Chair of the Board of Directors from 2015-2017, and his wife, Julie, have a passion for helping local youth reach their full potential. As owners of Cool Today, Jaime and Julie integrated support for the Club as part of their corporate philosophy. Together they launched a partnership that secured in-kind vendor services to all six Club sites, contracted subject matter experts to facilitate workforce development programs for teens, and created corporate engagement events as ways for their employees to support the Clubs. These efforts earned Jaime recognition at the organization's Leadership Breakfast in 2019. But when Hurricane Ian hit our region in 2022, the DiDomenico’s reaffirmed their commitment to the mission and pledged support to ensure a full rebuild of the Steven and Marjolaine Townsend Campus, home of the Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club. As key investors in North Port, and as members of The Heritage Club, Jaime and Julie are ensuring their legacy and support will positively impact Club members for generations to come.

Saturday, November 18 from 6:00 pm. to 10:00 pm., 3100 Fruitville Road (Lee Wetherington Club), Sarasota. 

Sarasota Opera has been awarded a grant from the Jay K. Turner Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation to expand its education outreach activities through the Resident Artist program in Manatee County schools. The funding supports this year’s pilot program, which has been extended from the standard one week to six weeks. The singers, pianists, stage director, and staff are working to serve as many schools as possible across both Manatee and Sarasota Counties this fall. The results from this year’s extended outreach schedule will help us to expand the 2024-25 program as we work towards providing opera education outreach to the schools for longer periods to reach more and more students. According to Sarasota Opera’s General Director, Richard Russell, “we are grateful for Manatee Community Foundation’s support which helps us expand our impact in schools in the county. With input from the schools, Sarasota Opera has been re-envisioning its education programming to serve more students. We look forward to even more opportunities in the future.” Martha Collins, Director of Education at Sarasota Opera, who works directly with the schools and oversees the artists and outreach schedule, says that the reaction from schools has been incredibly positive. “We are especially excited to work with underserved communities and Title 1 schools that often do not have the resources to attend a school-time performance at the Sarasota Opera House.” Collins believes this expanded outreach schedule will allow teachers and schools more flexibility to incorporate opera education into their lesson plans. 

IMPACT100 SRQ announced on November 8th at their Annual Celebration & Awards Ceremony that the Jewish Family and Children’s Services are one of seven local nonprofits to receive a $109,000 grant. After a rigorous process that included submission to finalist, ten local nonprofits presented their organization’s mission before more than 400 members of Impact100 SRQ. Each organization rose to meet the challenge of a 5-minute pitch without the use of video, PowerPoint, or any visual aids. Impact100’s local communal giving concept is adopted by over sixty chapters globally, including the Sarasota chapter. Established in 2018, Impact100 SRQ unites a diverse group of women who provide transformative contributions to nearby nonprofit organizations in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. At least 100 women each give a $1,000 tax-deductible donation, and together they collectively award grants in increments of at least $100,000 to local nonprofits in five focus areas: Arts, Culture & History; Education; Environment & Recreation; Family; and Health & Wellness. Each member‘s annual donation strengthens the power of giving and funds the innovative projects that make a high impact and sustainable difference in our community. JFCS will use the Impact100 SRQ grant monies towards their School and Family Wellness Support Service with a clinician and a “wraparound” case worker who will be dedicated to families in need, which are many in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Sarasota County has fewer mental health providers than top performing counties nationally, with one provider for every 570 residents, compared to 1 to 270 nationally. According to the 2021 Sarasota County Mental Health Needs Assessment Task Force, “This county is “facing an impending crisis in the mental health system.” JFCS provides a variety of programs to meet the vital needs of children and families in terms of mental health. Their clinicians are witnessing a greater intensity in counseling families with several members who are often coping with a variety of problems. These needs require a higher degree of counseling and a more complex continuum of care. Their year-round Camp Mariposa provides counseling and activities for youths/teens for the prevention and intervention of substance abuse in a traditional camp setting. The Adolescent Diversion and Assistance Program (ADAP) keeps youths out of the juvenile justice system and improves their behaviors in school. JFCS also partners with Unidos Now, the Boys and Girls Club, and the State College of Florida Collegiate School in Venice to offer mental health counseling to support youths and their families. Dr. Helene Lotman, CEO of JFCS is ecstatic and grateful for this grant from Impact100 SRQ stating, “This funding will allow us to deepen and broaden the positive impact we make by improving family functioning, communication and addressing barriers that inhibit healthy forward progression of the familial unit.” There is much work to be done and JFCS is clearly positioned and qualified to continue to support this community in being a leading mental health and human services agency. 

Pictured: JFCS representatives: Edwin Castro, Fatherhood Program Facilitator, Kathleen Roberts, JFCS Board Chair, Helene Lotman, CEO and Keith Leahey, Chief of Behavioral and Health Services.

Art Center Sarasota has been selected as one of seven recipients for a $109,000 Impact100 SRQ grant at the fifth Annual Celebration & Award Ceremony, held Nov. 8th at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. The event featured presentations by 10 finalists, seven of which were chosen, through a vote by members, to receive grants of $109,000 each. Kinsey Robb, ACS’s executive director, explains that the grant will support ACS’s Youth Digital Art Lab and Classroom Upgrade initiative, which will expand the center’s youth programs to include digital technology and upgrade classroom spaces to improve enrollment capacity and teaching efficiency. "We are beyond thrilled to have been chosen for this grant and grateful to the members of Impact100 SRQ for championing the arts community,” says Kinsey Robb. "Impact100 SRQ is making a monumental impact in our community—within five years it has become the fasting growing chapter in the world, which speaks to the impressive local philanthropic culture. We thank each of the 763 members of Impact100 SRQ for this incredible opportunity." Robb explains that the proposed initiative will create affordable and accessible opportunities outside of school for youth to receive training in visual arts. “While we excel at offering traditional classes in painting, watercolor, and collage, we understand digital art is an increasingly important field in higher education and career advancement.,” says Robb. “Creating opportunities for students to explore photography, animation, graphics, visual effects and more can inspire a child to pursue digital art in college or as a career.” Robb adds that this initiative will provide 360 kids with digital training throughout the year. This, coupled with classroom upgrades will benefit more than 2,000 youth a year. “Our adult students will also have access to the new lab – during the week, while kids are in school we will be offering digital courses and lab hours at affordable rates to adults, this will help sustain instruction and maintenance of the lab.” “Access to arts education is crucial to a child’s development, shaping their earliest notions of what culture is; art engages a child’s senses in open-ended play and supports the development of cognitive, social-emotional, and multisensory skills,” says Robb. “Unfortunately, many arts programs are being reduced or eliminated altogether, restricting youth from delving into the creative process. This program seeks to address some of these gaps.” The six other Impact100 SRQ grant recipients are: Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.; the Paul A. and Veronica H. Gross Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida; Legal Aid of Manasota, Inc.; Teen Court of Sarasota, Inc.; Easterseals Southwest Florida; and Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the Suncoast. The Impact100 SRQ Grant will cover 85% of Art Center Sarasota’s initiative with the balance funded through donor gifts. For more information about the initiative and ways to contribute, contact call 941-365-2032. Art Center Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, www.artsarasota.org. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) is now accepting applications for its Winter 2024 Gulf Coast Board Institute (GCBI). The online application and overview for the program are available at www.gulfcoastcf.org/GCBI. This high-demand program is delivered through Gulf Coast’s Invest in Incredible consultants to active and prospective nonprofit board members in the Gulf Coast region. The deadline to apply for this governance training series is Sunday, December 10. Thus far, over 400 individuals have graduated from Gulf Coast Board Institute. “If you are looking for a comprehensive, interactive, educational, deep dive experience on becoming a better board member, Gulf Coast’s Board Institute is for you. In this program, you will be given valuable resources, peer support, and the opportunity to learn and thrive as a nonprofit board member,” said Invest In Incredible Director Betsy Steiner. The group will participate in training experiences on the following Fridays: February 2, 9, 16, 23, 2024 at Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Sarasota Philanthropy Center, 1549 State Street, Sarasota. Topics will include fundamentals of nonprofit board governance, becoming an ambassador for your organization, financial and legal oversight responsibilities, fundraising and resource development, and how to create a diverse, highly functioning, and engaged board. The training is led by certified consultants who are part of Gulf Coast’s Invest in Incredible nonprofit capacity-building initiative. Participants will be selected through a competitive process with the intent of creating a group of individuals with a variety of experiences. Gulf Coast provides all training and resources at no cost to participants in exchange for their commitment to serve as advocates for good board governance in current and future nonprofit board roles. Applicants are encouraged to be current, active board members at a nonprofit in the region, although prospective board members will also be considered. Because of strong demand for this high-quality training opportunity, applicants also must sign a commitment that they will attend all four days of training if selected. To learn more, visit www.gulfcoastcf.org/GCBI. 

On April 28, 2024, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County will host their inaugural Ringling Bridge 5K/10K Run and Well-Being Expo in support of students and teachers. The event seeks to raise awareness about resources available to students and teachers and about the power of education to transform lives. The Ringling Bridge 5K/10K Run will begin at 7:00 a.m. at The Bay Park. Runners will cross the Ringling Bridge and end up back at The Bay. Registration for the run is open, and participants can register here: edfoundationsrq.org/ringling-bridge-10k/. In conjunction with the run, the Education Foundation will host a Well-Being Expo at The Bay Park. The Education Foundation will have booths available for nonprofits and partners who provide resources for students and families. There will also be music and food trucks. The expo runs from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. “We’re so excited about the amazing opportunity to host a run across the Ringling Bridge,” said Jennifer Vigne, president and CEO of the Education Foundation. “Today, the need to support students and teachers could not be greater, and this iconic Sarasota event and the Well-Being Expo will highlight resiliency and life readiness—and the importance of supporting students and teachers. It will help us realize our vision to unite the community to prepare each and every student for life.” The run, which has been sanctioned by the Manasota Race Club, is made possible in part through the generous support of presenting sponsor Florida Blue. Sponsorships for the Ringling Bridge 5K/10K Run are still available, as are booths for the Well-Being Expo. More information can be found here: edfoundationsrq.org/ringling-bridge-10k/