- November 2, 2024
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Standing in front of a line of nonprofit booths at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch, Kayla Terrel of Hope Family Services was getting ready to accept a $1,000 check for her organization.
Terrel serves as the director of development for Hope Family Services and her nonprofit was one of six that would receive $1,000 grants at the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance's "Celebrate Giving Luncheon."
While the funds were very much appreciated, Terrel was even more excited about the exposure nonprofits would receive in connection with the business community.
"Word of mouth is the best way," Terrel said about getting people in the community to understand a nonprofit's role. "We are all puzzle pieces in the community."
More than 30 nonprofits set up booths at the luncheon and Business Alliance members browsed through their materials.
The $6,000 in grants were given out in an combined effort between the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.
The LWRBA wanted to support its member nonprofits with grants, but didn't want to be part of the grant selection process because it has so many nonprofits in the organization.
Since the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund selects and presents grants to nonprofits every year, the LWRBA combined forces to allow the Community Fund to handle the selection process. Meanwhile, the Community Fund sweetened the grant pot.
Collection of funds and the presentation of the grants was supposed to be done last fall, but Hurricane Ian postponed the presentation since so many Alliance members were supporting hurricane relief efforts.
It was rescheduled for April 19.
The two groups hope the partnership results in more and bigger grants in the future.
Terrel said Hope Family Services would use the $1,000 toward the expansion of its Bradenton children's counseling center.
Hope Family Services serves approximately 1,800 survivors of domestic violence in Manatee County each year.
"We provide an emergency safe shelter," she said. "Grants like these are very important to us."
She said counselors work one on one with children to teach them about healthy relationships and how to stay safe when domestic violence becomes a part of the household.
While the other five representatives of nonprofits that received grants were thrilled with the funds, they all noted that the event's main importance was letting them introduce themselves to members of the LWRBA.
"We were able to provide them visibility," said Brittany Lamont, the president and CEO of the LWRBA. "And our members were able to learn more about their missions."
LWRBA members had plenty of time before and after the lunch and the grant presentations to meet the nonprofits that had gathered at the Grove.
The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund also had a table set up to talk to Alliance members about how to collects and distributes funds to area nonprofits.
Lamont said a key part of the effort was to make sure all its nonprofit members knew that the LWRBA did not have a role in choosing the grant recipients. All grant recipients had to be members of the Alliance.
"We are thrilled with this grant," said Evan Ackerman, the associate director of communications for Children First, which has early Head Start programs in Sarasota County. "This means we can give more support to children from 6 weeks old to 5 years old."
Children First emphasizes play-based learning to help children at-risk who live below the poverty level, have disabilities or are in the foster care system.
The $1,000 that went to the East Manatee Youth Football Association will help children whose families can't afford the league fees to participate.
"This is our first time applying for a grant," said Robin Kornett, who is an executive board member for the league. "And this grant goes to an organization made up of all volunteers. To us, $1,000 is a lot. The last thing you want to do is turn away kids."
The East Manatee Bulldogs, which includes approximately 150 players and 50 cheerleaders, play their games at Lakewood Ranch Park.
East County's Foundation for Dreams picked up a $1,000 grant.
Executive Director Elena Cassella said the exposure was just as valuable as the grant.
"Some people don't know we exist," Cassella said.
Foundation for Dreams, through its Dream Oaks Camp, offers children with special needs a chance to learn and grow. The scholarship will pay for five children to attend the Dream Oaks Camp.
"This kind of support is immeasurable," Cassella said of the grant.
Development Director Diana Dill was on hand to collect a $1,000 grant for Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County.
She said the funds will go toward paying for background checks, finger printing and training of its volunteer mentors.
But like the others, she said the funds were only part of the event's story.
"We are hoping to recruit mentors," she said. "And this is an amazing group of people."
Chief Development Officer Kristen Theisen represented the Florida Center for Early Childhood, which received a grant. She said the funds would go toward building an outdoor play space for the Florida Center for Early Childhood's Starfish Academy Preschool.
She said her nonprofit focuses on children with developmental delays from prenatal through fifth grade. The nonprofit works with more than 4,000 children each year.
She said the outdoor play space will help the children improve their motor skills development and their social interaction.
"It directly impacts their progress," Theisen said.
She calls the event "great awareness for the community."
"It's important people come in and see what we do," she said.
"This event was a long time coming," said Erik Hanson, the LWRBA's chair of the board. "I couldn't imagine a better partner (than the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund). And it's an expansion of our "Alliance Gives Back" brand."
Since the LWRBA began Alliance Gives Back five years ago, the members have worked on 132 projects utilizing more than 1,000 volunteers.
Giving the grants, Hanson said, was taking Alliance Gives Back to the next level.
