2020 Giving Challenge | Stories of Success
Join a Webinar with your Nonprofit Peers

What makes a powerful Giving Challenge campaign? We are bringing together organizations that performed exceedingly well to share what made their 2020 Giving Challenge campaigns so successful.

In this webinar, you will learn:
  • How organizations chose the awards they applied for
  • What elements made for a winning campaign
  • How each element affected their organization's long-term strategy

Plus, you will have the opportunity to ask specific questions about what goes into an award-winning campaign that we know you've been curious about.

Come learn from your nonprofit peers at this webinar on
Wednesday, June 9th from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 
If you have any questions regarding this webinar, please contact the Giving Challenge Team at givingchallenge@cfsarasota.org
Share Your Impact Testimonial from the
2020 Giving Challenge
As we gear-up for the 2022 Giving Challenge, we are reflecting on the successes of the past. We are looking to gather testimonials from nonprofit participants about their experience in the 2020 Giving Challenge to share with our community.

Why Share a Testimonial?
Sharing your nonprofit organization's testimonial will be an opportunity to:

  1. Celebrate the 2020 Giving Challenge contributions of your staff, donors, board and volunteers
  2. Highlight the impact made throughout the community
  3. Inspire fellow nonprofit organizations, donors, volunteers and spark ideas 

What Experiences Should You Highlight in Your Testimonial?
There are a wide variety of areas of interest your impact testimonial could highlight. Some potential topics for impact testimonials to get the creative juices flowing include:

  • Engaging donors
  • Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
  • Matches and/or Challenges specific to your nonprofit organization
  • Specific donor and/or beneficiary stories
  • Social media 
  • Staff, donors, volunteers
  • Online events
  • How your nonprofit organization used the 2020 Giving Challenge funds


How to Submit & Helpful Guidelines
Submitting an impact testimonial does not guarantee that your submission will be shared/published. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County Giving Challenge team will notify your nonprofit organization in July 2021 if your impact testimonial has been selected to share.

Selected Impact Testimonials will be shared on the Giving Challenge website and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County's website and social media channels from July 2021 to April 2022. 

The submission deadline is Wednesday, June 30th at 5:00 p.m.
If you have any questions about your submission, please contact Madeline Hansen at mhansen@cfsarasota.org.
Reminder to update your profile in
The Giving Partner!

Spring cleaning is in the air and it's time to dust off the cobwebs and update your profile in The Giving Partner!

As you're making updates, don't forget to reference the Nonprofit Toolkit checklist (step 5) to ensure everything is in tip-top shape. When you're finished making updates be sure to click "Submit profile for review" to add your profile to the review queue.

Thank you for all your hard work!
If you have any questions, please contact our team at nonprofts@cfsarasota.org or message our tech provider, Give Gab, at customersuccess@givegab.com
Recently Added Program Fields

We want to spotlight these recently added program fields to be sure your organization completes them when updating your profile in The Giving Partner.

Our team has noticed that these fields are often missed when making updates, but they are some of the most valuable and most often pulled fields for reports. The fields are:

  • Program start date
  • Number served last year
  • Projected number served this year
  • What outcomes do you seek for participants
  • How is the extent of outcome achievement confirmed
  • Define outcomes achieved in the last completed year of this program

Impact Evaluation Trainings

If you're looking for guidance and support on completing these fields, we recommend referring to the Nonprofit Toolkit (step 5) and watching our Impact Evaluation webinar series.

The Impact Evaluation webinars are a great resource for exploring ways to effectively measure and capture your organization's outcomes, communicate impact, and best answer those recently added program fields.
COVID-19 Nonprofit Survey Reports

In March 2021, exactly one year after the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, philanthropic foundations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties reached out to local nonprofit organizations to learn how they are faring during the pandemic recovery process.

This effort complemented earlier surveys in March 2020 and June 2020.

Respondents from community agencies - representing nine distinct nonprofit sectors -- shared critical insight about what has changed, what are the most pressing needs facing organizations and communities, and what resources have sustained them in a year of change.
This survey was developed in collaboration with Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation,
Charlotte Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Manatee Community Foundation, The Patterson Foundation, and William G. & Marie Selby Foundation.
Nonprofit Job Bank

Whether you're seeking a new nonprofit position or you want to post an open position at your organization, your local resource is the Association of Fundraising Professionals Southwest Florida Chapter's Job Bank, supported by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
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