The Education Foundation of Sarasota County received over 140 donations to meet its $150,000 fundraising goal to establish The Lori White Endowment Fund. This accomplishment triggered a $50,000 capping grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. The Lori White Endowment Fund will provide unique professional development opportunities for teachers. The goal was met thanks to charitable donors including members of the Education Foundation Board of Directors and long-term supporters, area community foundations and numerous individuals whose gifts expressed deep gratitude for Lori White’s dedication to education in Sarasota County. To raise the funds necessary to meet the capping grant challenge, the Education Foundation launched a “Forty for 40” campaign to honor White’s 40 years of service on January 20, 2017, forty days from White’s official retirement as Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools. With a focus on social media outreach that included a crowd funding component, the forty days of giving brought in over $47,000 in donations of $25 to $2,500 from teachers, students, parents, administrators and community leaders.

Education Foundation