This time of year, many people are still committed to their New Year's Resolutions. It’s only a few days in, after all, and the resolve to stay on course is strong. As time goes on, however, many of us lose our grip on the determination to keep up the heavy lifting it takes to achieve these goals.

It makes sense that so many eventually abandon their resolutions. While we might naturally constantly seek self-improvement, achieving goals can be difficult, if not impossible, when everything else in our lives remains the same. Goals require extra attention and need to be supported.

While goals can be personal, they also extend to organizations, including nonprofits. The nonprofit sector, responsible in large part for the great quality of life we enjoy in Sarasota, routinely embarks on large projects in the name of carrying out their missions, which range the gamut: providing basic necessities like healthcare and housing to those who can’t afford them, creating the vibrant and notable arts scene that draws so many to our community, or protecting land and water quality to sustain the wellbeing of our environment. 

If some of these missions seem daunting, it’s because they are. The challenge of accomplishing these varied missions is compounded by the reality that the work is often carried out on a shoestring budget. 

Supporting the work of nonprofits is a priority at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, as it is through their visions and missions that we move closer to creating a community where everyone can reach their full potential. A key support is capacity building grants, which provide vital dollars for building the capability of nonprofits to achieve their goals. Whether these grants support staff, volunteer and board development, software that reduces the time and burden of daily workloads or tools that help them expand their reach, these investments help ensure that nonprofits can make new goals and stick with them, ultimately expanding their impact.

Recently, capacity building grants have gone out to various nonprofits to support a spectrum of goals. One, to Adventure for All, will help the nonprofit develop a strategic policy so that it can continue providing unique, empowering experiences to people with disabilities.  Another, to Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, will support the implementation of asset management software, enabling sustained focus on developing girls into strong leaders. 

Imagine if we all enjoyed support for achieving our New Year’s Resolutions. It seems many more would be realized, rather than discarded after a few months. Reaching goals is possible when the right support is put into place, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to provide vital assistance to these nonprofit organizations that truly brighten our community. This funding helps ensure that innovations and new projects can be committed to and completed, empowering nonprofits to truly achieve the impact they imagine. 

Roxie Jerde is President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

Image courtesy Pixabay

Every year, high school students across Sarasota County leave money on the table—thousands and thousands of dollars. The federal grants and scholarships they could receive by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) could be the difference between graduating with little to no student debt, or with a mountain of it. For some, it could determine if they can even attend college or technical school in the first place. 

In December 2020, the U.S. government passed the FAFSA Simplification Act, which instituted changes that are taking effect this year. It will now be much easier to complete this important application, with far fewer questions—and with increased eligibility for federal student aid.

Completing the FAFSA is a strong indicator of students’ likelihood of pursuing education after high school, yet last year only 55.4% of students in Sarasota County completed their FAFSA, down from 56.2% the previous year. So many students missed out on free money to offset the costs of college or specialized training. 

Thomas Williams, director of PLANit Sarasota, our local college access network in Sarasota, estimates if the county returned to a 56.2% completion rate, students here would receive $3.4 million in Pell Grant awards. With an increase to a 60% completion rate, the county would see an estimated incremental increase of $300,000.

In Sarasota County, according to the Florida College Access Network, 45.6% of residents aged 25-64 hold an associate degree or higher. Yet FCAN also finds that 60% of Florida jobs will require a degree or credential by 2030. A thriving local economy depends on an educated, agile, and ready workforce. And completing the FAFSA opens pathways to that degree or credential. 

Traditionally, the FAFSA window opened on Oct. 1, but this year, with these changes, the application opened on Dec. 31. While this date could get lost in the holiday season, it’s important that students and families complete and submit the application as early as possible because grants and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Through the collective effort of many community and education partners, the FAFSA rate in Sarasota County has avoided the significant dips other places experienced during the pandemic. However, the completion rate has also remained stubborn, hovering around the mid-50s. States like Tennessee and Louisiana, with universal FAFSA completion, record a completion rate in the higher 60s.

In January, PLANit Sarasota, in partnership with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Sarasota County high schools, State College of Florida and other partners, will host FAFSA open houses at area high schools. At these free events, students and families can work one on one with a FAFSA expert to complete their applications. 

More open houses will follow, and there will be free online resources available to help. But these resources are only effective if students and families take advantage of them.

That’s where we all come in. Improving the FAFSA rate requires a coordinated effort by multiple stakeholders. As we’ve seen countless times over these past few years, when a community comes together to solve problems, we accomplish great things.  

With the new year upon us, let’s work together to increase awareness of the FAFSA and to connect students and families to resources that will help them complete it. Teachers, counselors, administrators, friends, neighbors, colleagues, classmates—together we can spread the word about the FAFSA and actively help students complete it. 

When students and families complete the FAFSA, pathways open, and with each new pathway, students move closer to reaching their full potential and leading successful lives. I can think of few outcomes more worthy of our time and effort than that.

To find a FAFSA open house at your child’s school, visit: edfoundationsrq.org/events/

To learn more about the FAFSA and the resources available, visit: edfoundationsrq.org/students/financial-aid/fafsa/

Jennifer Vigne is President and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. 

Image courtesy Pixabay