Pictured: Mary Butler, with grantees. Credit - Studio 1415.

The Newtown Business Council, which works to support and empower local businesses in Sarasota’s historically Black community of Newtown, recently awarded $100,000 in grants to nine nonprofit organizations. The funding will be used to help residents recover from and become more resilient to natural disasters, provide youth with after-school enrichment opportunities, assist seniors in fortifying their disaster resilience and more. Funding for the grants came from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which collaborated with the Business Council through a process known as participatory grantmaking. Participatory grantmaking is a philanthropic strategy in which local communities analyze community needs and determine where to best allocate charitable dollars in partnership with a funding organization. During the Newtown Business Council’s recent grantmaking process, the Community Foundation provided platforms for discussion and decision-making and technical support, while the council oversaw all decisions related to the grant application process and worked with community members to decide on which programs to support. For more information, visit cfsrasota.org or call 941-955-3000.

Pictured: Mary Butler, with grantees. Credit - Studio 1415.