Changes in technology and economic cautiousness have dramatically changed the level of transparency expected among charities and nonprofit organizations, and the people seeking out donations should be prepared to offer donors an extraordinary amount of information and explanation on how monies will be spent. This was the message from panelists to guests at the most recent installment of the SB2 symposium series on the “Business of Philanthropy-Effective Practices and Oversights.”

“Technology has changed everything for nonprofits,” said Veronica Brady, senior vice president for Philanthropy at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “Information just has to be out there.” Organizations have to provide financials, often by law, and are advised to put audit information and other details.

The event, sponsored by SRQ Media Group, was hosted at the IMG Academy Golf Club in Bradenton Monday and brought a group of financial and philanthropic leaders together with an audience made largely of officials from regional charities.

Bob Blalock, principal at Blalock Walters, said organizations should embrace the audit process. He shared the story of a nonprofit that resisted doing audits for several years, then had one show areas where the organization was not being treated well by partners organization leaders had trusted for some time. “Don’t ever forget the people who steal from you are the people who are close to you,” he said. Audits give confidence both to donors and to those working in an organization that everything is being handled prudently.

Jay Clarkson, CPA principal at CS&L CPAs, said new laws stress fiduciary responsibility in the governance of charities. He clarified certain aspects of the law (rotating auditors is not required, for example) andsaid regulations since the start of the Great Recession have stressed transparency and good practices. “There has been more attention toward good governance,” he said. There also is much more disclosed on financials, and those financials are more easily accessible by donors and financial advisors.

Julie Lyman, vice president of Donor Relations for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, said donors and foundations alike want to know a great deal about operational practices for charities. “We do site visits with donors; we do site visits ourselves,” she said. “We go a long way in making sure donors’ donations are going where they should.”

Jeff Troiano, shareholder at Williams, Parker, Harrison, Dietz and Getzen, said he encourages his clients to make such visits before making major contributions. “It’s important to see how organizations work,” he said. “It’s not just about the financials they put on the internet. It’s about seeing how they run day to day.”

The next installment of SB2, “Boomers and Caregivers-Tools to Navigate the Road Ahead,” will be held Jan. 22 at The Francis in Sarasota. 

The exchange between I-75 and University Parkway is getting a renovation from the Florida Department of Transportation’s plan for a connection of onramps and turn lanes. Last week, a public discussion was held to educate the business owners and concerned citizens about the plans and schedule for the construction of the interchange, and how it might affect their businesses. 

Kevin Ingle, a representative and engineer with the Florida Department of Transportation, elaborated further on the state's plans for the intersection. In general, Ingle said the goal of the intersection was to “improve the movement of people and goods.” Called a “Diverging Diamond Intersection,” the new construction is designed to speed the flow of traffic around that high-volume section of road. Additional express lanes and dedicated turn lanes are expected to reduce the amount of time spent waiting at traffic lights and should allow ease of commute in all directions from the intersection.

While there would be a few other modifications to the intersection, Ingle says the only major construction would be a lengthening of the northbound turn lane. The intersection should otherwise remain largely the way it is, so that residents and commuters do not have to worry about anticipating and learning a new intersection. 

The project is set to begin in the summer of 2015, wrapping up by the summer of 2017. In the meantime, Ingle told the public that the number of lanes currently open on I-75 and University would remain constant during regular business hours. From the hours of 12am to 5am, there will be some lane closures, and on a few nights University Parkway will be closed during those hours. Ingle said the public would be given advance notice of the closures well before they occurred. During certain points of the process, temporary bridges will be erected during the night to divert traffic over the construction to maintain traffic flow through the area. 

This project is already completely funded, and has been moved forward in the FDOT schedule from its original date in 2035, although the FDOT did not say why the project was moved forward. The $315 million-dollar Mall at University Town Center was just completed, and over 7,000 housing units are expected to arrive in the nearby Lakewood Ranch area over the upcoming years.

Judith Williams, a local business owner and community leader, said at the discussion that while the period of construction might be unpleasant, within 18 months to two years the quality of life for businesses and residents would improve dramatically. “Big or small,” she said, “it’s going to affect us all.” 

FDOT Project Site

MindSpa, the region’s mental fitness center, has hired Triple 3 Marketing to promote its clinical and spa services as well as its mental fitness technology. MindSpa is owned by Dr. George Rozelle, a respected professional in the field of applied psychophysiology and biofeedback. Dr. Rozelle is a board-certified neurotherapist and a member of the Board of Directors for the Biofeedback Society of Florida. He is currently heading a national research study on the treatment of retired National Football League football players who have suffered brain injuries. 

Mind Spa

Sandra Tresh has returned to RE/MAX Platinum Realty as a Realtor in the Venice office. She specializes in single-family homes and condominiums in the greater Venice and Sarasota area. Tresh was a long-time broker in Michigan before moving to Venice in 2000. She received her Florida real estate license in 2002. 

Platinum Realty