When Hurricane Ian swept through Florida in fall 2022, it reaped billions of dollars in damage and unraveled the fabric of so many lives in our region. Damage and loss were immediate, but the full impact is just now being understood. To support long-term recovery, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County is now accepting grant applications through its Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund. This initial opportunity will conclude April 28, 2023, and is for nonprofit organizations serving southern Sarasota, Charlotte, DeSoto and Manatee counties. Thanks to broad community input, an emphasis has been placed on programs that support enhanced individual, family, and community resiliency, helping people live their lives beyond initial emergency relief.

Funding Priorities: Case Management, Children & Youth Services/Education, Home Repair and Housing Needs, Legal Services, Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG) and Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) support, Mental and Behavioral Health. Inquiries about the grant process should be directed to sdrf@cfsarasota.org.

More than $5 million was raised in the immediate weeks following the storm in anticipation of the community needs that would only be identified well after community and media attention subsided. Additional information about the Community Foundation’s long-term recovery strategy is available at https://www.cfsarasota.org/Suncoast-Disaster-Recovery-Fund.