In my time at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary dedication of nonprofit leaders, volunteers and partners who work tirelessly to strengthen our communities. However, I’ve also seen the challenges they face—limited resources, evolving technologies and growing demands on their services. I3 Digital is our new resource to address these challenges, offering a centralized hub where organizations can access the tools they need to grow, innovate, and lead.

Gulf Coast’s Invest In Incredible (I3) Initiative has been advancing our region’s nonprofit community for over a decade. Capacity building is a core part of our work, bolstering the abilities of local organizations to effectively address community needs. I3 began in 2012 with Building Better Boards. Our nonprofits were hungry to strengthen their board governance and operational effectiveness, and the Building Better Boards workshops were our solution. Building Better Boards has evolved into a thriving initiative that offers year-round, low-cost workshops, consulting services, and the highly effective Gulf Coast Board and Leadership Institutes. Now, we are proud to bring our partners I3 Digital, a fresh online resource brimming with tools, templates, policies, and best practices. A 24/7, free digital resource to support every aspect of a nonprofit organization’s operations. 

This new platform has a variety of fundraising resources, from starting a planned giving program to reviewing your annual appeal, a grant writing toolkit and more. The website also features information on the financial aspects of organizations, including IRS Form 990 Basics, a fiscal policy template, information on the Board’s role in fiscal oversight, filing requirements in Florida – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s information on advocacy and setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant, Time Limited) goals. I3 Digital provides tools and support right at your fingertips to amplify the impact of efforts that are making a difference in our region. 

This platform builds on the success of our Invest in Incredible Initiative, expanding its reach and capabilities to provide the tools, training, and inspiration nonprofits need to navigate a rapidly changing world. Our hope is that I3 Digital will empower our world-class nonprofits to reach new heights, inspire current and future board members to arm themselves with knowledge about how to serve best the organizations they love and provide easily accessible resources that result in more streamlined and impactful services for our region’s residents. 

The launch of I3 Digital marks an exciting milestone for Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the nonprofits we serve. But more importantly, it represents an opportunity for all of us to grow together. When nonprofits are strong, our communities are strong. Investing in the incredible work being done across our region ensures a brighter future for all.

I invite you to explore I3 Digital and engage with its resources. Don’t forget to share your feedback with us – we hope to grow and deepen our suite of offerings in the years to come. Together, we can continue building a resilient, innovative and collaborative Gulf Coast region that will thrive for generations. 

Phillip P. Lanham is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.  

Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

I recently had the opportunity to go on a benchmarking trip to Charleston organized by the Sarasota Chamber. These trips are organized to learn both best practices and what to avoid in public policy and processes. It is good to get out of the community and learn about the challenges and successes of other areas and how they are dealing with them.

It was during this trip, that I discovered there was a recent sales tax vote in Charleston County this past November. According to the newspaper, Post and Courier, the referendum was for 25 years and was to raise $5.4 billion with about $432 million of that for green space preservation. 

That referendum failed overwhelmingly with 61% of voters voting against renewing the tax. It was a jaw-dropping defeat that will affect mass transit, road projects and badly needed infrastructure to a growing area.

In 2022, Sarasota County overwhelmingly passed our sales tax extension by 77.9%. On top of that, 69% of voters granted the county authority to borrow against part of its share of the incoming funds. This extension will be valid for 15 years and the money is shared by the County, School Board, and municipalities for infrastructure. The money is not for operations, it is for building infrastructure.

An important part of getting the buy-in of voters was the extensive public process in putting together the list of projects that will be funded by this program. Government staff from each local government put together lists and listened to the suggestions from the public. Committees were put together to publicly vet these projects and ultimately the lists went to the elected bodies for their stamp of approval in a public meeting.

After each body approved their project lists, the lists were all put together and then also received the approval of the County Commission in the form of an ordinance calling for the referendum with each publicly vetted project attached to it in a list.

Our vote in 2022 was the fourth vote on an additional sales tax, with the initial vote and the three renewals all passing because of the collaborative efforts between the public and the government in putting together the project lists.

This list in the county can only be changed with a supermajority vote and the cities can also change these lists, but for the most part, these changes only occurred in circumstances where other funding streams paid for the project or in the later years of surtax. Elected officials have been good about honoring the public trust and intent in this referendum by sticking to the voter-agreed on list. It is a matter of following through on what you held out as the reason for the renewal.

In more than one jurisdiction, we are now seeing some conversations about altering that list for projects just three years after the vote. This is a mistake not only for the renewal of this tax in the future, but also for the public trust of other referendums. How is the public supposed to trust you after a bait and switch?

Charleston is facing a dire situation with their infrastructure, particularly in transportation. This could easily have been us if past elected officials had not stuck to the lists as much as possible. The passage of taxing referendums are not a given, and elected officials should do everything they can to maintain the public trust in this referendum and others. Voters do pay attention, as evidenced in Charleston. Let’s maintain trust and honor the list the public helped put together and voted on in 2022.

Christine Robinson is Executive Director of The Argus Foundation. 

Image courtesy Wikimedia: Charleston County.