Communities around the country marvel at the generosity of individual donors, the number of foundations, and caring businesses that come to the table in our region.

We do not talk as much about what fuels this charitable giving, but we need to. Nonprofit organizations do not power themselves. People do: nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers. They take the front seats in addressing the biggest opportunities facing all of us. 

They accomplish multifaceted work by convening people with different perspectives, leading programs that address complex challenges, and building diverse funding sources that take time to grow. Many have years of experience working in their fields. 

Nonprofit staff are professionals. They carry a torch of hope for the present and future. But it is not hope alone that fuels their work; they pair their courage with deep knowledge of people and communities, along with innovation and the ability to quickly adapt. 

During our latest grant cycle, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation visited with leaders of 38 nonprofits in our region to talk about their funding requests and how their organizations plan to meet needs in our current environment. Many spoke about the work still in progress to recover from last year’s hurricanes. They shared increasing needs related to housing, mental health, and food security, as well as their innovative plans to continually meet people where they are.

In the Center of Effective Philanthropy’s recent study “Mounting Pressure: Foundations and Nonprofits on the Current Context,” 81% of nonprofit respondents indicated they have experienced or anticipate experiencing increased demand for services. Sixty percent recently initiated collaborations with other nonprofits. Locally, we often hear about the desire for nonprofits to work together. This is often happening already, both formally and informally. 

When SNAP benefits were not awarded recently, the network of nonprofits that work closely with children, families, and neighborhoods went into overdrive. With experience from hurricanes, COVID, and economic downturns, they activated their plans—leveraging resources at their own organizations and in partnership with others. 

The roles they took assured and supported neighbors without food. Unfortunately, this crisis also forced our nonprofit sector into disaster relief mode. As always, its workforce and volunteers were present and responsive. 

What can we do to help nonprofits? Yes, we can support them by giving. We can also get to know our nonprofit community better. We can stand up for organizations, the issues they address, and the people who power them by communicating with our elected representatives early and often. 

When Bill Selby established the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation in 1955, he and his wife Marie could not have imagined the place nonprofit organizations would hold in the fabric of a thriving community today. No one could have guessed.

It’s not just up to nonprofits and their people, though. If we know anything about our region, we know that we show up. Let’s pledge to stay even more active and engaged now and in the coming year. 

Pictured: Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, a nonprofit organization for art & plant enthusiasts, served as a community connector during storms last year. It will receive a $50,000 grant from the Selby Foundation toward ADA pathways.

Hurricane season officially ended last week, and I know I’m not alone in breathing a sigh of relief that this year’s season was a quiet one in southwest Florida. After 2024’s barrage, many of us expected the worst, but we were fortunate to avoid catastrophic storms like Hurricane Melissa.

But as hurricane season ends and holiday season kicks into high gear, I ask you to also remember another season—Season of Sharing.

If you’re not familiar, Season of Sharing is an annual giving campaign that runs from November through January. Created in 2000 by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the campaign has raised more than $50 million and delivered assistance to more than 57,000 households so far.

Because of our good fortune during this year’s hurricane season, the need in our community may be less obvious than it was last year, but it remains very real. While the Gulf may be calm, storm clouds are still gathering over the heads of many individuals and families in our community.

Last year’s hurricanes damaged many homes and businesses, leading to lost wages, evaporated savings and slowdowns in the tourism and retail sectors. At the same time, families are facing the rising cost of essentials like groceries, childcare, healthcare and home insurance, all while dealing with uncertainty about cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

What I love about Season of Sharing is how it allows neighbors to help neighbors. It gives people a trusted way to help a senior in crisis make a mortgage or rent payment or cover an electricity bill, or keep a family’s car running or ensure that their children have a safe place to learn and grow. Fully 100 percent of everything raised through Season of Sharing goes to help people in your community.

Another thing I love about Season of Sharing is that it allows anyone to be a philanthropist, regardless of their means. Over the years, donations have ranged in size from $5 to $1 million, and more than 60,000 gifts have been made. All of that impact is strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, which is once again supporting Season of Sharing by pledging to donate $100,000 for every $500,000 raised by the community through the end of the campaign. Overall, The Patterson Foundation has contributed $10.6 million in matching funds and other donations to Season of Sharing over more than 15 years.

Our community is one where generosity knows no bounds, but it’s also one where too many families are struggling to get by. According to United Way Suncoast’s most recent ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report, a Sarasota County household of four with an infant and a toddler needs to earn more than $104,000 to afford basic needs. That’s unrealistic for many residents. In fact, a recent affordable housing report commissioned by the Community Foundation along with other funders found that out of the 10 most common occupations in Sarasota County, only two pay a median wage high enough for people to afford a two-bedroom rental unit. That means that many of the county’s most essential workers—construction laborers, home health aides, childcare providers and more—earn wages that classify them as low-income. Even small setbacks, like an auto accident, a minor health scare or a child home sick from school, can plunge a household into financial crisis.

So, as you check off items on your holiday to-do list and put away your hurricane prep list, I hope you’ll start working on another list—a list of ways to help those in need. And I hope that list includes Season of Sharing.

Paul Hudson is the Board Chair and Interim CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

While Dictionary.com selected “6-7″ - a term signaling swagger or insider status in internet and youth culture as its word of the year, the language experts at Oxford went in a different direction, choosing “rage bait,” defined as online content created to provoke anger or outrage, as their word for 2025.

But beyond the world of social media, I found myself settling on a different word for “real” life in 2025: PARTNERSHIP.

The end of the year is always a natural moment to take stock. And as I reflect on 2025, I keep coming back to the conversations I’ve heard across our community. Again and again, a common thread emerged: people asking, “Who can we partner with on this?” That question, more than any single initiative, accomplishment, or trend (social media or otherwise!), is what truly defines this year for me. Our area has always benefited from the deep commitment of generous people. Many of you give quietly, serve on boards, volunteer, or help your neighbors in need. This year, I saw more groups choose to join forces, and the result was worth it: amplified impact.

Manatee Community Foundation staff see it when donors ask who else is investing in early learning, food access, or housing. We’ve witnessed more people care for our environment, from neighborhood cleanups to supporting parks and natural spaces to supporting veterans. Becoming fully independent this summer gave our foundation more flexibility to welcome larger gifts that stay rooted in our region, and the new Giving Gallery lets donors stand alongside vetted projects and co-invest with neighbors.

Nonprofit leaders share stories from the families they serve and invite others to respond with them. Public partners sit with us to see where local dollars and private giving can meet so we can stack our investments and avoid overlooking important needs. Through community initiatives like the COAD, CLASP, and the Pet Resource Center, we work side by side for greater outcomes.

You can see this mindset in opportunities for children and young people, too. For example, Soar in 4’s new Soar Lab and the Dr. Janet S. Pullen STEAM Center, named for an MCF board member, grew from local efforts to provide kids places where art, reading, curiosity, and creativity fuel emotional and creative intelligence alike. We also celebrated one of MCF’s donors’ dreams: the groundbreaking of Sara's Studios in downtown Bradenton, a future home for performing arts education. None of these efforts belonged to just one organization; they happened because people took a seat at the same table and listened to one another.

You can also see it in our response when families feel stretched thin. Many households here still juggle worries about food, rent, and access to basic care. But instead of sending people in circles, local partners have tried to make the path to help easier. Through the Manatee Food Security Network, convened by the Bishop Parker Foundation, organizations share information and close gaps, facilitating access to culturally appropriate, nutritious food for our communities. With tools like Unite Us, a person can talk with one trusted nonprofit and be connected to several services at once. This kind of coordination reflects our shared hope: when someone reaches out, the answer should consider all their needs and help them move towards abundance and confidence. It should be a clear next step to resilience.

In my role, I’m privileged to see these stories play out every day. A parent finally finds a safe, reliable after-school option for their child. A student opens a scholarship letter and realizes college is within reach. A nonprofit leader leaves a meeting knowing they no longer need to carry an idea by themselves. These moments show how joined-up generosity can turn ideas into real change.

One thing is certain: in 2026, new challenges will crop up, like rising costs and more policy changes. Though we can’t control every external force, we can choose how we respond. I could say the word for 2025 is “partnership.” And I hope we choose to respond this way again, with open doors and shared plans, and with a willingness to listen more.

Thank you for all the ways, seen and unseen, that you worked with others in 2025. Your support has been felt in classrooms, community spaces, food pantries, and homes across the region. As you look back on your own year, I hope you see the part you played and feel encouraged about what we can continue to build, together, in Manatee County.

Cheers to the partnerships we’ll forge in 2026, aligned for a brighter future for all.

Veronica Thames, is the CEO of the Manatee Community Foundation. 

Last month, I attended the Tiger Bay Club luncheon on Emerging Trends in K–12 Education. The conversation was both energizing and sobering. While the panelists shared varying perspectives, I was reminded that the balance between educational freedom and civic responsibility can coexist, and that the balance between the two requires intentionality and a shared commitment to our students’ futures. The discussion left me inspired, but it also reinforced something I’ve witnessed over many years at the Education Foundation: we do better when we work together to channel our support of student success. If we align our focus, everyone wins. Especially the students.

Disruption is not new to education, but the pace and scale of change today feel different. Disruption can be an extraordinary catalyst for learning and growth. Our own Sarasota County Schools have demonstrated remarkable adaptability in responding to evolving expectations, shifting policies, and student needs. Their willingness to pivot, innovate, and lead with students at the center deserves wholehearted applause.

This moment reminds me of another industry that faced profound disruption: the automotive sector. For decades, automakers resisted stringent emission standards. But eventually, they realized that fragmented rules, which can have different requirements in every state, country, and market, created inefficiency and uncertainty. Instead of resisting, they began to collaborate. Major manufacturers formed alliances, unified around shared safety and emission standards, and even co-invested in infrastructure like the Joint Venture EV Charging Network. Competitors remained competitors—but they understood that some challenges were too big, too interconnected, to tackle alone.

There is a powerful lesson here for education.

Just as automakers discovered strength in alignment, our education ecosystem benefits when we rally around shared competencies, guardrails, and systems that ensure every student can move confidently from classroom to career. Imagine what it could look like if K–12 schools, higher education, nonprofits, and employers aligned on core learning expectations, credentialing, and data systems; structures that help students navigate opportunities seamlessly. Their success in the workforce will be reflected in our local economy, which has farther reaching impacts for a healthy statewide, national, and global economy.

This is where alliances become not just helpful, but essential. Through PLANit Sarasota and our broad network of partners, we work every day to stitch together support for students that no single institution can offer alone. Nonprofits, schools, workforce leaders, volunteers, philanthropists—we are all part of the same ecosystem, working toward the same outcomes.

And in a growing school-choice environment, collaboration matters even more. While “competition” is often the word we reach for, I believe we have an opportunity to model something healthier. Choice does not have to divide us. It can motivate us to speak with a unified voice—one that promotes accountability, consistency, respect for differences, and a shared commitment to quality across all learning environments.

If each sector advocates only for itself, policymakers are left to sort through noise rather than clarity. But when we come together—public schools, charters, private schools, community organizations, businesses—we can shape thoughtful, coherent policy rooted in student success, not institutional silos.

At the Education Foundation, our goals have always been to connect, convene, and catalyze. We are strongest when we bring diverse perspectives to the same table. The automotive industry created an “Alliance for Innovation” when the stakes grew too high to go it alone. Education deserves its own version—an Alliance for Learning Innovation that honors excellence and promotes success

Disruption has opened the door. Collaboration will help us walk through it. And our shared commitment to students will determine how far we go.

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

Provided photo.

The end of the year can feel hectic, almost like a race to the finish line. For me, it’s a time when Sarasota’s stages, galleries, and creative spaces come alive with the energy of the season. Our community gathers to celebrate, reflect, and connect – in the midst of the holiday rush. The arts invite us to slow down and truly feel a connection.

At the Arts and Cultural Alliance, that spirit of connection is what inspired our Arts & speaker series. This monthly series taps into expert panelists and explores how the arts intersect with vital topics shaping our region, from healthcare and empowerment to aging, early learning and education advocacy. Each Arts & conversation shines a light on what often goes unseen – the intrinsic reasons people participate in the arts and the profound impact that participation has on our lives. These are the qualities that keep us engaged, keep us healthy, and keep us connected to one another.

By bringing together artists, organizations, and audiences around shared experiences, Arts & bridges gaps, sparks conversation, and builds empathy. In December, that message feels especially important. Amid the busy calendar and endless to-do lists, art offers space to pause and connect. Visiting a gallery, hearing live music, or attending a show can ground you in the present moment.

The Arts & speaker series, particularly this month’s topic, Arts & Aging, showcases how creativity supports lifelong vitality. It reminds us that the impulse to create and connect doesn’t fade with time; it grows richer. Art allows us to share wisdom, memory, and imagination across generations, strengthening bonds that make Sarasota such a vibrant place to call home.

As we head into a new year, I invite you to take time this December to experience art not as an event to attend, but as a way to connect with our community, with others, and with yourself. The arts offer us a chance to listen, reflect, and renew.

That’s the power of Arts &. It’s not just a speaker series it’s an ongoing reminder that creativity is at the heart of a thriving community.

Visit sarasotaarts.org/creative-expression-arts-aging/ to explore upcoming Arts & topics and join us in celebrating the ways art continues to connect and inspire us all.

Brian Hersh is the CEO of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. 

Provided photo.