Nearly 40 years ago Shirley Ritchey, founder of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, made a visionary decision to launch a nonprofit to support public education. The Landings, the School District of Sarasota County main headquarters, was a natural place to plant its roots. Being on site provided easy access to district leadership and allowed a newly formed organization to respond quickly and provide support for educators. It was the right place at the right time—and it served us well for 37 years.

As our work expanded, so did our footprint. Five years ago, we opened a satellite office in the Rosemary District, the LaunchPad4U. That space affirmed something we had been learning all along: community matters. When we create welcoming places beyond traditional offices—spaces designed for connection, collaboration, and creativity—we are better able to serve students, teachers, and families.

This summer, we took our next thoughtful step forward by finding a new office that is reflective of the independent and supportive partnership we’ve had since the early years. We will continue to be in schools every day through our Student Success Coaches and Resiliency Coaches, working shoulder-to-shoulder with students, teachers, and administrators.

What this new location offers is room to grow and room to gather: a podcast studio to amplify educator and student voices, and multiple conference rooms for Educator Workshops, PLANit Sarasota meetings, Future-Ready Scholars convenings, and community-based gatherings for students and families. It allows us to continue serving as a research-and-development partner to the district—testing ideas, refining solutions, and scaling what works, as the educational landscape continues to change.

At the heart of this move is a long-held belief: access matters. Our services and support should be visible, welcoming, and accessible to all. Since mid-November, our team has been energized by working together in this shared space, strengthening collaboration and alignment across our programs.

In January, we will mark this milestone with a ribbon cutting, joined by our donors, sponsors, district partners, and community members. It will be a moment to celebrate not just a new address, but a shared commitment—to students, to educators, and to a future where opportunity is within reach for every learner.

This is a new chapter, built on a strong foundation—and we are just getting started. As the poster hanging behind my desk reminds me, and with a nod to Dr. Seuss: Oh! the places we’ll go.

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

The start of a new year always invites reflection, but the dawn of 2026 feels like more than a reset. It is a moment to pause, take stock, and move forward with clarity.

Like many, my family is navigating significant transitions. Children are growing into young adults, routines are shifting, and perspectives are widening. Professionally, I am stepping into the responsibility of stewarding the legacy and future of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, an institution that has helped shape this community for nearly 50 years. That legacy matters deeply, but just as importantly, it never remains static. It is something we actively build, honoring what has led us to the present while remaining responsive to evolving realities and the emerging needs of the future.

Those realities and needs are growing more complex. Many households in our region are living on thin margins, and rising costs, combined with uneven incomes, mean that one unexpected expense can quickly lead to crisis. These pressures may not always be visible, but they shape daily decisions for families and underscore the importance of trusted, locally rooted nonprofit partners.

Two of the Community Foundation’s long-standing initiatives reflect this understanding.

Season of Sharing, now in its 26th year, was created to help neighbors navigate moments of crisis. The continuing need for the campaign, which continues through the end of January, underscores a simple truth: Stability matters, especially when systems are strained. What began as an innovative response decades ago is now a trusted source of support for families facing sudden financial hardship.

The Giving Challenge, meanwhile, has generated more than $92 million in unrestricted support for nonprofits, and it returns for the 10th time this April. By providing resources that organizations can deploy wherever they are most needed, the Giving Challenge supports resilience, adaptation, and long-term capacity rather than short-term fixes.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate that meeting urgent needs and investing in lasting solutions are not competing goals. They are part of the same strategy, one that requires patience, partnership, and a willingness to stay engaged over time.

National conversations in philanthropy increasingly emphasize the importance of trust, long-term thinking, and local leadership. In our area, as Sarasota County celebrates a series of centennial milestones across its cultural and civic institutions, the Community Foundation also stands at a moment of reflection and change. Our mission is to honor the past while remaining a steady presence into the future, supporting the institutions and systems that allow communities to endure and evolve.

For me, 2026 is about being rooted before rising, about being grounded in values, responsive to urgency, and committed to stewardship that looks beyond the immediate moment and toward what will matter years from now. I am grateful to be part of a community that understands generosity not as a one-time act, but as a sustained commitment that we all make to one another.

As we move forward together, may we stay anchored in what matters most and be ready to rise to what our future requires.

Jessica Muroff is the incoming president and chief executive officer of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. She begins her role Jan. 20, 2026. 

Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

If the idea of a challenging New Year’s resolution is daunting today, we offer this perspective from the Selby Foundation: focus on alignment.

Our work in the world is more meaningful when we define and focus on our most important values. Once we are clear about what really matters, we can use our values to make choices about our work and the way we lead.

Driving your car for many miles gets your tires misaligned. (It’s definitely what I get from driving from Parrish to downtown Sarasota every day.)

Consider the new year as an invitation to check your individual or organizational tires. You have put on a lot of miles over the past year. An alignment service can remind you of what you truly are about. Your values may have even shifted.

We often suggest that students consider what behaviors they wish to see in others. What does this tell them about their own values?

As young people consider the college experiences, careers, and places of employment they want, these questions offer a compass. They also guide the ways students build community in school, in sports, and in their endeavors to make change as they see their own leadership evolve.

And the same is true for us. We often talk with people seeking to transition from a corporate career into the nonprofit sector. Most say it’s “to give back.” I believe they are searching for work that is values-aligned. (Many small businesses and corporations in our region do offer such work.)

The values of today’s Selby Foundation were thoughtfully crafted to represent the intentional way Bill and Marie Selby lived and invested in students and organizations.

Above all, they recognized the importance of humanity and social responsibility in using their resources to give people access to opportunities.

Humility governed their giving. They did not seek recognition for their contributions. They recognized the privilege their education granted them, and they wanted education for others. Today, the Foundation does not accept awards, but we love to see the real heroes—students, nonprofits, and the people who power them—recognized for their contributions.

Stewardship was important to the Selbys. They lived below their means, working with local advisors to craft their legacy, endowing the foundation into perpetuity for annual grants and scholarships.

At the Selby Foundation, we learn the most about an organization through its commitment to results and the way it achieves these results, not through language on its website. We know the most about students through their actions, not what they write or talk about.

We are more likely to keep giving to an organization when it says it values trust and transparency and admits to challenging situations. When an organization’s people—its leadership, board members, fundraising team, and program staff—do the work in a way that is aligned with its values, it matters.

Let’s lean in to alignment in 2026. It’s a practice that adds purpose to our contributions and the way we make them.

Susie Bowie is the President and CEO of The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation. 

Pictured: Selby Foundation staff and board members, Selby Scholars, and community organizations celebrated the ways people and institutions can positively shape the lives of others when connections are based on deep care. Photo by Wendy Dewhurst.

As we close out another year, I find myself reflecting on Sarasota's arts and cultural landscape. In my role, I'm fortunate to see an extraordinary cross-section of what our community has to offer, from powerful theatrical productions to world-class concerts to art exhibitions and breathtaking dance. And I can tell you: I am continually inspired by the breadth and depth of creativity.

What stands out most this year is not just the number of cultural experiences, but the remarkable level of quality within each discipline. Sarasota’s arts scene consistently exceeds expectations. Time and again, I hear the similar refrain from people who are newly immersing themselves: “I knew it was good, but I didn’t realize it was this good.” That sense of discovery is one of our community’s greatest strengths.

At the Arts and Cultural Alliance, 2025 was a year of building resources, raising our voice, and advocating for the sector we serve. Our Arts & speaker series continues to bridge gaps, spark conversations, and build empathy. We relaunched Culture Collective for a new generation of creatives, professionals, and explorers who want to connect and grow. And on the advocacy front, we stewarded $2.1 million in Tourist Development grants for local arts organizations, funding that positions Sarasota's cultural offerings as a powerful draw for visitors and reinforces our reputation as Florida's Cultural Coast. We're grateful for the continued partnership with Sarasota County Government and encouraged by the State's decision to restore cultural funding, signaling that our local and state leaders recognize the value the arts bring to Florida.

Here's what stays with me most: the people who engage with the arts here aren't just enthusiasts; they understand, perhaps intrinsically, that creativity helps them live a better life. The arts aren't an extra. They're essential to our well-being, to our sense of connection, to the very quality of life that makes Sarasota such a remarkable place to call home.

As you think about your goals and aspirations for the new year, I'd encourage you to make space for the arts. Not just as another item on your calendar, but as something that genuinely enriches your life. Attend a performance, visit a gallery, join a conversation. These experiences don’t just uplift individuals; they strengthen the community we share.

While we're not a perfect community, or immune to challenges.... I believe the arts can be part of the solution to so many of the issues we face together. Arts issues are community issues. Community issues are arts issues. When we invest in creativity, we invest in each other.

Looking back on this year, I am grateful for the artists, organizations, supporters, and audiences who make Sarasota’s creative ecosystem thrive. Here's to a new year filled with inspiration, connection, and the renewing power of the arts.

Visit sarasotaarts.org to explore all the ways you can engage with Sarasota's vibrant cultural scene in 2026.

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

Pictured: Deborah F. Rutter and Brian Hersh at the 2025 Arts Summit. Provided photo.