Community Foundation of Sarasota County president and chief executive officer Roxie Jerde is retiring next June in order to embark on new adventures. Her tenure with the foundation, which she has led since 2011, has been nothing less than transformative.

Under Jerde's leadership, the foundation has nearly tripled its assets and now oversees more than $500 million in charitable money. She also launched initiatives like The Giving Partner, an online database with detailed profiles of more than 700 nonprofits, offering the public more transparency about the organizations' operations and management.

Jerde's vision also led to the Giving Challenge, an online fundraising campaign held every two years that has raised more than $92 million for local nonprofits over nine cycles. (The 2024 Giving Challenge alone raised $17.2 million.) Then there's the Season of Sharing campaign, which now generates more than $4 million annually to help locals facing crises by providing essential support for rent, utilities, child care and transportation.

We caught up with Jerde to talk about her time at the foundation and to learn more about what’s next for her.

There must be a long list, but what is an initiative you’re proud of at the Community Foundation?

"We've been able to attract more people to be philanthropic and work with us, whether we are part of their legacy plan or to give now, which builds a future and strengthens the community.

"Also, the way we bring the whole family lens to the work we do has helped show that a focus on families really matters. When we help kids, we can also help them through reaching the adults in their lives. We talk about our '2Gen' future focus. [Editor's note: The foundation's "2Gen" approach means helping both children and parents at the same to improve overall family well-being.] Part of my job is providing hope for our donors that their legacies will make a difference in their future lives."

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?

"The pandemic was by far the most significant hurdle. In March [2020], we had to close [our office], but we partnered extensively with The Patterson Foundation and [president and chief executive officer] Debra Jacobs. She called me and said we had to reactivate the campaigns. Together, we launched the Season of Sharing campaign the very next month, and The Patterson Foundation offered gifts and incentives to donors. We could only have 10 people in the office at a time, which made processing the influx of gifts challenging. Despite operating with a skeleton team, we managed to ensure we were good stewards of the funds. During that critical time, we raised between $3 million and $4 million, which was crucial, as many people had lost their jobs and this was before any government aid kicked in."

"We faced another challenge with our Giving Challenge. Despite the uncertainty, the challenge became a lifeline for smaller nonprofits, raising $19 million—the largest amount in nine years. Food banks topped the leaderboard, showing a newfound urgency for food donations.

"Throughout these challenges, our team rallied remarkably. No one complained and everyone understood the importance of our mission. We received support from 50,000 donors, showing a strong community spirit and care for our neighbors.

"I am incredibly grateful for my colleagues who stepped up during this difficult time. It was inspiring to see how nonprofits adapted, canceling fundraisers yet still providing essential services. We offered our infrastructure and absorbed the expenses, ensuring that 90 percent of donations went directly to our cause. Looking back, those first four months were the most stressful in my 13 years with the organization, but they also demonstrated our resilience and commitment to our community."

How has giving changed over the years?

"The opportunities for everyone to give, including younger generations, have grown. The power of the internet—the Giving Challenge wouldn't work without it. Initiatives like GoFundMe pages and Giving Tuesday became more widely used. It was important for everyone to feel like they could participate, even with $25.

"At the same time, we’ve been able to grow assets by working with people who have included us in their estate plans and want to leave a lasting legacy but also give in the present.

"Also, the new influx of people who moved here brought more donors. They just fall in love with the community and when they come from a larger city, with larger challenges, they feel like the problems are harder to overcome. Here, they feel like they can make a difference and we're honored to have earned their trust."

What do you hope your legacy will be?

"I don’t think in those terms. I hope that we’re stronger. I’m the second president and CEO in 45 years, and I was able to build upon [former president and CEO] Stewart Stearns' successes to now be able to hand this to someone to do the same. I think I’ve strengthened our foundation and also have us in a better position to better help each other. I hope I was able to ultimately strengthen the opportunity for everyone to feel they can be part of giving in our community, and that translates to changing lives."

Can you share a story that encapsulates the mission of the foundation and its impact?

"Shortly after I got here, I was at the Lee Weatherington Boys & Girls Club, where we were funding a summer program. I introduced myself to Roxana, a little girl, and said, 'My name is Roxanne,' to share that we had the same name. She was an incoming kindergartner, and she answered, 'Roxana Cuba.' She didn’t know English yet.

"She went to Tuttle Elementary and she came back the next summer and was flitting around with her friends and speaking English. Seeing her thrive in this environment was so heartwarming.

"Fast forward years later, and I was at a graduation at a family program with UnidosNow that helps parents who are new to our country, because often the parents don’t have the opportunity to learn the language. I see Roxana and her dad are in the program. Her mom was a nurse in Cuba and we helped line her up with a similar role here. I still have lunch with Roxana and she has straight As. It has been such a great relationship for me. I went to her 15th birthday party and we celebrated with her mom when she got her American citizenship. And this grew all because of our names.

"She’s at Sarasota High School now. And for a while, her mom was even a caregiver to one of our donors. We all get together and it’s been serendipitous. Roxana has two older brothers who are both going into the medical field. I’ve gotten to know some of the people through the programs we’ve funded and to see where some people start and the fortitude and tenacity and barriers they have to overcome without a lot of support is inspiring. There are great successes."

What are your hopes for the future after your departure? Are there any goals on the foundation's agenda?

"I’m here for another year, so if anyone says I was slacking this year, I’m going to be pissed off! We have other things to accomplish. We just renovated our 20-year-old building and got out of temporary offices, where we were for nine months. We’re doing a major system conversion next year. There are internal things that will be done by the time the new CEO is in place so there's nothing major looming for them. Our amazing team will also be in place."

What’s next for you?

"[My husband and I] are staying here. People move here to retire! I’m excited to experience the community now that I’ll have more time to take advantage of the things we have here. But first, it’ll be nice to sleep for three months. Then, when I awaken from that, I'll take it as it comes. We’re big cyclists and we’ve ridden our bikes across Iowa 26 times in the RAGBRAI. [Editor's note: The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa is the oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle touring event in the world.] When you work full time, it’s hard to train, but doing it helped keep me sane. Maybe we'll go to the beach, since I only go when friends come, even though we’re just 15 minutes from Siesta Key and Nokomis Beach. I'll volunteer, too. It’ll be nice to have more time with friends and family. It’s bittersweet to walk away from something that energizes you, but I’m going to be 72 when I retire and it’s time."

What advice would you give to the next leader?

"They will fall in love with this community and they will find everyone so welcoming and see so much opportunity and so many innovations that are waiting to happen in this sector. I’m hopeful the next person will build upon what I was able to do. I will cheer them on and see them do things and offer support as a resource while staying out of their hair. I’ll help on-board and I’m confident in the path we’re on and the culture we’ve built. I’ll be sending them good karma and good luck and hope they can enjoy it as much as I do."