Guide to Giving 2025

A year of bold generosity. Plus: 10 great moments in philanthropy, a look at how an influx of wealth is reshaping Sarasota, and the moving story of the family who founded the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School.

In this issue:

Arts & Entertainment

Theater for Everyone

Sarasota Jewish Theatre Continues to Grow Its Audience and Its Programming

The company enjoyed a sold-out season last year and continues to expand under artistic director Carole Kleinberg.

09/08/2025 By Kay Kipling

A Family's Leap

The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School Is Built on Politics, Determination and Family

After escaping Cuba for America, Ariel Serrano and Wilmian Hernandez started a ballet school. Now their son Francisco is a star at The Royal Ballet in London.

09/08/2025 By Carrie Seidman

Made in Sarasota

Gary Drouin’s Retro Tube Amplifiers Have a National Market

Drouin, 72, meticulously hand-builds and repairs amplifiers from his home garage for tube amp devotees around the country.

09/04/2025 By Megan McDonald

Happy Days

Emmy-Award Winning Mauro Gatti, Creator of the Happy Broadcast, Brings Good Vibes to This Year’s PINC

"You have to take care of yourself to take care of others. I’m in that sweet spot right now in my life. I love it.”

09/03/2025 By Megan McDonald

Sculpting the Unseen

Ringling Students Are Bringing Cold Cases Back to Life Through Forensics

Led by veteran forensic artist Joe Mullins, the workshops are yielding not just practice, but breakthroughs in real-world criminal investigations.

09/02/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Follow the Money

Where Do Your Donation Dollars Go?

We followed the money at these nonprofits to learn about the impact your donation–from $10 to $10,000–can make.

09/01/2025

10 Major Philanthropic Moments

From big gifts to grassroots campaigns, here are 10 of the year’s major philanthropic moments with huge community impact.

09/01/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Branded Content

Celebrate Sarasota’s Nonprofits in Bloom

Celebrating the organizations planting seeds of hope and growing a stronger Sarasota community.

09/01/2025 By Sarasota Magazine Content Studio

Eat & Drink

Counter Culture

Grab a Chair at These Four Chef’s Counters

Those who dine unfettered by dietary restrictions and driven by curiosity will relish the chef’s counter adventure.

09/15/2025 By Karen Hughes Irvine

Whisker Wonderland

At Katy’s Cat Café, Adoptable Cats and Kittens Are the Stars

At Katy’s, one side of the space is a beverage and ice cream outlet, where you can view, but not physically hang out with the cats. A separate entrance takes you into the “cat lounge,” where you can cuddle adoptable cats and kittens lazing about.

09/04/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Fashion & Shopping

Find Something Fabulous

Treasure-Hunting Thifters Head to Fabulous Finds at the Pines

Even interior designers, stagers and theater people looking for props drop in.

09/02/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Home & Real Estate

A Rinse With a View

Four Backyard Showers With Style

From coral rock installations to sleek modern pavilions, outdoor showers aren’t just rinsing stations—they’re statements.

09/08/2025 By Kim Doleatto

News & City Life

Haunting Grounds

Sarasota's Most Haunted Places

A spine-tingling tour of ghostly spots.

10/31/2025 By Lauren Jackson and Sarafina Murphy-Gibson

In Their Own Words

Darwin Tepe Puts Data and Heart to Work for Sarasota’s Seniors

Tepe’s work pairs numbers with human stories, showing legislators and funders that investing in seniors isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s financially savvy.

09/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Flashback

In 1937, the Bradenton Nine Devils Took the Field for the First Time

Part of the Florida Negro League, the team is now honored with a historic marker at LECOM Park—the first step in the creation of the African American Heritage Trail.

09/02/2025 By Megan McDonald

Stats

GoFundMe Offered a Lifeline After Last Year’s Storms

Sarasota ranks high as a giving community.

09/02/2025 By Megan McDonald

Meals That Matter

All Faiths Food Bank Delivers Care and Nourishment to a Growing Number of Hungry Families

An increasing number of local families “are one blown tire away from not being able to pay their rent—forget saving or having any buffer,” All Faiths CEO Nelle Miller says.

09/02/2025 By Megan McDonald

Home Sweet Home

Alfred Lanier and Nikki Graybeal Have Found Independence and Friendship at the Haven

“My favorite thing about living here is the diversity."

09/01/2025 By Lauren Jackson

The Rich Keep Coming

How Wealthy Do You Have to Be to Live in Sarasota?

The flow of money and prosperity has accelerated in the last decade, bringing to town more millionaires, multimillionaires and even billionaires. The paradox, of course, is that many households and systems are under strain.

09/01/2025 By Kim Doleatto