The South Florida Museum has reached $9.6 million, 80 percent of its $12 million Connect Campaign to expand and transform the downtown Bradenton museum into a learning destination and cultural hub, thanks in part to a $1.3 million gift from the Mosaic Company Foundation. Details about the Campaign and more information about how the Museum is growing is available at southfloridamuseum.org/connect. The Museum also received a $10,000 year-end gift from the Sara and Ray Baden Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation.

 

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With donations ranging from $10 to several thousand dollars, hundreds of community members have chipped in to help fund a feasibility study to extend the Legacy Trail north to downtown Sarasota through Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s charitable crowdfunding website, GulfCoastGives.org. The online fund-raising project hit its goal of $72,521 to match public funding from Sarasota County earmarked for a two-phase feasibility study of extending the trail. When the county awarded the contract for the study, it challenged the private sector to raise half of the funds that would be needed to complete it. The roster of donors on the campaign’s fundraising page shows supporters ranging from individual community members and cycling clubs to major homebuilders. Friends of Sarasota County Parks and Friends of the Legacy Trail also added donations made directly to their groups as well as proceeds from fund-raising events.

 

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iHeartMedia is helping SunCoast Blood Bank meet the daily challenge of keeping the blood supply readily available by sponsoring the first Annual Corporate Challenge. During February, one nonprofit and one business that registers the most blood and platelet donors at SCBB will win a $5,000 marketing package from the local iHeartMedia station of choice. Visit scbb.org to register in January or February, but only donations in February will count toward the goal. Participating organizations can recruit others to donate on their behalf. The winner will be notified by March 6.