Financial Access Federal Credit Union, a Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) headquartered in Manatee County, recently received a $2.1 million community development grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund. This grant will enable Financial Access to expand access to capital and opportunities for small businesses and employers in Manatee County; Financial Access is the only institution chartered in the Sarasota-Manatee region to be awarded this distinction.

Children First hosted its 23^rd annual Fairytale Ball at Michael’s on East in April and raised more than $600,00 to support its services.

The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation has awarded $1,042,735 in grants to support nonprofits located in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties with capital funds needed to better serve youth, families, neighborhoods, the environment, and the arts. The awardees are Second Heart Homes ($56,967),  Feeding America Tampa Bay Inc. ($50,000), Children First ($71,542), ALSO Youth ($30,000), First Step of Sarasota ($250,000), Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Inc. ($90,000) Arc DeSoto Inc. ($20,725), Family Oriented Community United Strong, Inc. (FOCUS) ($13,650), Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition Inc. ($99,956), Old Punta Gorda, Inc. ($39,375) Sarasota Audubon Society ($100,000), Historical Society of Sarasota County ($40,000), Suncoast Waterkeeper ($25,000), Military Heritage Museum ($21,653), Circus Arts Conservatory ($50,000), Urbanite Theatre ($43,867), and Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, Inc. ($40,000).

The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation also awarded $41,600 in “Small and Mighty” grants to area nonprofit organizations with budgets of $300,000 or less. The opportunity was created to address the needs of smaller nonprofits in the region, providing access to capital funds in a simplified process. Recipients include Bring on the Ministry, Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library, Sarasota K-9 Search and Rescue and the Sarasota Succulent Society.

The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast recently received a $20,000 grant from the Jacarlene Foundation in support of its joint project with Sarasota Audubon Society to re-wild the Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields. 

The Sarasota Audubon Society also recently received a $75,000 grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation in support of its joint project with Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to re-wild the Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields.

Embracing Our Differences (EOD), recently received a $5,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch to provide vital resources for 1,000 area students to participate in EOD’s field trip program. This initiative underwrites bus transportation and docent-led tours for thousands of students and teachers to visit EOD’s annual outdoor exhibit.

Florida Power & Light has donated an energy-efficient makeover to JFCS of the Suncoast. The donation, worth $10,000, will save JFCS up to $1,200 a year, which will in turn be used to serve JFCS' mental health and social services clients. The project was completed May 10. 

Sarasota's Child Protection Center, Inc. (CPC) was recently selected as the recipient of a $10,000 grant by the Harold & Jacqueline Bladel Charitable Trust. The funding will support the nonprofit’s Personal Safety & Community Awareness Program (PSCA).

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner today announced that Katie Rumisek, a junior at the University of Central Florida, will receive one of four $1,200 scholarships awarded annually by the Florida Supervisors of Elections statewide association. The scholarship may be used to pay for qualified educational expenses.