Dogs Inc. is receiving a $150,000 donation from retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral William McRaven, recipient of the 2024 Bezos Courage & Civility Award presented by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez.

PetSmart Charities recently donated nearly 42,000 pounds of pet food to All Faiths Food Bank (AFFB) to help area pet owners ensure their four-legged family members have enough to eat. The food is being distributed at AFFB’s mobile pantries, through AFFB’s agency partners, and AFFB community partner TANKS Animal Rescue in Myakka City.

Safe Children Coalition was recently awarded a grant of $200,000 from the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation in support of its Youth Shelter effort. 

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that five students from the Youth Leadership Sarasota program have been awarded scholarships to participate in the chamber’s Youth Leadership program, thanks to support from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The recipients of the $175 scholarships are Kezia Alvin, State College of Florida Collegiate School; Alvin Luu, Florida Virtual School; William Pope, Bradenton Christian School; Chantal Usubillaga, Pine View; and Christine Wu, Pine View.

Florida Studio Theatre received a charitable gift of $5,000 from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. The funds will be used to support the 2024-2025 Write A Play Program, now in its 34th year.

The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Bishop-Parker Foundation to support the Spot On Program, which aims to improve communication, self-regulation, and functional life skills in young children, ensuring that developmental delays do not hinder early learning experiences.