Newtown Business Council Directs $100,000 in Grants to Nine Nonprofits

Community-guided funding will support disaster recovery, health and wellness, youth enrichment, senior resilience and food access in Sarasota’s Newtown.

Nine nonprofit organizations serving Newtown have been awarded a combined $100,000 through a community-led grantmaking initiative involving the Newtown Business Council and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

The grants will support programs focused on disaster recovery and preparedness, community health, youth enrichment, family wellness, senior support and access to food. Community members helped identify local needs and inform which programs would receive funding.

The initiative used participatory grantmaking, an approach that gives people directly affected by funding decisions a role in shaping them. The Community Foundation provided funding, forums for discussion and technical support. The Newtown Business Council oversaw the grant application process and worked with community members to select programs.

“Participatory grantmaking meant something deeply personal to me because it demonstrated what can happen when a community’s voice is not simply heard, but trusted,”

said Mary Butler, president and CEO of the Newtown Business Council. “This process was about more than distributing grant dollars. It was an opportunity for people who know and care about Newtown to help determine how philanthropic resources can respond to the needs of Newtown.”

“When people who know their community best are the ones making decisions, the impact goes further and the relationships grow stronger,” said Kirsten Russell, vice president of community impact at the Community Foundation. “Our partnership with the Newtown Business Council shows what that looks like in practice, and it’s a model for how we want to serve our community going forward.”

Programs receiving support

The grants will support programs at nine organizations:

• Multicultural Health Institute: Safe Together: Community Health Navigator Training for Hurricane Recovery and Resilience will provide Newtown residents with hands-on instruction in disaster recovery, caregiver support and chronic disease management.
• Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition: The Leaders of the Future Enrichment Program will offer after-school activities for youth ages 5 to 14, including literacy, technology, arts, music, gardening, life skills, African American history, and social and emotional development.
• Children First: Building Resilience Through Conscious Discipline will give teachers and caregivers practical, trauma-informed strategies for creating safe and nurturing environments where children can heal and thrive.
• Making an Impact: The organization will create a Newtown-specific disaster recovery resource guide with information on Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Small Business Administration resources, housing repairs, legal assistance, food programs and services for seniors.
• J5 Experience: Rooted & Rising will support families recovering from recent hurricanes through activities focused on communication, emotional well-being, financial preparedness, household readiness and family goal-setting.
• Business and Professional Women of North Sarasota: A disaster-resilience education program for seniors will include monthly workshops, hands-on activities and community partnerships.
• SRQ Strong: The organization will help families prepare for and recover from storms, protect important records, develop emergency plans, navigate recovery resources and replace essential documents such as identification cards and birth certificates.
• Sarasota Prostate Initiative: The Newtown Men’s Health Center will provide support for men with prostate conditions and other health needs, including free blood tests and opportunities for discussion and education.
• Sarasota Housing Funding Corporation: The Newtown Community Fridge will provide an emergency source of nutritious food for families who lose power and refrigeration after a disaster.

The grantmaking process began with community engagement events where Newtown residents shared their views on local needs and how nonprofits and funders could address them. Disaster recovery and resilience were central priorities, while residents also identified healthcare, youth enrichment and family stability as important needs. The Community Foundation drew on additional funding sources to support selected recommendations in those areas.

Several grants were supported by the Foundation’s Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund. Other funding sources included the Leslie and Margaret Weller Fund, the James Franklin Warnell & Dorothy J. Warnell Fund, and the Evelyn R. Talbert Unrestricted Fund.

The Newtown Business Council is a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening Newtown’s economic well-being by supporting local businesses and planning for economic growth.