Applications opened to nonprofits for Hurricane Ian recovery grants in Sarasota area

Nonprofits that are helping area communities and residents recover from the long-term effects of Hurricane Ian can now apply for grants from the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund.

Applications will be accepted through April 28 for the first in a series of competitive grant cycles, according to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which activated the fund in partnership with The Patterson Foundation.

In the wake of the storm, about $5 million was raised for the fund through contributions from more than 1,000 donors, according to the Community Foundation.

The fund was intended to help improve the sustainability and resiliency of the community as well as address the lasting impacts on residents’ lives long after the initial emergency.

“Disaster recovery – versus disaster response – requires the patience to listen and then build a thoughtful strategy that puts the people most affected in a place of empowerment,” said Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation.

“While we applaud the immediate responses to Hurricane Ian, we chose to focus on longer-term recovery and have the communities impacted tell us where they need help when they are at a place that can be assessed and shared,” Jerde added. “This is a people-centric approach.”

Priority will be given to grant proposals that focus on the following six areas: case management; children and youth services and education; home repair and housing needs; legal services; mental and behavioral health; and long-term recovery group (LTRG) and community organizations active in disaster (COAD) support.

Eligible applicants must be 501 (c) 3 public charities with recovery and resiliency programs in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte or DeSoto counties. They also must have a current profile in The Giving Partner online database.

To see this story as it originally appeared in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on April 12, 2023, click here.