Community Foundation of Sarasota County Earns National Recognition, Awarded Re-Accreditation, Named Top Employer

The three-year renewal of accreditation and 4-star rating on Charity Navigator demonstrate a commitment to financial stewardship and operational excellence

SARASOTA, FL – The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has been nationally recognized for its commitment to financial stewardship, accountability, and transparency by two longstanding leaders in the philanthropic industry, in addition to being named a top regional employer.

Through a rigorous peer-reviewed process conducted by the Council on Foundations, the Community Foundation has been awarded re-accreditation with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® for an additional three years. Executed with rigor and expertise, the National Standards® accreditation exemplifies the highest standards of operational excellence and integrity in community philanthropy, and remains a voluntary effort ensuring accountability and compliance above and beyond legal requirements. The Community Foundation has earned this recognition since 2006, one year after the accreditation’s inception.

The Community Foundation has also earned an “exceptional” 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, the highest attainable from the independent nonprofit evaluator. Indicating an adherence to sector best practices, this designation verifies that the Community Foundation exceeds industry standards and outperforms other charitable organizations in its area of work, specifically across two performance metrics: Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency. Only one fourth of rated causes on the platform achieve the 4-star distinction.

“Receiving these accolades reaffirms the invaluable trust so many generous individuals place in us, as well as our responsibility to serve our entire community with continuing excellence,” says Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. ”Alongside our donors and nonprofit partners, our commitment to building a region where everyone can thrive remains unwavering as we help solve problems for long-term generational change, today and in the future.”

Additionally, the external acknowledgements of excellence were supported by the Community Foundation’s recognition as a top employer in the region. Hosted by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the newspaper's annual Best Places to Work in Sarasota-Manatee awards program identifies and recognizes the region's very best employers. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has been named a top employer through the program, which relies on company-wide surveys to measure culture and values, since 2018.

“The Best Places to Work program provides invaluable employee feedback that allows us to always evolve and expand our operations to support our team and their families,” says Jerde.

For more than 40 years, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has been key to unlocking possibilities for everyone who calls our area home. Founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council, the Community Foundation has grown one donor at a time to become the second largest community foundation in the state of Florida, managing more than 1,500 funds and granting more than $323 million to area nonprofit organizations serving our community.

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About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $421 million in more than 1,500 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $48.9 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $323 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.