Franklin G. Berlin Foundation Awards $188,000 in Grants to Three Nonprofit Organizations

Grants include $75,000 to Season of Sharing

SARASOTA—The Franklin G. Berlin Foundation, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, has advised on $188,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, and Charlotte Counties.

The grants will support:

• $30,000 to Mote Marine Laboratory, which strives to advance marine and environmental scientific research, education and public outreach, with a goal of revitalization and sustainability of oceanic resources. Grant funding will go toward MOTE SEA (Science Education Aquarium), a new Mote Marine site at Nathan Benderson Park offering education for diverse learners, through immersive lessons and innovative programs. This is the final grant of cumulative giving from the Franklin G. Berlin Foundation to Mote Marine totaling $100,000.
• $48,000 to The Bay Park Conservancy, which operates a 53-acre public park with recreational and educational programs available to all, free of charge.
• $25,000 to Harvest House, which provides supportive and affordable housing, addiction recovery programs, and food security, all in the name of championing hope and transforming lives.
• $75,000 was directed to the Community Foundation’s Season of Sharing donation campaign, which for almost 24 years has provided a vital community safety net that has helped families avoid homelessness through receiving one-time payments that cover rent, mortgage, auto repairs, childcare, or utility bills when circumstances make those payments otherwise unachievable.

Overall, funding will support families living at the economic edge in the region, whether in direct human services or in nonprofit organizations with a strong philosophy of reducing or eliminating boundaries, so that people of limited means can enjoy an enhanced quality of life.

The Franklin G. Berlin component fund was established at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County in November 2021 after previously operating as a private foundation. In the last two years the fund has provided $553,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations serving Sarasota County. The fund is named for Frank G. Berlin, Sr., a community leader committed to entrepreneurialism, the growth and enhancement of the Sarasota community, and organizations that reinforced a vibrant community.