Foundation to match up to $250,000 in donations to endowment’s new Diane McFarlin fund

SARASOTA, Fla. (June 27, 2012) – The Patterson Foundation today announced it will match up to $250,000 in donations made to the Diane McFarlin Season of Sharing Endowment Fund. Matched donations will help build the endowment, creating a long-term legacy for Season of Sharing.
 
This new Diane McFarlin Season of Sharing Endowment Fund honors the philanthropic work of Diane McFarlin, long-time Sarasota Herald-Tribune publisher and president. Under McFarlin’s leadership in 2000, the Herald-Tribune established the Season of Sharing campaign in partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to provide emergency assistance to families on the verge of homelessness in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties in Florida. McFarlin is leaving the Herald-Tribune at the end of June to prepare for her new position as dean of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

“We support the long-term thrivability of the Season of Sharing campaign, something born from Diane’s belief that a community cares about its most vulnerable, and a movement that annually demonstrates that the heart of philanthropy continues to beat, even during turbulent economic times,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “It is appropriate that an endowment fund in her honor will undergird future needs.”

To those who have worked with McFarlin on several community projects, the fund is an especially fitting tribute.

“The Diane McFarlin Season of Sharing Endowment Fund will ensure the legacy of Diane’s caring for those in need in Southwest Florida will endure for generations to come,” said Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “We are honored The Patterson Foundation is partnering with the Community Foundation by matching contributions up to $250,000. What a generous and meaningful way to honor Diane’s leadership, commitment and caring for our community, not only as publisher of the Herald-Tribune Media Group but also for her years of service on the Community Foundation board of directors and most recently as Chair.”

Since establishing Season of Sharing, the campaign has grown to include a collaborative regional print and broadcast media partnership and philanthropic partnerships – distributing $6.5 million to local nonprofits serving those in need since its inception. The Patterson Foundation has issued matching challenges during the campaign since 2009, inspiring about $4.6 million in community generosity.
 
“I can’t think of anything that could please me more, because this benefits the community at large,” McFarlin said. “The endowment will help to ensure that emergency funds for families in crisis are available into the future. I am deeply grateful to The Patterson Foundation and other generous donors for honoring me in a way that is both philanthropic and strategic.”

About The Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation believes that through communications, technology, and financial innovations, improvements may be achieved that transcend any single issue, entity, or geographic area. The Foundation provides resources to facilitate, expedite and share methods, techniques and tools, joining with others in creating new realities. For more information, please visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org. 

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