Grounded Firmly in Possibility
The Patterson Foundation Strengthens Individuals, Organizations, and Communities in Ways That Foster Wide Participation
TPF Fellow John Ferguson 2020/21 gives us a glimpse into what lies ahead for TPF’s initiatives.
Moving Forward During a Pandemic
TPF Impact Reflections and Looking Ahead
Inaugural TPF Fellow Hannah Saeger Karnei shares The Patterson Foundation’s approach to philanthropy during the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 Response
THE NEW NORMAL
The Patterson Foundation quickly moved beyond coping into adapting to COVID-19 by embracing digital platforms and creating innovative networks and opportunities for engagement, while leveraging time-tested collaborations poised to boost recovery efforts and the organizations behind them. From there, The Patterson Foundation moved into innovating how it strengthens people, organizations, and communities through each of its initiatives focused on caring, connecting, collaborating, contributing and creating.
Advancing Mission Thrivability
Advancing Philanthropic Leadership
2020 Giving Challenge
NetHope
Season of Sharing
Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading’s THIS BOOK IS COOL!
Honoring & Onward
HONORING THE FIRST DECADE
On January 6, 2010, The Patterson Foundation launched under an unfettered charter to do good and do it well. Through its nine initial Legacy Initiatives, The Patterson Foundation honed its innovative approach to making a difference in our world — focusing on strengthening the impact of people, organizations, and communities that are working toward fulfilling shared aspirations. A decade and 25 additional completed and ongoing initiatives later, The Patterson Foundation honors those who have embraced and strengthened their impact through this approach while pursuing further opportunities to continue these collaborative efforts in its ongoing journey.
Fellows Program
AN EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE
Through a collaboration with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, The Patterson Foundation created the Fellows Program and welcomed its Inaugural Fellow Hannah Saeger Karnei. Through the Fellows Program, The Patterson Foundation aspires to create a network of future leaders aligned in their innovative approach to philanthropy.
The Bay
A SHARED COMMITMENT FOR THE BAY
Through The Bay, the community is engaged in a multi-year journey to fulfill its vision to transform 53 acres of the city's most precious land on Sarasota's bayfront into a public park that is free, open, and welcoming to our diverse region, while offering fitness, health, cultural, recreational, and educational activities and events. The Patterson Foundation has strengthened and accelerated The Bay’s process by providing up to $5 million toward Phase 1 of its master plan, along with years of consulting and support to its leadership team prior to and during the master planning phase.
Giving Challenge
Celebrating Our Generous Community
The buildup to the 2018 Giving Challenge was powerful. More than 630 nonprofits located in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties passionately shared their missions and the valuable work they do to make an impact. Since 2012, The Patterson Foundation has supported the Giving Challenge with match funding to inspire generosity. To date, the Giving Challenge has raised more than $39 million.
Age-Friendly Sarasota
Age-Friendly Festival
Turning an aspiration into a reality, the Age-Friendly Festival became the first community celebration in the nation to focus on lifelong well-being while connecting people of all ages. Offering a multitude of ways to "enjoy, experience, and energize," the Age-Friendly Festival filled the Sarasota Fairgrounds with its diverse activities on Saturday, October 28, 2017.
Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Receives Multiple Honors
The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading received a variety of accolades during Grade-Level Reading Week in Denver. The Campaign was recognized for exemplary work to unite the community and engage families in an effort to increase reading proficiency and combat the challenges that can undermine early literacy.
- All-America City Award
- Pacesetter Honor
- Excellence in Communications for Best Website
- Excellence in Communications for Best Media Story
- Excellence in Communications for Best Event
Giving Challenge
Giving Challenge Breaks Records
Since 2012, The Patterson Foundation has supported the Giving Challenge, a 24-hour giving event benefiting more than 450 Southwest Florida nonprofits, with match funding to inspire generosity. To date, the Giving Challenge has raised more than $28 million.
Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Launches
Part of the national movement, Manatee and Sarasota counties in Florida develop a regional approach to improving early childhood literacy by forming the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading through support from The Patterson Foundation and other community partners.
Age-Friendly Sarasota
Age-Friendly Sarasota Designation
Through support from The Patterson Foundation and in partnership with community organizations, Sarasota County is the first in Florida to join the World Health Organization’s Global Network of age-friendly cities and communities.
Patriot Plaza
Patriot Plaza Dedication
More than 3,000 community members gather as the $12 million Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery in Florida is dedicated and donated to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.
Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Enterprise Funder
With a network of more than 285 communities nationwide addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time, The Patterson Foundation provides technical assistance and strategic support to this national movement to increase early childhood literacy.
Legacy of Valor
Legacy of Valor Campaign Launches
Honoring veterans, inspiring patriotism, and embracing freedom in Southwest Florida leading up to Patriot Plaza’s dedication, the Legacy of Valor Campaign touches more than 475,000 people through 100 collaborative partnerships that results in 200 events honoring veterans and their families.
Patriot Plaza
Patriot Plaza Groundbreaking
Fully funded by The Patterson Foundation and developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Patriot Plaza in Sarasota, Florida, is a first-of-its-kind ceremonial amphitheater, which features art installations honoring veterans and their families for generations to come.
The Legacy Initiatives
Nine Initiatives Created to Honor the Family
- Aging with Dignity and Independence
- Arthritis Foundation – Florida Chapter
- Bringing Science Home
- Caregiver Connect
- Collaboratory at Ringling College of Art and Design
- EdExploreSRQ
- New Media Journalism
- Patriot Plaza
- Sister M. Lucia Haas Scholarship Endowment
An “Unfettered Charter”
The Foundation's Work Begins
With its unique “unfettered charter” of no stipulations on geographic or issue focus, The Patterson Foundation creates nine legacy initiatives to honor the Patterson family legacy. This unique charter gives foundation leaders flexibility, opportunity, and responsibility to be imaginative in philanthropy for increased impact.
The Governing Board
A Formalized Governance
The Patterson Foundation trust formalizes its governance structure and names three members to its Governing Board. After a nationwide search, Debra Jacobs is named the first President and CEO of The Patterson Foundation.
Dorothy Passes
Dorothy Patterson Passes Away
Dorothy Patterson passes away at age 85. Her personal estate is left to the foundation, building the corpus to approximately $200 million. Dorothy Clarke Patterson’s estate makes one of the 10 largest charitable bequests in the United States in 2008.
A Legacy Begins
Dorothy Creates The Patterson Foundation
Dorothy Patterson creates a trust named The Patterson Foundation with a corpus of $3 million. Dorothy was never one to consider herself “rich” and she felt that the money left to her was not hers alone, so she practiced “kitchen-table philanthropy” and supported community charities close to her heart.
Jim Passes
Jim Patterson Passes Away
Jim Patterson passes away at age 69 due to complications from his diabetes. He leaves his extensive family wealth to his wife, Dorothy.
Retirement
Jim and Dorothy Retired to Sarasota
Jim and Dorothy Patterson retire to Longboat Key in Sarasota, Florida, and become very active in the community while maintaining their trademark down-to-earth personalities.
A Promotion
VP and Assistant Manager of The Daily News
After working various positions, Jim Patterson becomes vice president and assistant managing editor of The Daily News.
The Daily News
Jim Joins The Daily News
Jim Patterson joins The Daily News as a reporter in its Washington Bureau.
Captain Patterson
Jim Achieves Rank of Captain
Jim Patterson goes on to achieve the rank of Captain in the United States Army while serving in posts in the United States and Japan.
Graduation and a Marriage
Jim Graduates from West Point and Marries Dorothy
Jim Patterson graduates from West Point and marries his high school sweetheart Dorothy Clarke.
Jim and Dorothy
Jim Patterson and Dorothy Clarke Meet for the First Time
Jim Patterson meets his future wife, Dorothy (Dot) Marie Clarke, in a school run by St. Augustine Catholic Church in Ossining, NY. The couple begin dating in high school.
Radio and Television
The First Broadcast Licenses In New York and Chicago
Working together, The Chicago Tribune and The Daily News secure the first radio and television broadcast licenses in Chicago and New York.
Jim Patterson
Jim Patterson is Born
James (Jim) Joseph Patterson, son of Capt. Joseph Medill Patterson and Mary King, the first woman editor of The Daily News, is born in England and raised in Ossining, NY.
The Daily News
Capt. Patterson Creates The Daily News
Jim Patterson's father, Capt. Joseph Medill Patterson, who worked in editorial for the Chicago Tribune, left Chicago to create The Daily News in New York City, which is considered the first “tabloid” in history because of its innovative use of photos and comics to tell the news.
Joseph Medill
Medill Elected Mayor of Chicago
Joseph Medill, Jim Patterson's great-grandfather, is elected Mayor of Chicago to help lead the city out of the devastating aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire.
The Chicago Tribune
Medill Buys the Tribune
Joseph Medill buys into the failing Chicago Tribune and transforms it into one of the most prominent newspapers in the nation, using it to help create the Republican Party and get Abraham Lincoln elected president.
Advancing Mission Thrivability
Advancing Philanthropic Leadership
Age-Friendly Sarasota
Aspirations to Actions
Aspirations Journalism
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
COVID-19 Response
Digital Access for All
EdExploreSRQ
Giving Challenge
Margin & Mission Ignition
NetHope
Nonprofit Thrivability
Nonprofit Internship Program
Patriot Plaza
Suncoast Villages
Season of Sharing
Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition
The Bay
TPF Beyond
Aging with Dignity and Independence
Aging Mastery Program
Arthritis Foundation – Florida Chapter
Bringing Science Home
Caregiver Connect
Census 2020 Education
Clawback Recovery Challenge
Collaborative Partnering
Dorothy Patterson Fund
Honoring & Onward
HundredX Pilot Project
Legacy of Valor
National Council on Aging
New Media Journalism
Recoding Organizational DNA
Self-Management Alliance
SPIRE CoLab
Student Emergency Fund
The Giving Partner
Veterans Legacy Summit