Donors Drive 700,000 Dollar Contribution During Record-Breaking Season of Sharing

For 22 years, Season of Sharing has developed the structure, process, and partnerships to focus the generosity of donors throughout the Suncoast toward restoring hope to nearly 50,000 people following a significant crisis, raising more than $34 million in total contributions. Amid some of the most turbulent times in recent memory, our region seized the opportunity afforded by this trusted community resource — taking its impact to new heights.

The record-breaking $4.4 million total raised through 3,600 unique gifts during the recently concluded holiday campaign has exceeded expectations. In a mere 90-day period, thousands in a region with a population smaller than most metro cities came together for families and individuals throughout Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties — their giving strengthened further by an unprecedented $700,000 contribution from The Patterson Foundation.

The exceptional leadership of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Herald-Tribune Media Group made Season of Sharing one of our region’s greatest assets long before The Patterson Foundation’s involvement. In the 12 years since joining this effort, The Patterson Foundation has given $6.9 million through opportunities designed to foster even greater community participation throughout Season of Sharing, which brings together donors of all means and backgrounds to make a lasting, tangible difference in the lives of their neighbors in need.

Offering a $100,000 contribution every time the community donated $500,000 triggered the seven separate $100,000 gifts behind The Patterson Foundation’s contribution to the 2021-2022 campaign. These gifts, activated by caring donors, affirm our community’s connection to Season of Sharing’s mission — where people have the power to strengthen their impact by collectively applying their individual acts of generosity.

This connection did not develop overnight. It was built over a decade-long commitment toward helping us learn the challenges facing people and families across our region year-round while sharing ways to support those people as they thrive beyond them.

That commitment is evident in the variety of stories crafted by the Herald-Tribune’s gifted journalists chronicling the experiences of those aided through this vital safety net, which humanizes complex issues and sparks the giver within each of us into action. It is demonstrated further through the tireless donations of time and resources from the network of more than 50 service agencies working to ensure that all donations go directly toward crucial payments for housing, utilities, child care, transportation, and other essentials that safeguard security and restore dignity for people enduring unforeseen hardship.

Season of Sharing has facilitated an evolution throughout our region in the decades since its inception. Its collaborative, intentional efforts have invited us to discover the possibilities inherent when we focus our energy on “we” rather than “me.” Our community’s outstanding achievement during the 2021-2022 campaign is the fruit of that momentous shift. The Patterson Foundation is inspired by the outpouring of generosity during Season of Sharing and honored to have helped more givers realize their life-changing potential.