Sharing: A Catalyst To Enhance Impact

The Patterson Foundation’s (TPF) strategy to create impact is grounded in the belief that people, organizations, and communities are strengthened by investing in connecting, learning, sharing, and evolving efforts to advance common aspirations. Sharing is an aspect of TPF’s strategic approach. Sharing is the pivotal point linking the benefits of connecting and learning to create movement and propelling actions involved in evolving and strengthening. The sharing of knowledge, skills, expertise, experiences, information, and money is a catalyst stimulating enhanced impact.

Here are some ways TPF shares to strengthen the impact of people, organizations, and communities through the work of several of its initiatives:

Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (SCGLR)
Intended Impact: To help all children, especially those from low-income families, succeed in school by ensuring they read on grade-level by third grade. Some examples of how SCGLR shares techniques, approaches, resources, and information with parents, children, nonprofit organizations, media, and other sectors:
• Vroom Pioneer Pilot program - sharing with Vroom communities and national Vroom
• Attendance Awareness Poster Contest replicated in other states
• Targeted media approach (bus advertisements, bi-lingual tools, etc.)
• National media connections with SPIRE CoLab
• On-site engagement in early learning centers, nonprofit agencies, schools, health departments, churches and community events

Margin & Mission Ignition (MMI)
Intended Impact: To increase the capability of nonprofits in our region to explore, develop and implement strategies that increase entrepreneurial capacity, boost revenue, and strengthen mission impact. TPF’s investment of $750,000 in MMI is strengthening area nonprofits. Participating organizations are engaged in an 18-month learning process with extensive guidance from No Margin, No Mission, a national social enterprise consulting firm.

Advanced nonprofits include:
• 2015, the "Super 6" (Charlotte Habitat for Humanity, Friendship Centers, Pines of Sarasota, Legal Aid of Manasota, Lighthouse of Manasota, Friends of Sarasota County Parks)
• 2016, the “Thrivable Three” chose to pursue a second earned income product/service (Charlotte Habitat for Humanity, Friendship Centers, Pines of Sarasota)
• 2016, the “Fantastic Five” (Charlotte Players, Florida Maritime Museum, Historic Spanish Point, Literacy Council of Sarasota County, Manatee Performing Arts Center)

Patriot Plaza
Intended Impact: To honor veterans, inspire patriotism, and embrace freedom. TPF fully funded Patriot Plaza (PP), a $12 million amphitheater and complex located at Sarasota National Cemetery. It’s become a model for local benefits and other communities with national cemeteries. PP shares stories and honors our veterans and service people. There are a few ways TPF further shares to strengthen the Plaza’s impact:
• It won the state’s American Institute of Architects Florida’s Spirit of Architecture Award
• Working with the Arts and Cultural Alliance; PP participated in Inspire Sarasota!
• Weekly tours are provided by Patriot Plaza Guides
• Transportation funding allows access for students grades 4–12 in our region to tour Patriot Plaza through TPF’s EdExploreSRQ initiative

The Giving Challenge
Intended Impact: To motivate and strengthen giving by matching others’ gifts. TPF stimulates giving in many ways but the Giving Challenge has inspired unprecedented local giving. The Giving Challenge is a 24-hour giving event supporting more than 450 nonprofits serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties in Florida.
• Since 2012, donors have provided more than $28 million in unrestricted funding to support nonprofits. TPF has provided more than $11 million for The Giving Challenge to date through matching donations and other donor incentives.
• In 2016, TPF’s matching gifts totaling $7.5 million were a catalyst to inspire sharing of a whopping $13.4 million to strengthen nonprofit organizations in the region in just 24 hours.

To contact Deborah: dgauvreau@thepattersonfoundation.org
Join Deborah on Twitter: @DeborahGauvreau