Through independent facilitation, three Red Cross chapters to collaborate, consolidate

Aided by an independent consultant supplied by The Patterson Foundation, three Southwest Florida Red Cross chapters announced plans to combine forces and create one entity that will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardee counties.

The three chapter volunteer boards, facilitated by The Patterson Foundation’s Collaborative Restructuring Initiative, began discussing the opportunity to combine the existing Manatee, Southwest Florida and Charlotte County chapters into one collaborative chapter earlier this year. One of the goals was to strengthen the Red Cross chapters’ core mission and services while reducing operating costs.

The consolidation discussions were facilitated by The Patterson Foundation’s Collaborative Restructuring Initiative Manager Pam Truitt along with support from La Piana consulting, a nonprofit consulting group dedicated to empowering and advancing nonprofit capacities. The merger will solidify an already close partnership between the three chapters, ensuring the Red Cross remains a strong, vibrant presence in Florida’s West Coast Region.

 “This unification will provide the strongest, most vibrant framework for the Red Cross on Florida’s West Coast to continue as the reliable organization for those who need us, every day,” said Linda Carbone, CEO of Florida’s West Coast Region (which also includes the Tampa Bay Chapter).