Since its inception, The Patterson Foundation has engaged when disaster strikes. Understanding that disaster takes many forms, The Patterson Foundation works to create outcomes that strengthen communities recovering from challenging circumstances like COVID-19. The myriad ways COVID-19 impacts people, organizations, and communities necessitates an equally diverse range of response efforts with the flexibility to support recovery as the pandemic continues to evolve. This includes creating and embracing opportunities that allow The Patterson Foundation’s initiatives to innovate as conditions evolve.

Advancing Mission Thrivability

• In collaboration with No Margin, No Mission, The Patterson Foundation launched Advancing Mission Thrivability, a valuable new opportunity for organizations with an up-to-date profile on The Giving Partner and budgets between $1 million – $9.9 million. Advancing Mission Thrivability is a series of three FREE Zoom sessions — called labinars and webversations — that will serve as a vehicle for EDs / CEOs, board members, and staffers to explore ways to strengthen their organizations and build mission impact. Following the Zoom sessions, up to 15 organizations with demonstrated interest, need, and preparedness to delve deeper into the work will have the opportunity to receive 1:1 virtual consultation support from No Margin, No Mission, underwritten by The Patterson Foundation.

Advancing Philanthropic Leadership

• With five days notice, The Patterson Foundation morphed the weeklong study away portion of “The Future of the Philanthropic Sector” experiential learning course into a totally virtual experience and converted a session on the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s graduate certificate and master’s programs into a webinar.

2020 Giving Challenge

• The Patterson Foundation contributed $7.5 million to the 2020 Giving Challenge through a 1:1 match for all unique donations between $25 and $100 per donor, per nonprofit organization — in addition to $51,000 in prizes for nonprofit organizations that cultivated the highest number of unique donors. The contribution strengthened our caring community’s generosity as it raised $18.4 million in unrestricted funding for nearly 700 nonprofits amid the COVID-19 pandemic — the greatest Giving Challenge total to date
  
  
• To jump-start nonprofit engagement with our caring community around the 2020 Giving Challenge, The Patterson Foundation shared daily tips across its social media and digital channels that organizations and donors used to strengthen opportunities to connect over the month leading up to the 24-hour event.

NetHope

• The Patterson Foundation contributed a $100,000 gift to catalyze contributions from additional funders to strengthen NetHope’s international COVID-19 response effort and support its 57 member organizations with technology solutions developed in partnership with leading technology companies.

Patriot Plaza

• The Patterson Foundation’s commitment to honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s veterans and military families led to The Patterson Foundation making a one-time $50,000 gift to Wreaths Across America at Sarasota National Cemetery. Wreaths Across America is one organization that has faced new challenges this year in its mission to honor our nation’s heroes by providing donated wreaths for the headstones of the veterans laid to rest throughout our national cemeteries. 

Season of Sharing

• Season of Sharing was reactivated in March 2020 to help families and individuals facing unforeseen financial hardship brought on by the pandemic. The Patterson Foundation contributed an immediate $500,000 gift to the campaign and a $500,000 dollar-for-dollar match, which the community achieved in less than a month while raising over $2 million.

Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

• In collaboration with The Florida Center for Early Childhood, the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading created and presented a series of webinars designed to help parents and children talk about and deal with COVID-19 in ways that are honest, accurate, and minimize anxiety.
  
  
• The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading created a new iteration of its book circles focused on The Power of Presence through webinars featuring author Joy Thomas Moore sharing how the seven pillars of presence, heart, faith, courage, financial freedom, values and connectedness can help guide families through these challenging times, in addition to follow-up discussions on Zoom.
  
  
• The Suncoast Summer Reading Challenge has been reformatted for summer programs serving a limited number of children on-site, as well as those operating virtually. The annual Blast Off event initiating the Suncoast Summer Book Challenge was held virtually.
  
  
• To continue inspiring children to become confident readers, the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is producing THIS BOOK IS COOL!, a series of 100 webisodes focused on 100 books for students in grades Pre-K – 3 featuring special guests, vocabulary lessons, and fun follow-up activities. Books will be distributed to qualifing children from Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties on a weekly basis over the summer.
  
  
• Mind in the Making coffee chats for facilitators went virtual, and training for community members was reformatted and delivered virtually.

Be sure to check the blog library for the latest updates on The Patterson Foundation’s response and efforts related to COVID-19.