A community is often united in its shared aspirations. The Patterson Foundation works to enhance opportunities that address these common aspirations by fostering wide participation among people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities with various perceptions and perspectives. By generating Catalysts for Good, The Patterson Foundation harnesses the power of our collective vision to actualize new realities.
Aspirations to Actions
Through a partnership between journalism and philanthropy, Aspirations Journalism is an initiative to share information and engage communities through stories that encourage people to be part of the solution and take action. While examining relevant social issues, Aspirations Journalism focuses on motivating, innovating and collaborating through the lenses of The Patterson Foundation’s initiatives: Age-Friendly Sarasota, the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition and its work with the National Council on Aging.
Communities for All Ages
Communities for All Ages is an initiative strengthening opportunities that optimize quality of life for people across each generation. The Patterson Foundation is capitalizing on its experience and work in healthy aging to incubate national and global longevity movements in its home region to simultaneously localize and inform their efforts.
Higher Waters: Suncoast Quality of Life
The Higher Waters: Suncoast Quality of Life initiative explores the realities of this phenomenon by connecting with experts and efforts underway to understand its effects. As it learns from their research and experience, The Patterson Foundation aspires to share its findings in various ways, including the creation of a repository of science-based, easily accessible data on rising water levels in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
Patriot Plaza
In 2014, through a first-of-its-kind partnership, The Patterson Foundation donated Patriot Plaza — a 2,800-seat ceremonial amphitheater at Sarasota National Cemetery in Florida — to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Patterson Foundation connects the community, including schools in Charlotte, Desoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, with Patriot Plaza by working with the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, which facilitates Patriot Plaza Tours and EdExploreSRQ EdExplorations. The Patterson Foundation realized that the primary concern for educators when selecting any EdExploration is transportation funding. As a result, The Patterson Foundation began funding these field trips to Patriot Plaza for any school in the four-county area.
Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition
The Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC) is a regional coalition made up of representatives from major healthcare organizations, schools educating nurses, and community members in Florida’s Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. The grassroots group is working with the Florida Action Coalition to develop resources and help implement recommendations from the 2010 Institute of Medicine report entitled The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which recommends increasing the percentage of BSN-prepared nurses to 80 percent and doubling the number of nurses with doctorates in the United States by the year 2020 to positively influence the outcomes of patients in the nation.
The Bay
Fifty-three acres of bayfront in Sarasota, Florida, are designated for legacy development. The Patterson Foundation initially supported the work of this multi-sector community strengthening effort by providing expertise to the team of volunteers who developed the framework to create the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization. Following the positive response from Sarasota City Commissioners in 2016, The Patterson Foundation expanded its support by providing catalytic funding and consulting support benefiting the planning organization’s formation and work. With its continuing interest in helping the community achieve its aspirations through The Bay, the foundation has engaged a consultant to provide strategic expertise to the master-planning process.
A Walk to Respect
Advancing Mission Thrivability
Advancing Philanthropic Leadership
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Digital Access for All
EdExploreSRQ
Fueling Dynamic Fundraising
Giving Challenge
Margin & Mission Ignition
NetHope
Nonprofit Thrivability
Nonprofit Internship Program
Season of Sharing
Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund
TPF Beyond
Age-Friendly Sarasota
Aging with Dignity and Independence
Aging Mastery Program
Aspirations Journalism
Arthritis Foundation – Florida Chapter
Bringing Science Home
Caregiver Connect
Census 2020 Education
Clawback Recovery Challenge
Collaborative Partnering
COVID-19 Response
HundredX Pilot Project
Legacy of Valor
National Council on Aging
New Media Journalism
Recoding Organizational DNA
Self-Management Alliance
SPIRE CoLab
The Giving Partner
Veterans Legacy Summit