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Community Corner

Pines of Sarasota Foundation Meets $65,000 Match from Anonymous Donor at Community Foundation of Sarasota County

The Pines of Sarasota Foundation has successfully met a $65,000 match offered by an anonymous donor of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and strengthened its capacity – fundraising and digital – in the process, as part of its recent $65,000 Challenge. This initiative was conceived in honor of the organization’s 65 years of service to the community.

The $65,000 Challenge was launched during the Pines’ “Wit & Wisdom Luncheon” on October 30 and concluded 65 days later, on January 2. Other elements of the campaign included reaching goals of 650 “likes” on Facebook, 65 followers on Twitter, and the creation of 65 stories of Pines residents, families, rehab patients, staff, volunteers and donors to be shared on the Pines website, e-newsletter and Facebook. All goals were reached; most were exceeded handily.

Ron Royal, Vice Chair of the Pines Foundation, was thrilled to see that the Challenge served to generate new annual donors who became Giving Tree Society members, and acknowledged that the match helped to grow this new initiative. “The Pines is needed in Sarasota because of our benevolent policies toward the elderly who have no other way to cope with the last chapter of their lives,” Royal said. 

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“This kind of creative and results-driven philanthropy is a perfect illustration of how we work with our donors to better our community,” said Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “Not only were we able to connect this anonymous donor and the Pines Foundation in a meaningful and successful fundraising campaign, but the results of the effort – through the power of video and social media – are that the Pines has additional capacity to engage new supporters and better nurture existing ones. This makes the organization stronger now – and in the future.”

The residents of Pines are seniors, 70 percent of whom are low income and qualify for Medicaid in the skilled nursing and dementia facilities. The assisted living facility continues to provide a home and services to residents, even if they can no longer pay for care.  Including the facility’s two childcare and rehabilitation centers, Pines provided direct services to 846 area residents in the last year and has touched an additional 8,000 to 10,000 lives through the global distribution of educational media training programs for professional and family caregivers of people with dementia.

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Tana Sandefur, Pines Foundation trustee, recently had her rehabilitation at Pines, becoming a resident for a few days. “I can tell you that the quality of care, the compassion that I observed was impressive,” she said. “What is so wonderful is that the care provided to me is exactly the same as the care provided to those who have outlived their financial resources. That is why I am so proud to support Pines of Sarasota and serve as a trustee on the foundation board.”

In the end, a total of $138,000 was raised – $73,000 through fundraising plus the $65,000 match – for the benefit of the Pines Foundation. The organization reached 742 Facebook “likes” and 93 Twitter followers, as well.

 

For more information about the Pines of Sarasota and its Foundation, go to www.pinesofsarasota.org.

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