Local Black-led nonprofits join Give 8/28 fundraiser to build more equitable community
August is Black Philanthropy Month and several local nonprofit organizations will be taking part in Give 8/28, a 15-hour nationwide digital giving event designed to support Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits.
In support of the event, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County will host a community mixer on Aug. 28 that will bring donors together with Give 8/28 participants to learn about their missions and community impact. The mixer will be from 5-7 p.m. at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave., in Sarasota.
In 2022, 17 local nonprofits took part in the event, raising nearly $26,000 in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. Local nonprofits participating this month include:
· Emerge Sarasota, advancing BIPOC young professionals through programming and networking opportunities.
· FUNducation, providing programs in STEAM with a focus on students in disadvantaged communities.
· J5 Experience Incorporated, which focuses on strengthening mother/daughter bonds as a way of promoting healthy choices.
· Learn My History Foundation, which inspires youth through creativity, art, and education to develop leaderships skills.
· Making an Impact, an organization that maintains a directory of services for underserved people in need.
· Manasota ASALH, which works to promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information on Black life, history, and culture.
· Margwine Organization, strengthening young women through activities and programming.
· Minorities in Shark Sciences, encouraging women of color to pursue careers in marine science.
· Multicultural Health Institute, which seeks to improve health care access and treatment to vulnerable populations.
· Newtown Nation, working to preserve Newtown, a historically Black neighborhood of Sarasota, with educational resources.
· Queens of Domestic Violence, which provides services to families dealing with domestic violence.
· RECESS Education, which provides professional development in culturally relevant teaching.
· Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, which maintains a museum where residents and visitors to explore and celebrate African American art, culture, history and entrepreneurship.
· Second Chance Last Opportunity, offering life management skills classes and resources to at-risk teens.
· SOZO Missions, helping disadvantaged communities through ministry and faith-based teachings.
· Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, which aims to bring visibility to the Black experience through the arts.
· The Five Pearls of Excellence, which supports Gamma Rho Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority as well as scholarships for high school students.
· Truly Valued, promoting self-esteem, education, confidence and character among youth and families.
· United Community Centers, providing support for education that helps at-risk youth develop academic success.
· Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, which produces professional theater that promotes African American history and experience.
Now in its sixth year, Give 8/28 is presented by the Young, Black and Giving Back Institute. The date, Aug. 28, signifies important landmark moments in American history, including Emmett Till’s murder in 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King’s legendary “I Have a Dream Speech” in 1963; and Barack Obama’s acceptance of the Democratic nomination for president in 2008.
To join this year’s celebration, visit give828.org.
Submitted by Rebecca Abrahamson
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Give 8/28 fundraiser helps local Black-led nonprofits expand resources
