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Grants Reach Broad Audience

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By LOIS KINDLE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 26, 2008

SUN CITY CENTER - The Community Foundation of Greater Sun City Center has a long arm these days as it extends beyond its community into the heart of South Shore.

"We've made a real effort to let the rest of our service area - everything south of the Alafia River - know our purpose," said Evelyn Lunsford, foundation chairwoman. "We're trying to empower all of the nonprofits in South Shore to complete their missions by offering them the opportunity to apply for grants."

During the past several months, the foundation has awarded grants totaling $91,000 to the following organizations: Florida Home Partnership, Friends of the SouthShore Regional Library, the SouthShore Arts Council, Youth Environmental Services, the Redlands Christian Migrant Association Academy, Beth-El Farmworker Mission and Brandon Sports & Aquatic Center, which offers a swimming program at Apollo Beach Racquet & Fitness Club.

The money will help fund teen art classes, a children's playground and swim scholarships for area youths. It also will be used to modernize and stock a food pantry and to expand a school for the children of farmworkers.
Lunsford said grants can range from $250 to as much as $100,000 over three years. In 2007, $1.3 million was awarded. That money came from the interest on the foundation's $29.7 million principle, which includes money bequeathed or donated.

Some of the money given to the foundation is restricted, which means the donor specifies where it must go. These funds are processed by the administrative staff of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, the Sun City Center foundation's parent organization.

Other donations are designated as field-of-interest funds, which means the money must go to a specific purpose, for example, the arts, but the decision is left to the foundation. The John and Elizabeth Crawford Arts Fund, for example, earmarks money for arts programs in South Shore. The foundation decides how that money will be spent.

Unrestricted funds are those the foundation may give to any nonprofit organization for any purpose. The foundation's 12-member board votes on where the awards go. Last year, it heard 50 requests, approving 32 and awarding almost $250,000.

"We used to just accept a letter of intent in which the requestor told us how much money was needed, how it would be used and the number of people who would benefit," Lunsford said. "But now, with the amount of money we have to award and the increased number of grant requests, we've gone to a more formal process."

Nonprofit groups interested in applying may call (813) 633-6677.

RECENT GIFTS

RCMA Academy: $50,000 challenge grant for facility expansion in Wimauma

Beth-El Farmworker Mission: $12,600 to modernize food pantry and replenish food

Florida Home Partnership: $10,000 challenge grant for Bayou Pass playground

Youth Environmental Services: $3,000 to send students to its Winter Olympics

SouthShore Arts Council: $7,000 toward March's Plein Air Festival awards

Friends of the SouthShore Regional Library: $1,800 for teen art classes

Brandon Sports & Aquatic Center: $6,600 for children's swimming scholarships at Apollo Beach Racquet & Fitness Club

Reporter Lois Kindle can be reached at (813) 865-1553 or lkindle@tampatrib.com.

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