Prior Grant Requests
| Organization Name | Grant Year | Cycle | Request Amount | Grant Awarded | Awarded Amount | Matching Funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties | 2026 |
2026-1 |
$2,500.00 |
Organization Name: Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties
Organization Website: https://bgcsdc.org/
Year Established: 1970
Mission Statement:
Since 1970, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties has strived to fulfill our mission to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Contact Name: Ella Castilow Years in Position:
Contact Email: ecastilow@bgcsdc.org
Contact Phone: 941-366-3911
Address: 3130 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, Florida 34237
Have you previously received a grant? No If yes, please indicate the year(s):
How did you hear about our organization?
Recommendation from Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties Board member Patricia Pope.
What do you believe we can provide your organization?
We believe that a partnership with The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle would enable Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties to further amplify the impact we make in the lives of youth in the Sarasota community. According to the Florida College Access Network, low-income students are 15% less likely to graduate from high school than their higher-income peers. With support from partners like The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle, we are working towards closing this gap and keeping doors to opportunity open for youth in our area.
Each membership guarantees access to the Clubs’ formative programs and services grounded in five key disciplines: Character and Leadership Development, College & Career Development, Health and Life Skills, the Arts, and Sports, Fitness, and Recreation. These programs and services are an essential part of supporting the youth in our community to realize their full potential by providing resources that allow our members to make significant academic achievements and grow into the best versions of themselves. Your partnership will allow us to increase our scope, touching the life of one local youth who will have sustained access to lifechanging resources at the Clubs. This secured funding guarantees that the Club families who face significant financial barriers throughout life will not face them at the Club.
What will the grant be used for?
If awarded, this grant would provide one Club membership for a student and their family in Sarasota County who otherwise would be unable to afford the already reduced cost of membership. Each child we serve represents an investment of $2,500 from the community. However, families pay very little for membership fees, with many paying nothing at all, for access to the Club’s formative programs and services. We aim to meet the most vulnerable young people where they are by strategically placing our Clubs in areas with the greatest need to best support the low-to-moderate income families we serve. Three of our Club sites are located within public housing designated areas, ensuring that young residents are well connected to Club services and resources. This proximity allows for the elimination of costly barriers that members and their families might face, such as transportation.
The Club members who will be supported by membership scholarships are considered the area’s most vulnerable according to United Way’s ALICE Household Survival budget. The Club uses demographic data collected during client intake to measure members’ family needs. The ALICE budget for a family of four in Sarasota County is over $94,000 annually, when it was slightly over $62,000 just a few years ago. Support for Club memberships ensures that the youth who need us most are not left behind. Secured funding gives the most vulnerable young people full access to the formative services and opportunities available with a Club membership. Without the Club, the youth we serve are more likely to fall behind their peers.
Access to Club services and programming sets members apart from their peers, allowing them to flourish and receive specialized academic and social support from Mental Health Professionals (MHPs), FL Certified Teachers, and Youth Development professionals (YDPs). In the 2024-2025 school year, 89 percent of Club members achieved a “C” grade or higher in Reading and Math, and 92 percent of Club members earned a “C” or higher in Science. Additionally, Summer programming provided by the Club supported 100% of Club members across all six Clubs in improving and/or maintaining their academic acuity. With continued membership support, BGCSDC will be able to equip Club members to sustain these levels of academic competency across Sarasota and DeSoto County schools, overcoming the “Summer Slide.”
We are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our youth. Through a comprehensive approach designed to improve the overall success and well-being of our Club members, we help them reach their full potential across an array of important facets. Members receive direct support for academic success and grade-level reading, mental health professionals are embedded in our Clubs to assist members with their wellness, and there is a plethora of programs and opportunities for members to develop character & leadership, instill healthy habits, explore the arts, prepare for college and career success, and take an active role in their community.
During the school year, Club members receive direct instruction from YDPs and FL Certified Teachers who help students with their homework and provide individualized assistance in understanding lessons. Thanks to a partnership with the school district, we receive quarterly grades, attendance, and behavior reports so each Club member’s strengths and struggles can be identified to promote their strengths and address their struggles. Following homework help, members also participate in several academic enrichment activities such as grade-level reading, project-based learning, and digital learning to help each child served attain grade-level benchmarks and on-time grade advancement.
At the start of the Summer Program, participants are evaluated for academic proficiency in key subjects. After participating in academic enrichment each day of the Summer Program, they receive a final evaluation. Each student is identified as having either maintained, improved, or decreased in academic proficiency. In the past four summers, we have seen 100% of participants either maintain or improve their academic proficiency.
In March 2024, we unveiled the Behavioral Health Program across all of our Clubs to close a gap in service and help every member reach their full potential. The program operates daily at each Club throughout the year. Our Director of Behavioral Health Services has a Master’s in Social Work and a License in Clinical Social Work and oversees seven team members who are all trained MHPs embedded at each Club but appear as traditional staff. The MHPs appear as traditional staff but observe and interact with Club members to identify youth will receive roughly 12 individual sessions to focus on their unique experiences. We also have groups of 8-12 members who engage in sessions co-facilitated with agency partners. These co-facilitated psychoeducational sessions cover a range of topics and meet consistently for 4-8 weeks at a time.
This past summer we launched four new programs that are already showing significant impact. These new programs for our 6–12-year-olds include: Better Together, which reinforces character, community-building, promotes empathy, cooperation, and civic engagement; Creative Minds Academy, a dynamic STEAM-focused program that ignites innovation and problem-solving through science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math; Future Leaders Academy, a junior leadership program that empowers 4th and 5th grade members to build confidence, voice, and the skills to lead with purpose; and Reading Rascals, an engaging literacy-based program that cultivates a love for reading and storytelling, which can foster confidence in public speaking.
Provide the grant amount you are seeking: $2,500.00
Do you provide services to Sarasota and/or Manatee County? Yes
What is the financial impact per individual/program this grant will provide?
The cost for each individual membership covered by the Club is $2,500, however most of our families pay a reduced rate or nothing at all for access to the Clubs premier programs and services.
Please provide the estimated number of women, children and families impacted.
1 child and 1 family
Is there a matching grant? No If yes, indicate donation source:
May we tour your facility? Yes
What reciprocal benefit can you provide our organization:
If awarded, we will post on our Facebook and Instagram accounts about our programs’ successes while thanking and acknowledging The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle for its partnership in our efforts.
Proof of Non-Profit Status https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/501C-EXEMPTION-LETTER-2021.pdf
Organization’s Logo [110 show_image=1]
Project/Program-specific budget: https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/FY25-26-Org-Budget.pdf
Guide Star Profile/Rating (if applicable):
Anything else you would like to share with us?
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, we are committed to ensuring every child, no matter the challenges they may face, has the opportunity to thrive. Our Clubs provide young people with mentorship, academic support, nourishing meals, enrichment programs, and a safe, empowering place to belong.
While families pay nothing or a small portion of the true cost of a membership, our organization invests $2,500 per child each year to ensure every young person has the tools to reach their full potential. A Club membership provides:
– Full access to the Club and its programs year-round
– Daily academic support after school and all summer
– Mentorship from caring youth development professionals and Florida certified teachers
– Nutritious meals and snacks, including summer breakfast/lunch and year-round supper in Arcadia
– Behavioral health services with licensed professionals
– Enrichment in STEM, arts, leadership, and literacy
– College and career readiness, including micro-internships and job shadowing
– A safe, welcoming environment every day