Prior Grant Requests
| Organization Name | Grant Year | Cycle | Request Amount | Grant Awarded | Awarded Amount | Matching Funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embracing Our Differences, Inc. | 2025 |
2025-1 |
$1,000.00 | Yes | $600.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Embracing Our Differences, Inc. | 2026 |
2026-1 |
$2,000.00 | Yes | $1,000.00 |
Organization Name: Embracing Our Differences, Inc.
Organization Website: https://www.embracingourdifferences.org/
Year Established: 2004
Mission Statement:
Our mission is “Through arts and education, we inspire kindness and respect,” and our vision is “A world where differences are embraced and valued.”
Contact Name: Liz Chicoine Years in Position: 6
Contact Email: liz@embracingourdifferences.org
Contact Phone: 9414045710
Address: 1209 S Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida 34239
Have you previously received a grant? Yes If yes, please indicate the year(s): 2025
How did you hear about our organization?
Diane Cohen, an Embracing Our Differences (EOD) Ambassador Circle member and volunteer, who is also a member of The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle, suggested that we apply for grant funds. For the past few years, members of TLC Women’s Giving Circle have volunteered with EOD to spend a day labeling books that are distributed to local school for our annual reading day programs.
What do you believe we can provide your organization?
In addition to the grant support, we are deeply grateful for your members who volunteer with us during our reading days. Through this application, we hope to broaden awareness of our mission and encourage even more members to participate, whether behind the scenes labeling books or reading aloud in classrooms.
What will the grant be used for?
Grant funds will be used to purchase books for our November 2026 Bucket Fillers Reading Day program. Centered on the concept of an invisible bucket, the Bucket Fillers book series encourages positive behavior and teaches pre-K through third grade students how to “fill buckets” through acts of kindness, love, and appreciation for others. EOD provides a book to every participating student and classroom. When registering, educators may choose to have an in-person volunteer reader or a pre-recorded webisode featuring local arts organizations and author Carol McCloud. In 2025, EOD donated 11,167 books to elementary schools and early learning centers across Sarasota and Manatee counties for Bucket Fillers Reading Day.
Provide the grant amount you are seeking: $2,000.00
Do you provide services to Sarasota and/or Manatee County? Yes
What is the financial impact per individual/program this grant will provide?
This grant would allow us to gift books to 667 students.
Please provide the estimated number of women, children and families impacted.
We expect to serve at least 10,000 students within Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Is there a matching grant? No If yes, indicate donation source: Foundation
May we tour your facility? Yes
What reciprocal benefit can you provide our organization:
• Name/Logo listed on EOD website (more than 13,000 visits monthly)
• Name/Logo listed in our Annual Exhibition Catalog (distributed to more than 3,500 people annually)
• Name/Logo listed on Sponsor Banner at Annual Exhibition as a Kindness Sponsor (seen by more than 400,000 visitors annually)
• Name/Logo listed in Annual Report (distributed to more than 3,500 people annually)
Proof of Non-Profit Status https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/501c3_IRS_Documentation_-_Embracing_Our_Differences_Inc.pdf
Organization’s Logo https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/emblem_stacked_text.pdf [110 show_image=1]
Project/Program-specific budget: https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/Bucket-Fillers-Reading-Day-Program-Budget-2026.pdf
Guide Star Profile/Rating (if applicable): https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/Guide-Star-Profile-Rating.pdf
Anything else you would like to share with us?
Thank you for the opportunity!