Applications received to date: 14
Total Amount Requested: $ 98,891.00
Website: http://www.alifeworthgiving.org
Year Non-Profit Establish: 2024 and Non-Profit/Designation: 501(c)(3)
Mission Statement
A Life Worth Giving’s mission is to positively impact lives through service. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Sarasota and Manatee Counties, A Life Worth Giving empowers underserved students, youth, and families by providing access, tools, resources, and support through three core programs: the Basic Needs Program, which addresses food, hygiene, and adult education access; the Student Resource Program, which supports academic and personal success from preschool through college; and the Youth Impact Program, which equips young people with life skills, mentorship, and leadership development.
How did you hear about our organization?
A Life Worth Giving learned about The Lake Club Women’s Charitable Foundation through our growing relationships with community partners, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties. As we have built these connections, the foundation’s longstanding commitment to strengthening local organizations and creating direct, meaningful impact in our community has stood out. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with a foundation that shares our dedication to serving the people of Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
What do you believe we can provide your organization?
Many college bound students in Sarasota and Manatee Counties complete high school using a computer shared with their family. When these students leave home for college, that shared device stays behind, and families already stretching to cover tuition, books, housing, and other expenses often cannot afford to purchase a laptop. As a result, students who have worked hard to earn a college acceptance can arrive on campus without the basic technology needed to complete assignments, access online courses, and communicate with professors.
The Lake Club Women’s Charitable Foundation can help A Life Worth Giving respond directly to this need. A $5,000 grant would support Pack to the Future: College Technology Access Initiative, providing 10 to 15 low income and first generation students with a laptop and essential accessories of their own, with a goal of reaching up to 20 students through discounts and in kind donations. Laptops will be distributed in May and June, before students depart for college.
The foundation’s members could also help extend this impact by volunteering at our distribution event, hosting a technology or college supply drive, or connecting us with businesses that may donate or discount devices. Together, we can ensure that a lack of technology never stands between a student and a successful start to college.
What will the grant be used for?
The grant will be used entirely for direct student support through Pack to the Future: College Technology Access Initiative. Funds will purchase complete technology packages for college bound students from low income and first generation households in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Each package includes a laptop suitable for college coursework ($250 to $425), a protective case or backpack ($40), a wireless mouse and basic accessories ($20), and device setup or a protection plan ($15), for a total of $325 to $500 per student.
The $5,000 grant will equip 10 to 15 students, and A Life Worth Giving will stretch each dollar further by pursuing retail discounts, corporate partnerships, and in kind device donations, with a goal of serving up to 20 students. No grant funds will be used for salaries or administrative costs. Laptops will be distributed in May and June, before students depart for college, so each student begins their first semester with reliable technology of their own.
Provide the grant amount you are seeking: $5,000.00
Do you provide services to Sarasota and/or Manatee County?
Yes
What is the financial impact per individual/program this grant will provide?
Each student supported through Pack to the Future: College Technology Access Initiative will receive a complete technology package valued at $325 to $500, which includes a laptop, protective case or backpack, accessories, and device setup or protection. At these costs, the $5,000 grant will directly support 10 to 15 students. Through discounts, corporate partnerships, and in kind device donations, A Life Worth Giving aims to reduce the average grant cost to approximately $250 per student, allowing the grant to reach up to 20 students.
For each family, this support removes an expense of up to $500 at a time when they are already managing tuition, books, housing, and other college costs. For each student, the impact reaches well beyond the dollar value: a personal laptop provides the reliable access needed to complete assignments, participate in online courses, manage financial aid requirements, and succeed throughout their college experience.
Please provide the estimated number of women, children and families impacted.
This project will directly serve 10 to 15 college bound students and their families in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, with a goal of reaching up to 20 students and families through discounts and in kind donations. Approximately 70% of the students A Life Worth Giving serves are young women pursuing postsecondary education, so we anticipate that 7 to 10 young women will receive technology packages, and up to 14 if we reach our goal of 20 students. Participating students are recent high school graduates, many of whom are 17 or 18 years old, transitioning into two year and four year colleges, universities, and technical programs.
Because each laptop becomes the student’s own, the impact also extends to their households. Families will no longer need to absorb the cost of a new device or send a shared family computer away with the student, allowing parents and siblings to keep the technology they rely on at home.
Is there a matching grant? No
If yes, indicate donation source:
May we tour your facility? Yes
Do you wish to speak to our Grant Chair about your application?
Yes
What reciprocal benefit can you provide our organization.
A Life Worth Giving would be honored to recognize The Lake Club Women’s Charitable Foundation as a partner in this work. In appreciation of the foundation’s support, we would be glad to feature the foundation’s logo on our website and recognize its support across our Instagram and Facebook channels, including posts highlighting the laptop distribution. The foundation would also be acknowledged as a funding partner in our annual impact report, which is shared with donors, partners, and community stakeholders.
We would also welcome the foundation’s members to attend our May and June distribution events, meet the students they are helping, and see the impact of their investment firsthand. Following distribution, we will share student thank you notes and a brief impact summary with the foundation, and Dr. Bianca Harris would be happy to speak with members at a meeting or educational event about Pack to the Future and the students it serves. Our goal is to build a lasting partnership that celebrates the foundation’s commitment to young women and families throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
Proof of Non-Profit Status
https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/FinalLetter_33-1623294_ALIFEWORTHGIVING_12082024_00-1.pdf
Organization’s Logo
https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/94923341-3FFB-42ED-B07D-E7A9C31822D6-150×150.jpg
Project/Program-specific budget:
https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/ALWG-Budget-College-Technology-Access-Initiative.pdf
Guide Star Profile/Rating (if applicable): Â
Anything else you would like to share with us?
A Life Worth Giving launched direct programming in 2026, and in our first year we have already seen how much this work matters. Through Pack to the Future, 48 students applied for support and 23 received $14,000 in educational assistance, with every recipient accepted into a two year or four year college or university. Demand is growing faster than our current resources, and the College Technology Access Initiative responds directly to a need our students and families shared with us.
This project is especially meaningful for a foundation dedicated to women and families. Approximately 70% of the students we serve are young women, many of them the first in their families to attend college. A laptop of their own gives each of them the tools to begin college prepared and confident.
A Life Worth Giving is led by Dr. Bianca Harris, who brings more than 25 years of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, and is supported by strong partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and community organizations throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties. We are grateful for the foundation’s consideration and would be honored to partner together in helping students take their next educational step.