Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice is engaged in a multiyear education grantmaking initiative for schools serving at least 100 students within its catchment area. The Strategic Grantmaking in Education (SGE) initiative targets individual school initiatives that directly converge on one of three areas coinciding with The Education Partnership foci: K-3 literacy and learning, results-based professional development, and career education. SGE is closed to new schools at this time.

STRATEGIC GRANTMAKING IN EDUCATION

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice began the Strategic Grantmaking in Education initiative during the 2000–01 school year. In 2006, the initiative's progress compelled the Board to extend the opportunity for schools to join the program for one more year, bringing the initiative to an end at the close of the 2008-09 school year, and resulting in an estimated total of $4 million being awarded over the life of SGE.

The Foundation has hosted several fall and spring conferences highlighting individual school accomplishments and providing best practice knowledge and information to advance the work of the initiative.

The Strategic Grantmaking in Education initiative process will:

(1) Target individual school programs that directly converge on one of three focus areas (coinciding with The Education Partnership focus areas):
     a. K-3 Literacy and Learning
     b. Results-based Professional Development (Capacity
        Building)
     c. Career Education

(2) Receive applications annually based on reliable, supportable data that:
     a. Clearly identifies the need/s to be addressed by
         the grant.
     b. Form the basis for effective evaluation metrics to
         show the real progress being made.
     c. Provide realistic technical services and feedback
         designed to assist schools in applying for and
         implementing their improvement efforts.

(3) Support long-term school improvement efforts but not supplant ongoing, core school operations and funding responsibilities

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, through this initiative, will entertain multi-year “school-focused” program grants of up to $30,000 per year and, if needed, include up to 20 percent of the grant for “educational equipment/materials improvement” that are directly applicable to one of the above three focus areas.

SGE is the only Foundation grant-application avenue open to schools and school districts for all projects or programs that affect instruction. Public and private schools in south Sarasota County, plus special service schools serving south Sarasota County students (i.e., magnet programs), may be eligible to apply for grants, consistent with current practice. SGE is closed to new schools at this time.