Community Foundation is listening closely to meet Bradenton’s needs during COVID-19

During this time of change and uncertainty, one of the most impactful tools we can use as individuals and as organizations is the power to listen. It signifies that we are open. The “sides” that often polarize important social issues can be softened when we have enough confidence in ourselves to actively seek opportunities to learn from others.

Manatee Community Foundation has awarded more than $1.8 million in grants since March 1. Many of those dollars have come from individuals who knew they wanted to make a difference during COVID19 in our local community and have trusted us as a guide.

Our practice of incorporating listening has enhanced our ability to put those dollars to work in the most effective ways. We recognize that strong nonprofit organizations are experts in their fields, that equity paves the way for a better community, and most of all, that we can do our best work with a spirit of learning. I’d like to share some of our work with you, both as a report about our investments and as an idea for how each of us can be part of positive change.

Nonprofit leaders are experts in their fields

We believe in taking time to listen to the expertise of nonprofit organizations. While some may consider the charitable sector as a collection of “feel good” missions, their existence is essential to healthy communities. Their work requires business acumen, programmatic expertise, consensus building, innovative use of resources, and clever engagement of volunteer leaders.

According to new research shared by the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, nonprofits in Manatee County employ more than 4,800 people and produce annual revenues of nearly $414 million. Their staff and volunteers are authorities in mental health, domestic violence, food security, foster care, animal welfare, arts, early childhood education, conservation, post-secondary education, and civic engagement.

As we have approached our role in supporting COVID-19 recovery and response, our foundation has talked one on one with leaders and program teams to determine what their biggest needs are. This approach does not impose our own answers about what should be done. It requires deep listening to their experiences to inform our work. As individuals, we are also asking those who are different from ourselves what they need to be included and engaged.

Conversations lead to understanding

Appreciating the value of listening and discussion, we joined forces with a partner foundation to facilitate conversations with Manatee County residents about their aspirations, concerns and perspectives about the community during this time. My colleague Alicia Chalmers at Manatee Community Foundation and Hannah Saeger Karnei, Inaugural Fellow at The Patterson Foundation, were gifted in leading them.

In her post about the discussions, Hannah wrote, “A unique outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it gives all humans a shared experience.” So beautifully stated.

We learned that people are largely focused on three areas: remaining connected, keeping our local community thriving, and equity of access. Participants acknowledged that COVID19 has highlighted inequities that have long existed.

Inclusion makes our entire community stronger

For Manatee County to continue moving forward in a way that helps us achieve our highest potential, we must seek out and listen to communities of color. A recent blog post by author and entrepreneur Seth Godin said, “It’s almost impossible to make a list of all the things I didn’t have to worry about yesterday. We need to work overtime to make that true for more people.”

For Manatee Community Foundation, this starts — but doesn’t stop — with listening. It helps us act with responsibility and inclusiveness in grant making. We believe in embracing uncomfortable conversations to create a culture of learning and development. And we know we have work to do ourselves.

Tarnisha Cliatt, the president of the Manasota Black Chamber of Commerce and the president of the Manatee Chapter of the NAACP, has been a patient and steadfast advocate in this work. Her dedication to advancing equity and access includes an invitation to join her. We accept, and we hope that you might too.

Our investments are just a start

Using a model of listening, our grant making has included funds supporting a wide range of COVID-19 needs. Just a few are telehealth and teledentistry for underserved communities, home visits to vulnerable students from school faculty, and health education in communities of color.

We have also supported mental health counseling, food security, personal protective equipment for the cBradenton Police Department and first responders in the eastern part of Manatee County, and housing.

In an effort to share the opportunities we have been afforded to listen, we launched a series of free virtual town hall sessions to help our community learn more about human services, health, and education during COVID-19. You can visit ManateeCF.org to join us or listen to recordings.

Philanthropy and community engagement will never be a single solution to solving or fixing systemic issues — but they offer valuable chances to actively reflect and act upon our values, while working with people who may have different perspectives than our own. We are proud to be here, and, as always, we invite you to help shape this vital work.