At the Selby Foundation, we hear students and organizations using their voices to increase opportunity for friends, colleagues, and strangers. Sometimes voice takes the form of advocating for neighbors impacted by storms. Other times, it shows up in sharing lived experiences or knowledge about issues in our communities. It’s a beautiful thing, trusting ourselves and others enough to use our voices. We are moved by the various ways our Selby Scholars and community partners make a difference, including:
• Having the courage to share vulnerable moments and how these moments build personal resilience and strength.
• Simply listening to people to understand–even when it takes extra time.
• Connecting colleagues and peers to resources that help them advance.
• Making conscious efforts to seek information behind the issues.
• Being mindful of complex circumstances while remaining positive about the future we can share when everyone’s voice is heard.
• Voting.
As you use your voice to talk about issues impacting our social sector, there are numbers to back up the human need, employment, revenues, and undeniable value of nonprofits in our communities. Are you accessing these powerful data centers?
- Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s community indicators dashboard
- Florida Nonprofit Alliance’s nonprofit data dashboard
- Florida Division of Arts & Culture’s economic impact of the arts data
- The Selby Foundation’s and Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s State of Scholarships Regional Assessment
- United Way’s 2024 ALICE report
Whether you use this data to inform your program development, write successful grants, or advocate for your mission, it is available to you.