DeSoto County is one of the four counties within the Selby Foundation’s service area for capital grants and college scholarships. With fewer 501c3 charitable organizations to serve the needs of residents and many opportunities to invest in the success of the communities in DeSoto, the Selby Foundation has engaged with Ashley Coone Consulting to connect with nonprofits that can be future grantees.
As an Arcadian and the founder of DeSoto-based nonprofit Links to Success, Ashley Coone knows the community and is frequently approached informally for assistance in learning more about the nonprofit model. Through her professional experiences leading a successful organization in Arcadia that has a variety of community partners, donors, and foundation relationships, she has lived experience in the work and in knowing the community.
In her consulting practice and in partnership with the Selby Foundation, Ashley reached out to nonprofit leaders to determine topics they most want to understand to build their strength and readiness for grants. Selecting the top four interest areas, she developed a series of interactive learning sessions filled with practical tools, best practices, and conversations to build capacity. These include reaching important audiences through targeted communication, understanding donors and local foundations for fundraising success, building a successful board and managing volunteers, and creating programs that meet community need.
As part of the program on December 5, 2024, representatives from local foundations that award grants in DeSoto County joined a panel discussion facilitated by Josh Dunn, VP of Investment and Partnership Strategies, United Way Suncoast. Panelists included John Annis, Senior VP for Collaboration and Impact, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation; Kameron Hodgens, then Director of Community Leadership, Gulf Coast Community Foundation; Elizabeth Power, Grants Manager, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation; and Kirsten Russell, VP of Community Impact, Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Together, they learned what participants are seeking from foundations while sharing how to approach each foundation, what they invest in, and how to be successful in securing grants.
Sessions will continue through early 2025, with opportunities for nonprofit support offered between the workshops.
As we continue to understand what residents of DeSoto County envision for their community and share their aspirations, the Selby Foundation is grateful to The Patterson Foundation and the Harwood Institute for “DeSoto County Ahead,” identifying spaces that “fit” with our own aspirations to infuse more grants and scholarships into the county. Nonprofit, business, resident, and economic opportunities to support DeSoto County was identified as one of eight “themes” in community conversations.