The Patterson Foundation

10/13/2026

Disaster Preparedness Tip: Grab your phone and take photos or videos of your home and valuable possessions (record all furniture, electronics, appliances, jewelry, and other important items). Try to capture serial numbers, receipts, or other identifying information when possible. If you ever need to file an insurance claim after a disaster, having a visual record can make the process much easier and help verify what you owned.

Once you're finished, store your photos or videos in a secure location, such as cloud storage or an external drive, so they're protected even if your devices are damaged. Taking a few minutes now can save hours or days after a disaster.

10/12/2026

Trust is earned in droplets and lost in buckets.
Connection is built by consistently showing up and doing the work.
Watch our latest conversation on building authentic connections: https://youtu.be/BfdL-lkp-nU?si=dByymzvHsKcCYBi9

The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation Aspirations to Actions

10/09/2026

Serving on the Board of Visitors is further affirmation why The Patterson Foundation partners with Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy ... rigor in research, academics and professional development! – Debra Jacobs, President | CEO, The Patterson Foundation

10/09/2026

Who’s doing the work in DeSoto County? The 2027 Community Resource Festival wants to put you in front of the people you serve.

The DeSoto County Ahead Community Resource Festival brings residents, community leaders, and local organizations into one room. If your team offers health services, education, family support, or anything else that helps neighbors, a table at the festival is a simple way to get your work in front of them.

Exhibitor registration is open: https://www.thepattersonfoundation.org/blog/a2a/desoto-county-ahead/exhibitor-registration-is-open-for-the-2027-desoto-county-ahead-community-resource-festival.html

✨ Organizations that complete their exhibitor registration by October 30, 2026, will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. The final deadline to register is November 20, 2026.

Planning is underway for the 2027 DeSoto County Ahead Community Resource Festival, and exhibitor registration is officially open!On Saturday, February 13, 2027, organizations and community members will gather at the Turner Agri-Civic Center in Arcadia to connect, share resources, and learn about...

10/08/2026

How do you scale your mission without relying solely on grants and fundraising? Beyond the Spectrum found one answer through The Patterson Foundation’s Margin & Mission Ignition initiative. By launching an ABA Clinic and later the H.I.V.E. program, they have generated more than $10 million in earned revenue, which has funded expanded services for people with autism and their families, health benefits for staff, and vocational pathways for adults.

Read our latest blog post to see how earned income reshaped their capacity and long-term sustainability.

https://www.thepattersonfoundation.org/blog/nonprofit-thrivability/how-earned-income-helped-beyond-the-spectrum-expand-its-mission.html No Margin, No Mission Beyond the Spectrum Education Center and Therapeutic Clinic

For many nonprofits, growth creates a difficult tension: the more people you serve, the more resources you need to sustain that service. Beyond the Spectrum faced that challenge years ago. Its model relied on small classroom ratios, extensive therapies, and significant adult support for...

10/07/2026

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall's Justin Gomlak shares a simple idea about community events: when the invitation is open, welcoming, and built for everyone, there is no room for folks to sit on the sidelines.

That’s the spirit of Suncoast Remake Learning Days: creating hands-on opportunities where parents and kids learn, create, and play side by side.

Want to be part of the next SRLD festival? Drop a comment or visit https://www.gradelevelreadingsuncoast.net/project/suncoast-remake-learning-days/ to learn more!

Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

10/06/2026

From shifting land use to exciting innovations in local food networks, the future of agriculture in our Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota is filled with both challenges and possibilities. Explore what we’ve learned from local farmers, restaurateurs, and community leaders, and how we can work together to cultivate abundance: https://www.thepattersonfoundation.org/blog/community-impact-optimizing-assets-beyond-initiatives/scarcity-to-abundance-with-agriculture-past-present-and-possibilities.html

Sarasota County Schools UF IFAS Extension Sarasota County UF IFAS Extension Manatee County

Agriculture has been an integral part of the history, culture, growth, and vitality of Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. As we look to the future, how can we ensure that agriculture’s benefits continue?Almost a year ago, The Patterson Foundation set out to examine the past...

10/05/2026

Change happens when we stop pretending to have all the answers and start listening.
At The Patterson Foundation and The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, we believe in taking the time to understand people’s shared goals and bringing communities along for the ride. Because at the end of the day, people are at the center of the work.

Want to see what our discovery process looks like in action? Read our latest blog post to follow the journey https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/kh4zzyx/lp/ebc9843c-523b-4b93-bc31-253ec0d911db

For more than a decade, The Patterson Foundation (TPF) has partnered with The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation (THI) to provide our four-county region (Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties in Florida) with another tool to change how communities approach issues and to develop...

10/02/2026

Save the date for The Patterson Foundation’s second annual CERT Summit

Hosted by the Community Preparedness, Recovery, and Resiliency initiative, this one-day gathering is an opportunity to connect with fellow CERT leaders and volunteers from across the Suncoast.

Come ready to share what’s working, swap ideas, build relationships, and pick up practical tools to help your CERT program grow stronger.

Most of all, it’s a chance to celebrate what CERT is all about: Neighbors Helping Neighbors. We hope you will join us.

10/01/2026

Rare, magical, and impossible to replace. Yep, we’re talking about a unicorn 🦄 We are so grateful for the magic Nancy Henry brings to everything she does. Join us in wishing her the happiest birthday 🎉

Nancy Henry Stacey Weir Gadeken Beth Duda Brian Ries