Philanthropy in Action

Each year, Leadership Tampa Alumni’s Philanthropy in Action (PIA) Committee awards a grant to worthy nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area.

Launched in 2002, the PIA initiative was established through the vision of philanthropist Bob Blanchard (LT ’99) who provided seed money through his donor advised fund at the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay (CFTB).   Bob wanted to cultivate a climate of philanthropy in LTA and provide seed money to promote “giving back.”  Challenging Leadership Tampa Alumni to raise its own money, Blanchard’s vision was to inspire the creation of a philanthropic legacy that would carry on after his contributions were discontinued.  The PIA committee annually conducts a detailed grant application and evaluation process.  The evaluative process plumbs the organization’s credibility, looks at each proposed project’s meaningfulness and impact on the community.  It also requires that a winning project’s objectives and outcomes be measurable and clear.

Our partnership with the Community Foundation includes the Leadership Tampa Alumni Philanthropy In Action Fund within CFTB, which is administered by the Foundation.  Because the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization, all new contributions to the fund are tax deductible.  In addition, this partnership aligns Leadership Tampa Alumni with a well-respected agency that fosters the concept of putting philanthropy into action.

Through fundraising and personal donations by LTA members, as well as an annual donation from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Leadership Tampa Alumni is pleased to offer this grant opportunity.

To date, Leadership Tampa Alumni has donated more than $100,000 to worthy organizations through a formal grant process.

For more information on the Philanthropy in Action initiative, please contact JoAnn Urofsky (LT’00) at (813) 974-8622 / jurofsky@wusf.org .

2011 Leadership Tampa Alumni Philanthropy in Action Grant Requests for Proposals

Leadership Tampa Alumni’s Philanthropy in Actions committee is gearing up to accept applications for the grant which will be awarded in January 2012.  Grant applications will be accepted beginning Wednesday, September 21, 2011 and are due no later than Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. Applications are accepted via email ONLY.

Applicants, or their representatives, must attend a mandatory pre-proposal workshop on Monday, September 19th from 4:00 – 5:00pm at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, 1002 East Palm Avenue, Tampa. All questions will be answered at this time.  Additionally, agency representatives will have the opportunity to meet members of the LTA Philanthropy in Action Committee as well as members of Leadership Tampa Alumni.  Please Note: This workshop is the only opportunity to ask questions and gather off-line information about the grants and process.  Outside of this workshop, committee members are unavailable to respond to individual questions.

The LTA grant is intended to assist nonprofit organizations based in Hillsborough County (with a published and physical address) and who serve Hillsborough County residents.  The grant funds may be used for a wide variety of activities including, but not limited to, direct service, renovations, staff training and board development.  Funds may not be used for general operating expenses or debt service. Applications will be considered only from a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization and for a maximum request of $10,000.

Below, please find the Evaluation Criteria which details how the applications will be viewed and evaluated by the selection committee.  Applications that are complete and meet the minimum criteria for funding will be reviewed

Application Documents

• LTA PIA 2011 Grant Application Memorandum
• LTA PIA 2011 Grant Evaluation Criteria
• LTA PIA 2011 Grant Application – PDF
• LTA PIA 2011 Grant Application – Word (please be patient while document loads)

Critical Dates

• September 19, 2011 – MANDATORY Pre-proposal workshop from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• September 21, 2011 – Begin accepting applications
• October 12, 2011 – Applications due by 4:00 p.m. Please submit applications via email ONLY to PIAGrant@LTAlumni.org.
• November 4, 2011 – Three agency finalists selected
• December 8, 2011 – Agency finalists presentation to LTA board
• January 18 2011 – Award announced during LTA Annual Meeting
• November 2012 – Agency grant report due

2010 Award Recipient

The 2010 Leadership Tampa Alumni Philanthropy in Action (PIA) Awards were presented during Leadership Tampa Alumni’s Annual Meeting at Ala Carte Pavillon on January 27th, 2011.  The 2009 Philanthropy in Action committee, led by Sara Mickelson, received many deserving proposals.  After considering more than 20 proposals, the committee was honored to fund the grant from the Child Abuse Council for their Kids on the Block (KOTB) program.

The Child Abuse Council’s (CAC) Kids on The Block (KOTB) - $10,000

Executive Director: Paul D’Agostino
Website: www.child-abuse-council.org
Mission: The program supports the organization’s mission to by providing child abuse prevention puppetry presentations to third grade students in Hillsborough County. The KOTB Program has been performed in Hillsborough County schools for 16 years and its positive impact is widely recognized by students, teachers, guidance counselors, school administrators and Hillsborough County School Board members. The KOTB presentation addresses both physical and sexual abuse prevention. The curriculum is designed to define physical and sexual abuse in a developmentally appropriate manner, encourage children to speak with an adult if they think they may be in an abusive situation, teach children to understand their feelings and encourage them to talk about these feelings, and provide information about services for families in need of help.

Philanthropy in Action Past Recipients

• 2002 – Judeo Christian Health Clinic
• 2003 – Prevent Blindness Florida
• 2004 – Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, Inc. “Bridging Generations through Literacy”
• 2005 – Mental Health Care Foundation “Whistle While You Work”
• 2006 – Redlands Christian Migrant Association “Wimauma Academy’s Majors Program”
• 2007 – America’s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay “Food Purchase Program”
• 2008 – Connected by 25 (Cby25) “Connect2Know” Help Line
• 2009 – Trinity Cafe’ & Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation (BBIC)

Awards have also been given to A Gift for Teaching of Tampa, Meals on Wheels, Connected by 25 Program (Sponsored by Junior League of Tampa), and Hurricane Survival for Alzheimer’s Caregivers DVD Program (Sponsored by Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute).

For more information on the Philanthropy in Action initiative, please contact JoAnn Urofsky (LT’00) at (813) 974-8622 / jurofsky@wusf.org .

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