CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
CELEBRATING BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2021 Chair Katherine Martucci Vice-Chair Jaqueline W. Ray, Ph.D. Secretary Katrina Otchet Treasurer Keith Johnson
60 YEARS
Chair Emeritus Michael Keebaugh Directors Barbara Benson Howard Berman Lisa Giglio Andrea Johnson Brock Leach Linda Monda Liz Stamoulis Joe Stephan Michael Suarez S.T.A.R. Director Alanna Densmore LEADERSHIP President & CEO Philip Tavill Vice President of Philanthropy Jessica Rogers Vice President of Programs Kathleen Sullivan
STRENGTHENING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
A Letter
FROM CEO PHILIP TAVILL
As we ended 2019 and began the new decade, we were sharing our gratitude with you for helping Children First experience our “best year yet!” Little did we know what was on the horizon when the unexpected impact of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020 caused us to reimagine how we provided services. Throughout the year, we faced what seemed like an impossible task: continue to serve the hundreds of children and families in our care with the highest level of service. Although we operated remotely for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, we were able to bring children back on-site for the summer months at limited capacity, which was both a crucial and celebratory moment for our agency.
As we celebrate our 60th anniversary throughout 2021, we feel very good about where we are heading as we continue to lead the way in early childhood education and family strengthening programs. Although this is not how we envisioned marking our major milestone, we could not be more grateful to be with our children in their classrooms once again as your support continues to be a beacon of light and hope for our families. Together, we have overcome many new challenges in the past year as we continue to transform lives every day. Thank you for believing in us and always being there for our children and families.
On September 8, after our Health and Safety Committee completed Children First’s detailed plan for re-opening our campuses in full compliance with federal guidelines, our agency was able to safely welcome back our Early Head Start and Head Start learners to their classrooms. Since then, we have led the way in providing much needed support for our children and families through our Board, Policy Council, and staff ’s incredible commitment to innovation, flexibility, and above all, to mission.
Sincerely,
Philip Tavill President & CEO
Announcing
OUR 2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Andrea Johnson
Linda Monda
Liz Stamoulis
Joe Stephan
ANDREA JOHNSON, IT Architect at JPMorgan Chase, LINDA MONDA, community philanthropist, having held senior positions in accounting and finance, LIZ STAMOULIS, partner at Williams Parker Harrison Dietz & Getzen, leading the firm’s intellectual property practice, and JOE STEPHAN, former Vice President for the National Cash Register Corporation’s international division, have all been named to the 2021 Board of Directors. “We are excited to welcome Andrea, Linda, Liz, and Joe, who all add so much to our incredible board of directors. Each brings a wealth of experience in their respective fields and a keen understanding of those we serve and will make our agency even stronger as we celebrate sixty years of changing the lives of generations of children and families within our community,” said CEO Philip Tavill. Johnson has regional, national, and international volunteer experience including the Hillsborough Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, the National Black MBA Association, and Bankers Without Borders. Monda has helped create pathways and opportunities for those in need through a distinguished record of supporting initiatives such as grade-level reading, scholarships, and ending homelessness. Stamoulis was recently recognized as the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 2020 Young Professional of the Year and has been named a Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star for the past three years. Stephan has lived and worked internationally and has become a staple of support in the Sarasota community through serving on the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and other roles. They join the rest of the board in providing governance experience that helps Children First continue to provide the highest quality of comprehensive and family services to our community’s most vulnerable. Katherine Martucci, retired educator, will serve as Board Chair and Dr. Jacqueline Ray, Ph.D. as Vice Chair. Katrina Otchet, Community Volunteer, and Keith G. Johnson, Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor with Truist Wealth, will serve as Treasurer and Secretary respectively. Mike Keebaugh, former President of Intelligence and Information Systems at The Raytheon Company, is now Chair Emeritus.
CHILDREN FIRST
The Challenge FOR CHANGING LIVES
The Diamond Circle is a dedicated group of extraordinary supporters leading the charge in advancing the mission of strengthening children and families together. Their goal is to inspire the community to join them in giving by matching all gifts, dollar for dollar, up to $1,060,000, throughout 2021 as the focal point of the agency’s overall annual fundraising efforts. Their commitment is to increase support of early childhood education, family strengthening, and comprehensive services for families living at risk. As of July 6, 2021 our community has raised $802,693.59. We are more than three quarters of the way to achieving our goal!
The key philanthropists comprising the Diamond Circle membership include: two anonymous donors providing gifts totaling just over $300,000; individuals, couples and foundations providing gifts of $60,000 each including: Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, Dawn and Mitchell Epstein, Julie and Brock Leach, Joan and
2021 NEWSLETTER
WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE CHALLENGE FOR CHANGING LIVES, A $1,060,000 MATCHING GIFT CHALLENGE LED BY OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY DIAMOND CIRCLE MEMBERS. Dr. Bart Levenson, Katherine and Frank Martucci, Elenor Maxheim in loving memory of John Maxheim, Keith Monda and Veronica Brady, Leslie and Dick Rivera, Gaye and Jack Schwarz, and Karen Solem in loving memory of Charles Forman; couples joining together to form Diamond Circles with combined gifts from $20,000 to $30,000 including: John Bean and Alexandra Jupin, Lisa and John Giglio, Carol and Richard Kalikow, and Bob and Lin Williams; and couples and individuals comprising a Diamond Circle with gifts from $10,000 including: Alison and Howie Madsen in loving memory of Gerri Aaron, Jo and Stan Rutstein, Mike Rutstein, and CEO Philip Tavill. “In 1961, the Junior League of Sarasota founded the Sarasota Day Nursery for families in need with a mission to prepare young children for Kindergarten. Sixty years later, I am deeply grateful to be a part of celebrating this achievement as a Co-Chair, current Board Chair of Children First, and Junior League Sustainer,” says Board Chair and Classroom Volunteer Katherine Martucci.
CHILDREN FIRST ENVISIONS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT CHERISHES EDUCATION, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO GROW AND THRIVE, AND ENCOURAGES AND EMPOWERS FAMILIES IN SUPPORTING THEIR CHILDREN
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
60th
Anniversary
Co-Chairs and Committee
We are pleased to announce our 60th Anniversary Co-Chairs and Committee members in recognition of Children First’s milestone of six decades of service to the community. The 60th Anniversary Co-Chairs and Committee members are comprised of past and present board members, volunteers, and supporters who have dedicated themselves to celebrating and supporting Children First throughout the year. The Committee members will serve as agency ambassadors in elevating the visibility of and engagement with the Children First mission, including raising critical funds in support of comprehensive services for pregnant women, children and families living at-risk. Co-Chairs include: Tom Cail, Lisa and John Giglio, Teresa and Trevor Harvey, Stephanie and Allen Hochfelder, Lisa and Jeff Jackson, Carol and Richard Kalikow, Andrée and Mike Keebaugh, Katherine and Frank Martucci, Elenor Maxheim, Dr. Jacque and Lacy Ray, Jo and Stan Rutstein, and Gaye and Jack Schwarz. Committee members include: Evan Ackerman, Sally & Bill Altman, Phyllis & Hank Battie, Krystel & Matt Beall, Barbara Benson, Howard Berman, Ted Bogusz, Travis & Kathy Brown, Tom Cail, Nicole Christie, Norma & Al Cohen, Lynette Coney, Kathy & Tom Cook, Christina Davis, Vanessa Diaz-Petit, Heriberto Enriquez, Dawn & Mitchell Epstein, Vivian Flewelling, Cher Gardner, Lisa & John Giglio, Faith & Michael Goldman, Teresa & Trevor Harvey, Dulce Hernandez, Rokira Hill, Stephanie & Allen Hochfelder, Johnny Hunter, Sr., Johnny Hunter, Jr., Maggie Hutter, Lisa & Jeff Jackson, Beth Jacobson, Amanda & Jason Johnson, Keith & Adrienne Johnson, Ollie Johnson, Leslie & Alan Jones, Gina & Bill Jordan, Carol & Richard Kalikow, Andrée & Mike Keebaugh, Janna & Josh Kim, Samantha Kingsley, John Knowles, Lisa Krouse, Darliny Lantigua, Brock & Julie Leach, Jessica Leon, Joan & Dr. Bart Levenson, Rebecca Lieberher, Alison & Howard Madsen, Phil Mancini, Katherine & Frank Martucci, Elenor Maxheim, Barbara & Bob McClure, Adilene Mejia-Aparicio, Deborah & Dick Miller, Linda Monda & John Mabardi, Keith Monda & Veronica Brady, Eugenia Murray-McGinnis, Paula Murray, Bobbie Mullen, Joy Norwood, Vanessa & Maurice Opstal, Katrina & Matt Otchet, Cheri & Justin Pachota, Donna & Mike Pachota, Renee Phinney, Peter & Joanne Powers, Keli Pufahl, Dr. Jacque & Lacy Ray, Lashonda Riley, Leslie & Dick Rivera, Jessica Rogers, Jackie & Jim Rolfes, Jo & Stan Rutstein, Cindy Salomone & Al Cenci, Susan & Rohn Schaefer, Gaye & Jack Schwarz, Robin & David Shapiro, Maggie & Mark Sharff, Alyssa Simons, Karen Solem, Maria Somera, Elizabeth Stamoulis, Michelle Stears, Nora & Joe Stephan, Lavender & Michael Suarez, Kathleen Sullivan, Joyce & Fred Tavill, Philip Tavill, Asa Thomas, Maria Valdivia, Henriette van Eck, Linda Watterworth, Megan Wenger, Bob & Lin Williams, and Ethna & Ted Wishnie.
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
“ ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US WHO HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU THESE PAST 25 WONDERFUL YEARS, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN YOU CARE DEEPLY, WORK TIRELESSLY, AND EARN THE ENDURING TRUST OF PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.” — Reverend Brock Leach, Director, Children First Board This recognition, along with Children First’s community accolades serve as a reflection of his focus on mission. Recent agency accolades include: • The Nonprofit Times’ 2021 Best Nonprofits to Work For Top 50
CEO PHILIP TAVILL
Celebrates 25 YEARS
CEO Philip Tavill is celebrating his 25th anniversary in 2021 as our agency celebrates 60 years! Under his guidance and leadership, Children First has grown to serve hundreds of children and their families annually across Sarasota County at 15 locations. Our agency has been named a Head Start Program of Excellence four consecutive times, ranking in the top 1% of more than 1,800 programs nationwide. Philip was honored by SRQ Magazine and our community as Best Nonprofit Leader in the 2021 Best of SRQ Local competition, and earlier this year received the 2021 Unity Award from Sarasota Magazine for his commitment to bridging divides across racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, socioeconomic, and physical and mental ability groups. He also received the 2020 Impact in Action Award from the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. As an outstanding graduate of Leadership Sarasota, Class of 1993, Philip was recognized for the direct impact he has made on thousands of children and families living at-risk.
• Sarasota NAACP’s Education Award • 2019 and 2020 Best Places to Work in Sarasota-Manatee Top 30 •P latinum Winner in SRQ Magazine’s 2021 Best of SRQ Local competition in five categories: Best Organization to Provide COVID-19 Support, Best Nonprofit to Adapt, Best Children’s Nonprofit, Best Nonprofit Leader – Philip Tavill, and Best Preschool; Silver Winner in the Best Local Nonprofit category • WEDU PBS 2019 Nonprofit of the Year •W EDU PBS 2019 Be More Knowledgeable Award for Educational Outreach in recognition of the Nurturing Dads Initiative • 2 019 James E. Duffy “Friend of Literacy” Award from the Literacy Council of Sarasota • 2020 finalist for the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Awards in the Nonprofit of the Year category At Children First, Philip helped launch the Nurturing Dads Class, a fatherhood-strengthening curriculum available to our entire community that has educated more than 2,100 fathers to-date. These efforts helped kick start a national fatherhood programming initiative that resulted in Philip presenting the program at a National Head Start Association national conference. Most recently he has attended Ascend at the Aspen Institute, in particular their Solutions Series at Ascend in 2018 and in 2019, the Aspen Forum on Children and Families.
STRENGTHENING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
PGT Innovations Landscaping Project
FOR
#60 60
JFCS Book Donation
Our agency has launched an initiative called #60for60 to recognize the collective volunteer effort from the community led by businesses, partners, individuals, and groups that has created six decades of success and service in support of Children First.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN OUR PARTNER INITIATIVE TO DATE!
Bealls mask donation
Celebrating The
Sparkle Within On April 10, 2021 we held our virtual Fairytale Ball: The Sparkle Within! We are proud to share that with the help of our event sponsors, donors, and silent auction, we raised nearly $370,000 for our children and families! Because of our incredible community support, our families can follow their path to a bright, sparkling future like never before.
Realtor’s Association of Sarasota-Manatee supply drop-off
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
Our Commitment
During COVID-19 and Beyond Children First mobilized to continue its delivery of comprehensive services at the highest possible level for the children and families we serve. Through weekly food distributions, our agency worked in partnership with All Faith’s Food Bank, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the Sarasota Housing Authority, and Girls Inc. to provide necessities to families after physical services ceased on March 18, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Between March 16th and July 21st of 2020, we provided supplemental food packages, diapers and wipes, infant formula, and financial assistance to more than 475 families as the number of those we served facing job loss and reduced work hours continued to rise. During this time, all children continued learning virtually. Teachers and program staff worked tirelessly to prepare and deliver nearly 600 at-home educational kits, supplementing these activities by making thousands of phone calls and sending thousands of emails to parents and caregivers. Teachers and volunteers created hundreds of videos with activities ranging from sing-a-longs and read-a-longs, to cooking classes, to science activities and even virtual field trips, which families are able to access on the Children First YouTube channel at any time. In the transition from the end of the academic 2019-2020 school year and the official start of summer services on June 2, all children with diagnosed disabilities and their families received continuous services and support. Additionally, during this time Children First Early Childhood Mental Health Specialists (ECMHS) provided nearly 300 mental health check-ins with families in addition to their critical, daily work with the families. Following the school district calendar, on August 31, 2020, we re-opened our doors for limited, on-site services to our children and families in full compliance with the Sarasota County Department of Health guidelines. We also made the special effort of implementing full, virtual services beginning on August 10. Our official re-opening date for all locations across North Port, Venice, and Sarasota was September 8, 2020. This date allowed time for our 200+ staff members to obtain agency-sponsored COVID – 19 tests through a partnership with Passport Health in Sarasota.
WELCOME BACK!
The re-opening of our 15 campuses across Sarasota County would not have been possible without the complete commitment to our mission shown by our agency’s Health and Safety Committee. Members worked tirelessly to create a re-opening plan so that we could resume our critical physical services to families. The committee’s action in creating this 30-page document was highly significant as neither the State of Florida nor the local community offered official protocols for childcare and early childhood education centers to follow. There was no official guidance for maintaining safety as children, families, and staff returned to school. Our Head Start and Early Head Start Director met with community leaders to share these protocols, encouraging the community to develop similar protocols that would serve to protect children and families throughout the county. In partnership with organizations such as the Early Learning Coalition, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, and the Sarasota County Department of Health, these protocols were then distributed to all childcare providers in Sarasota County. This initiative provided all early care programs in our community a roadmap for meeting best practice minimums for our county. Our Health and Safety Committee was ultimately nominated for a national award through the Office of Head Start for their contributions.
CHILDREN FIRST ENVISIONS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT CHERISHES EDUCATION, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO GROW AND THRIVE, AND ENCOURAGES AND EMPOWERS FAMILIES IN SUPPORTING THEIR CHILDREN
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
Support
For Mental Health
Our Mental Health Services have become a critical component of the comprehensive services we provide. During the months that our services were operating remotely, our Mental Health Services staff worked each day with families on their goals. Our Early Childhood Mental Health Specialists (ECMHS) have been creative in their approach to therapy in our “new normal,” utilizing toys, puppets, and art supplies to engage children virtually. Books and videos are also used to keep the sessions engaging for children as they continue their work in-person for the 2020-2021 school year. During this incredibly stressful time for our parents, our Mental Health Services team have been providing parents with extra support. The additional guidance and encouragement has been extremely beneficial for both children and parents. Private support from Anonymous Donors, Terry & Bob Lewandowski, and the Truist Foundation allowed us to completely renovate the staff resource room at our Dr. Elaine Marieb Early Learning Center in Sarasota. This reimagination of our resource room both created a dedicated, private space for our children to receive an array of therapies on site and increased the effectiveness of the teacher resource room.
Providing therapies for children on-site is important for three reasons: • E nsuring children can receive therapy in a place where they feel safe and secure • E nsuring children are receiving the services they need to progress, monitored by a network of staff, including the child’s teachers, Family Advocate, and our Special Needs Coordinators • R emoving the barrier of travel for our parents to external service providers, ensuring the entire family can continue making progress towards their goals Redesigning the teacher resource room has increased the available space for teachers to work and made the space more functional as well as created an environment where teachers can collaborate and network with each other, report on child outcomes, and plan. This is crucial to the ongoing success of our children and families. “On behalf of the Truist Foundation, we’re pleased to support Children First’s efforts to transform its teacher resource room,” said Jim Daly, West Florida regional president at Truist. “At Truist, we’re committed to ensuring children have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. We believe Children First is doing amazing work to strengthen children and families, which aligns perfectly with Truist’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities.”
Philanthropy in Action Terry & Bob Lewandowski
Terry and Bob Lewandowski are originally from Chicago, Illinois where together they hold a combined four degrees in Psychology, Medical Technology, and Industrial Relations from Loyola University. Terry enjoyed a career as a medical technologist in Chicago-area hospitals until the birth of their first child, upon which time she considers herself blessed to be able to remain home and focus on raising her family. Bob had an extensive and varied career in Human Resources, Health Management, and Real Estate, and upon his retirement in 2015 the duo began devoting even more of their time to the local community in Sarasota. Bob became involved with the Loveland Center in Venice, first as a volunteer and then as a Board Member. Terry’s engagement with the Women’s Club at their church, where she served as president for two terms, brought attention to the many other wonderful nonprofit organizations in the area. Their support soon branched out and they became part of the Children First family, growing deeply invested in the agency’s mission of strengthening children and families together. Terry and Bob greatly enjoy spending time with their own children, Katie and Mark. Katie is a Ph.D. in cancer research and is currently employed at Northwestern Medical Center in downtown Chicago, while son Mark is employed as a zone manager for the Windy City’s biggest ice company. They are proud grandparents of Claire, age 3, and they look forward to the happy arrival of their second granddaughter in March of 2021. When the Lewandowski’s learned of the opportunity to bring meaningful change into the lives of our children and families, there was no hesitation. Their support, inspired by their own family, in partnership with additional funders, allowed for the redesign of an existing space at the Dr. Elaine Marieb Early Learning Center. The previous staff resource room was reimagined as a private therapy space and updated teacher resource room where children, families, and staff together can strive toward new goals and dreams each day.
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
Paradise Grill Meal Distribution As part of our agency’s efforts to address continued food insecurity amongst our families, several key supporters and members of our community teamed up with Paradise Grill restaurant in Nokomis to bring chef-prepared meals to each of the children and families who attend Children First. In a two-day effort, 1,700 meals were individually prepared and packaged on-site at the restaurant and delivered to five distribution sites by Children First front line workers before being directly presented to families. The meal distribution sites included the Dr. Elaine Marieb Early Learning Center and Helen R. Payne Annex in Sarasota, Our Mother’s House (a partnership site with Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice) and the Children First main campuses in Venice and North Port.
VP of Philanthropy Jessica Rogers, Stan Rutstein, Paradise Grill Owner Mary Beth Hanson, and Jo Rutstein
Thank you to Jo and Stan Rutstein, Chair Emeritus Mike Keebaugh and wife Andree, Carol and Richard Kalikow, Faith and Michael Goldman, Norma and Al Cohen, Ginny and Ravi Akhoury, and Ernest ‘Doc’ Werlin for your generosity and support in helping move our mission forward.
2020 GIVING CHALLENGE With a 1:1 match for all unique gifts up to $100 from the Patterson Foundation, and all gifts matched up to a total of $30,000 through the COVID-19 Response Initiative, more than 323 supporters furthered their impact for at-risk children by tripling their gift in the face of a global pandemic to raise more than $84,000 during the 2020 Giving Challenge. Our deepest gratitude is extended to 2020 Giving Challenge Sponsor the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened by the Patterson Foundation, and the *match on top of the match provided to Children First by the COVID-19 Response Initiative of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.
323 superheroes activated their superpowers, $85,000+ raised inclusive of all matches
STRENGTHENING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
Grant Support COVID -19
Throughout 2020, Children First received community grant support to aid our agency in remaining operationally resilient during the pandemic. $125,000 from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation to help fortify and maintain our ability to provide immediate relief for our children and families and retain our more than 200 staff members. Funds were also used to pay program staff to assist families as they filed for unemployment and applied for other assistance
$10,000 from PNC Bank and United Way Suncoast through the United Way COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to help stabilize families directed by PNC Bank
$54,910 from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by the Patterson Foundation for unrestricted support through the 2020 Giving Challenge
$7,130 from All Angels Episcopal Church for COVID-19 Support
$30,000 from the COVID-19 Response Initiative of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation
In lieu of holding our annual fall events, Flip Flops and Fashion and Rockin’ Lobster, our partner Bealls stepped forward with a special matching opportunity of $15,000! With your help, we were able to exceed our Bealls Corporate Challenge Match! A special thank you to Bealls, Fins at Sharky’s restaurant, and the Beall and Pachota families.
$20,000 from the COVID-19 Response Initiative of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Truist Foundation $10,000 from the Allen Wirtz Nobbe and Jo Bowen Nobbe Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to help Children First support staff assist families in navigating our partnership with Season of Sharing opportunities
$5,000 from the Venice Yacht Club for COVID-19 Support
Children First was also selected as one of the non-profits of choice to participate in The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust $500,000 challenge match. To-date, our agency has received more than $73,000 from this generous opportunity, and you can continue to contribute to the match this year.
CHILDREN FIRST RECOGNIZED AS
National Nonprofit Employer Children First was recently recognized as one of the top 50 nonprofit organizations to work for nationwide in the 2021 Best Nonprofits to Work For competition. As the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, the agency ranked 24th overall in the medium-sized category. Created by The NonProfit Times, the leading national business publication for nonprofit managers, this survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the top 50 best employers in the nonprofit industry, benefiting the industry’s economy, workforce and businesses through a two-part competitive process. To qualify, Children First’s more than 200 staff members were asked to complete a confidential Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey. Worth 75% of the overall score, this process was crucial to securing a place on the list and required at least a 40% response rate to qualify. “Children First could not be more humbled and honored to be recognized as a top nonprofit employer in the United States while simultaneously celebrating our 60th anniversary. This national accolade has only been made possible by our incredible staff who remain laser-focused on our mission each and every day, as well as our committed Board of Directors, volunteers, and community members who help to guide the crucial work that we do,” says CEO Philip Tavill.
CHILDREN FIRST
2021 NEWSLETTER
CHILDREN FIRST RECEIVED TOP HONORS
IN SRQ MAGAZINE’S 13TH ANNUAL BEST OF SRQ LOCAL READERS COMPETITION WITH SIX CATEGORY PLACEMENTS With more than 70,000 votes from the local community (the most ever!), we were recognized with the following honors:
2021 BEST OF SRQ LOCAL PLATINUM WINNER: BEST NONPROFIT TO ADAPT PLATINUM WINNER: BEST CHILDREN’S NONPROFIT PLATINUM WINNER: BEST NONPROFIT LEADER – PHILIP TAVILL PLATINUM WINNER: BEST ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE COVID-19 SUPPORT PLATINUM WINNER: BEST PRESCHOOL SILVER WINNER: BEST LOCAL NONPROFIT
2021 BEST NONPROFITS TO WORK FOR RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE TOP 50 BEST NONPROFITS TO WORK FOR NATIONWIDE BY THE NONPROFIT TIMES.
2021 GUIDESTAR PLATINUM SEAL RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR EARNING THE 2021 PLATINUM SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY FROM GUIDESTAR.ORG, THE WORLD’S LARGEST RESOURCE FOR NONPROFIT INFORMATION, HELPING TO INFORM CHARITABLE DECISIONS.
2020 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SARASOTA-MANATEE NAMED A TOP 15 BEST PLACE TO WORK IN SARASOTA-MANATEE BY THE HERALD-TRIBUNE AND BEST COMPANIES GROUP.
2020 SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR FINALIST
“ We have been supporters of Children First for more than a decade, and we appreciate their approach to helping the entire family achieve success and self-sufficiency. In the face of this global health crisis, the agency has remained at the forefront of its mission by continuing to provide the highestquality services possible while keeping safety as a top priority. Philip Tavill is one of the most caring people we know. He loves the children, families, and staff at Children First so much. He has expanded the programs so much in the past 25 years! These are just some of the many reasons we believe in the mission so passionately.”
CHILDREN FIRST ENVISIONS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT CHERISHES EDUCATION, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO GROW AND THRIVE, AND ENCOURAGES AND EMPOWERS FAMILIES IN SUPPORTING THEIR CHILDREN
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANASOTA, FL PERMIT # 307
CHILDREN FIRST 1723 North Orange Avenue Sarasota, FL 34234 (941) 953-3877 childrenfirst.net
Stay connected:
FALL EVENTS SAVE THE DATES
Leave YOUR LEGACY
YOU CAN HELP US SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOREVER. As a supporter of Children First, you understand the importance of providing high-quality early childhood education and family strengthening services to at-risk children and families. We want to safeguard our life-changing programs for generations to come. It is critical we continue planting the seeds today for a brighter future. Which is why we would like to invite you to join our Legacy Society - Children First Forever - by notifying us of your intent to leave Children First a planned gift. There are many different ways you can create your legacy. Some options include: BEQUEST • LIVING TRUST • LIFE INSURANCE •
REAL ESTATE
A legacy gift is not about leaving something behind, it is about creating something even better ahead. By making a planned gift to Children First, you will ensure your legacy of generosity and open a world of possibilities for thousands of children and families for years to come.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING A COMMITTEE FOR A FUTURE EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT SAMANTHA KINGSLEY AT 941-953-3877 EXT 1138 OR SKINGSLEY@CHILDRENFIRST.NET