Vanessa Alcantara and I were given the opportunity to participate in the financial sustainability workshop with our following colleagues, Andy Houltberg with the Breakthrough Episcopal Services out of Kansas, Brett Buell with the Gainesville Opportunity Center in North Florida, Lauren Walker with Hope Clubhouse in South Florida, and Richard Lane with Alliance House in Utah. We were able to share the history, governance, current strategies, successes, and challenges related to our community’s financial sustainability.  According to the United Nations, sustainability is defined “as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Therefore, lasting Academy financial sustainability is a team effort involving members, staff, board members, ambassadors, families, community partners, and volunteers. Members and staff contribute through luncheons, telethons, Academy tours, and in-house produced marketing materials. The Board of Directors, Ambassadors, and family members partake in awareness building within their respective communities by sharing their Academy experiences and inviting guests for member tours, demonstrating our open-door policy.  Community partners and volunteers offer their time and expertise enriching the lives of members in any number of our 8 Dimensions of Wellness.       

We were honored to have the following guest speakers Joan Geyer, President of the Academy Board; Stewie Bitterman founding Academy Ambassador; Matt Sauer, Collaboration and Impact Officer of the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation; Jeff Steinwachs CEO of the Steinwachs Family Foundation; Robyn Faucy Co-Founder of Results 1^st; and Al and Polly Guiffrida Academy Family Ambassadors, who shared their roles and experience of nonprofit sustainability.  

We would like to share several quotes from participating colleagues:

This was an eye-opening experience for both Vanessa and me, revealing that financial sustainability is a collective effort and the responsibility does not solely rest with any one person or group. 

Music by Keaton Williams and Chris Cournoyer of the Jazzberries wafted through the room as guests dined. The meal – perfectly cooked salmon, Moroccan-spiced chicken, falafel, roasted tri-colored carrots, couscous and more (honey-kissed baklava complimented our bee theme) – was beautifully presented and efficiently served by our culinary team. 

The program included our first-ever “Academy” Award; a special tribute to Pines of Sarasota for being our first-ever Transitional Employment partner, while those members who have worked at the Pines joined the stage to honor them. Member Ian Churchill was among them, and he later returned to the stage to speak about the role the Academy has played in his personal development, and how employment has transformed him. When our director William McKeever spoke, he posed the thought-provoking question: “what if?,” painting a vivid picture of a world where we lead with empathy and “slow down the train enough so that everybody can get on.”

The world premiere of our Academy-produced animated short “Colony at Glengary: Return to the Garden” was shown, and two members, Erika Schlunk and Benjamin Foreman were acknowledged for their tireless efforts in creating the animation.  Member Stephen Anderson added humor and warmth when delivering the ASK along with culinary instructor Ben Burnside. The whole event was seamlessly held together by our emcees, Academy member Holden Seguso and enrollment coordinator Patty Haltinner. They were charming and engaging and had great chemistry on stage. 

Our Luncheons are as much friend-raiser as fundraiser, so we were delighted to have so many new faces in the audience. We watched as heads nodded in solidarity and eyes turned wistful with compassion, and we could see clearly that our members’ graciousness and talents have an impact.  

Speaking of impact, Paul, Sharon and Jeff Steinwachs of the Steinwachs Family Foundation were in attendance. They have been integral in our success since our inception. Their 1:1 financial match all but ensured we would exceed fundraising expectations. We are grateful for their support which goes far beyond financial. They are extraordinary people and we are honored to call them friends. 

To all who attended, supported, or helped create our luncheon, we thank you for opening your hearts and minds to the power of mental health recovery. You are the change we all hope to see in the world.

Because, as we say, it’s just us, we forged ahead, sometimes with only a vague notion of an idea. Our amazing multimedia team met our every challenge with a solution and made it all happen. Eleven promo videos shot at dozens of unique locations, filmed sketches, skits and interviews, endless hours of editing, rehearsing, and rewriting; this was a passion project for us all.

And when it was all said and done, it was an experience of a lifetime for us. The result is an apt snapshot of our creative, resilient community. Watch it and you will see the easy rapport of our emcees (and the first-ever member emcee, Cayman Sieffert, who charmed and endeared us), the joy and playfulness of our teams, and the vulnerability of those who stepped out of comfort to bring light to mental health. This is who we are.

Very special thanks go to the Steinwachs Family Foundation, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and the Giving Generously Fund for their considerable matches. And to everyone who watched, shared or donated, your generosity keeps us going, not just financially but in our hearts and minds. Your support sustains us.

Great news: if you missed it, you can still stream it by clicking here. Make sure to stay tuned until the end for fun bloopers and additional footage not seen live.

What can we say about our members? Wow! Vocal collaborators in every sense, members jumped in with both feet, contributing ideas, sharing their personal stories, learning lines, improvising live, laboring over camera angles, editing, and putting themselves out there in front of a worldwide audience. We are extraordinarily proud of our membership for their diligence, their creativity and their sense of humor and fun.

We are grateful for our strong community partners. Executive Director Colleen Thayer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sarasota/Manatee spent a morning in our studio talking about the strong partnership forged with the Academy. She aptly described our symbiotic relationship and how each agency supports the other. One of our stalwart employment partners, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System was represented by none other than their President and CEO David Verinder. He welcomed our crew into his office and was generous with his time, providing insight into the considerable benefits of partnering with us to hire topnotch employees from the Academy through our Transitional Employment program.

Last and emphatically not least, we are indebted to the Steinwachs Family Foundation for their unwavering support and generosity. It is not hyperbole when we say that we would not be where we are as an agency without them. At the helm, Paul, Sharon, and Jeffery Steinwachs are so much more than benefactors (thought they certainly are that); they have become part of the fabric of our community, spending time with us and understanding our mission at its core.

We would be remiss if we didn’t thank the hundreds of viewers who tuned in to support us. The funds raised from this event will help to ensure that our dynamic programming will continue to thrive.  From the bottom of hearts: thank you!

If you missed it, we’ve got great news! A recording of the Telethon is posted on our website www.AcademySRQ.org/live.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021 marks the first annual Clubhouse Giving Day! It’s an exciting time for Clubhouses around the world to shout it from the rooftops: We need you! If you believe that Clubhouses such as the Academy strengthen community, then we urge you to show your support by donating during this inaugural event. Your gift will go directly towards our program and the resources that benefit our members, whether it’s providing nutritious meals to those who can’t afford it, supporting a member at work, or developing skill-building opportunities; giving to the Academy is a way to make a significant impact in the lives of our members.

Covid-19 took a toll on all of us. In addition to the added mental health challenges that the pandemic posed to our community, it also impacted our fundraising opportunities. But now, it couldn’t be easier to pledge your support, and there is no better time. And while Giving Day is technically a 24-hour event, we are thrilled to announce that ALL DONATIONS in the month of May will be counted towards our Giving Day event total, and they will be MATCHED 1:1 up to $1000 by our kind and generous friends at the Steinwachs Family Foundation. We are grateful for the Steinwachs, and to all of you who stand with us in support. Your gift to the Academy makes our community stronger.