Hurricane Ian Relief Fund Phase 3

Hurricane Ian Relief Funds

Thanks to a generous donor community, Hurricane Ian Relief & Recovery efforts began immediately after the storm passed. Funding relief and recovery support was provided to Sarasota County Schools and its employees in different phases, as outlined below:

Phase 1: Sarasota County Schools provided emergency supplies, gift cards, gas cards, VRBO vouchers, and support for employees impacted by Hurricane Ian through financial support provided by local philanthropic funders. Funds were distributed as emergency assistance for critical necessities, such as temporary housing, when all other resources were exhausted or are not available.

Phase One of the emergency relief efforts concluded on Friday, October 21, 2022.

Phase 2: The Education Foundation of Sarasota County launched Phase Two and provided support through two different processes: one for the 14 schools most adversely impacted by the hurricane, and the other for school-based employees who personally reside in Charlotte, Sarasota, or DeSoto Counties.

Phase Two of the relief and recovery efforts concluded on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

(NEW) Phase 3: The Education Foundation has received an additional grant of $200,000 from the Florida Disaster Fund and will be distributing those funds through an application process.

Hurricane Grants Phase 3 Process: Employees

Eligibility Criteria: For Phase Three, eligible employees must have already submitted a complete application during Phase Two, Process B (submitted by November 13, 2022, to the Education Foundation) AND have been denied by the Education Foundation due to lack of available funds.

Grant Process: All applicants who were denied funding by the Education Foundation may submit an updated application.

• All applications will be reviewed and will be prioritized based on continued hardship and need.
• The maximum grant award is $5,000.
• When funds are exhausted, no additional applications will be awarded. The Education Foundation reserves the right to make all final decisions.
• An online application is required for all requests to be considered. Applying does not mean that an award will be made.
• The application to apply will open Monday, January 30, and will close Sunday, February 5, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• All applications will be reviewed February 6 – 10, 2023.
• Award decisions and check disbursements will be made as early as Friday, February 24, 2023. Checks will be mailed interoffice to the employee’s work-site location.
• The eligible employee assumes all risk in accepting a personal check from the Education Foundation as it may increase the employee’s taxable wages and/or make them ineligible to receive any FEMA or private insurance benefits.
• All grant decisions are final, and no appeals can be made.

Use of funds: Funds will be allocated based on meeting the highest needs first. Needs have been prioritized in the following three categories, from highest to lowest need.

Category of Support/Priority of Need:

• Continued Homeless/Displaced/Total Home Loss: 3
• No Insurance or Private Insurance Deductible Assistance: 2
• Other: 1

The Education Foundation will be contacting all denied applicants to inform them of this new funding opportunity. Thank you for your understanding and support!

Please direct any questions to: HurricaneGrants@EdFoundationSRQ.org