Grant from United Way Suncoast Boosts The The Florida Center for Early Childhood Charts Bold Path Forward with Community Foundation Grant

The $7,500 grant will support a three-year strategic plan to expand impact, strengthen leadership, and align programs with evolving community needs

(June 30, 2025) – Behind every therapy session, every classroom, and every family served by The Florida Center for Early Childhood is a strategy—a roadmap that makes the work possible. With the help of a new grant from the Edward K. Roberts Emerging Needs Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Florida Center is sharpening that strategy to serve more families, more effectively, for years to come. The $7,500 grant, awarded through the Community Foundation’s capacity-building initiative, will support the development of a new, three-year strategic plan. It will guide the organization’s next phase of growth by enhancing fundraising infrastructure and ensuring programs continue to meet the evolving needs of children and families across southwest Florida.

“We know that a strong strategic plan doesn’t just chart a path forward—it helps us deepen our impact and operate with greater intention and efficiency,” said Dr. Kristie Skoglund, CEO of The Florida Center. “This grant allows us to work with expert consultants to align our goals and strengthen leadership across the organization—laying the groundwork for long-term impact.”

Skoglund said the planning process will be led by Mission Matters Consulting, a firm with deep roots in nonprofit strategy and governance.

“They bring a thoughtful, collaborative approach that really fits our culture,” she said. “This isn’t just a boardroom exercise. It’s about engaging our staff, our board, and our community partners to help shape the future of our work.”

The process will unfold in four phases: Discovery, Direction Setting, Strategy Formation, and Implementation Planning. The resulting plan will prioritize three key areas: strengthening fundraising by building both staff capacity and board engagement; ensuring programs remain aligned with community needs; and evaluating how resources are used to maximize impact.

“It’s a chance to step back and make sure everything we’re doing—from daily operations to long-term growth—is truly advancing our mission,” Skoglund added.

The strategic planning process is already underway and will culminate in mid-2025, just as the organization’s current plan concludes. The new plan will serve as a roadmap through 2028.

Board Chair Eddie Pérez-Ruberté says the process couldn’t come at a better time.

“We’re entering a new chapter, and this plan gives us the opportunity to think boldly and work smarter. It’s about ensuring The Florida Center remains strong, sustainable, and ready to meet the challenges ahead—so we can continue to support the children and families who count on us.”

• Dr. Kristie Skoglund, CEO of The Florida Center for Early Childhood, says the new strategic plan—made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County—will strengthen leadership, align programs with community needs, and enhance the organization’s long-term impact.
• A pre-kindergarten student at The Florida Center’s Starfish Academy in Sarasota. The center’s new strategic plan aims to ensure programs like Starfish continue to meet the evolving needs of local children and families.

About The Florida Center for Early Childhood

For more than 40 years, The Florida Center for Early Childhood has been the leading provider of therapeutic services, early education, and healthy development for young children in southwest Florida, offering a seamless delivery of services for the whole child and their family. Today, the agency is nationally recognized for its early childhood expertise in various specialties. The Florida Center provides developmental therapies, mental health counseling, Starfish Academy preschool, the Healthy Families home-visiting program, and the state’s only Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Clinic, with locations in Sarasota and Orlando.