Bishop-Parker Foundation awards more than $4.3 million in grants

Total includes investments in the fast-growing North River area in Manatee County

Bishop-Parker Foundation awarded more than $4.3 million in grants during its spring 2026 grant cycle. That total includes a $150,000 grant to Mote Marine Laboratory to support water quality research benefitting Manatee County, a $270,000 grant to support Turning Points’ Medical and Dental Clinic for uninsured residents of Manatee County, and a $50,000 grant to YMCA of Southwest Florida for free swimming lessons for Manatee County children.

In this grant cycle, Bishop-Parker Foundation is investing significantly in the North River area of Manatee County, aligning with its North River Initiative in partnership with The Patterson Foundation and The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. That initiative aims to foster a community-driven approach to the future of the region, which includes the towns of Ellenton, Palmetto, Parrish, and Rubonia.

“Bishop-Parker Foundation is proud to be part of this partnership to empower residents, nonprofits, and local leaders to shape lasting, positive change in one of Florida’s fastest-growing regions,” said Wendy Deming, CEO of Bishop-Parker Foundation. “By working to strengthen civic culture and build community trust, we can help North River grow in ways that are inclusive and supportive of all residents.”

The Manatee Education Foundation received a $250,000 grant to expand its Soar in 4 Soar Lab to a second permanent location north of the Manatee River. The interactive, research-based learning environment gives children and their families hands-on opportunities to develop early learning skills and explore a variety of educational experiences.

“The Soar Lab expansion will generate measurable academic and family-engagement outcomes that strengthen school readiness and early elementary success for Manatee County children,” said Jeramiah Bowman, director of educational programs for the Manatee Education Foundation. “And the academic and family-engagement gains will continue benefiting Manatee County children and families for years.”

A $50,000 grant will support One More Child’s Azinger Family Compassion Center in Palmetto, a multipurpose donation and distribution center that provides resources for children and struggling families in the surrounding community. The funds will allow the center to expand food distribution and other support services for vulnerable children and families in Manatee County.

“Last year alone, the Azinger Family Compassion Center distributed more than three million meals and tangible goods valued at more than $11.8 million,” said Jerry T. Hagg, CEO of the One More Child Foundation. “With additional funding and expanded capacity, we can increase annual meal distribution and directly benefit 8,000 to 10,000 Manatee County residents each year, deepening the center’s measurable impact on food insecurity and family stability in Manatee County.”

A $45,000 grant to Florida Studio Theatre will support its Write a Play Program in underserved Manatee County schools during the 2026–2027 school year, as well as FST School Satellite Summer Camps in Ellenton launching in June 2026. FST’s youth programs have a history of improving students’ self-expression, collaboration, and public speaking skills, and the new Ellenton summer camps will increase access for students unable to participate in the theater’s downtown Sarasota summer programming.

“Transportation has long limited participation for families in North Manatee County and surrounding areas,” said Richard Hopkins, CEO and producing artistic director of Florida Studio Theatre. “The Satellite Summer Camps will bring high-quality arts instruction into local communities and reach students who would otherwise be unable to participate.”

A $37,000 grant to MCR Health will support the not-for-profit healthcare system’s goal of opening a health center at Myakka City Elementary, enabling a feasibility study for project planning. There are no health centers in Myakka City, and families must travel to Arcadia or Bradenton to access healthcare.

“A health center on school property would increase timely access to primary and behavioral healthcare and decrease school absenteeism caused by illness or long travel times to medical providers,” said Melvin B. Price, president and CEO of MCR Health. “Conducting a feasibility study will ensure not only the viability of the health center, but also that it is purposefully designed from the outset to meet the needs of students and of the broader Myakka community.”

Bishop-Parker Foundation’s spring 2026 grant cycle awarded 42 grants totaling $4,307,759 to nonprofits focused on education, health, human services, animal welfare, and the environment in Manatee County:

· $25,000 to ALSO Youth to support mental health services

· $65,000 to Audubon Florida to protect threatened birds and nesting habitats in Manatee County

· $20,000 to Avenue941 for academic support for students in Title 1 schools

· $40,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast in support of a new Manatee County office and mentoring center

· $165,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County for computer replacements

· $64,000 to Children’s Home Society of Florida for support services provided at Manatee Elementary and Daughtrey Elementary Schools

· $19,800 to CreArte Latino Cultural Center in support of its Dual Language Adventures Initiative

· $150,000 to Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County for its kindergarten readiness program

· $45,000 to Florida Studio Theatre to support educational programs in Manatee County

· $75,000 to Forty Carrots of Sarasota to support mental health services

· $120,000 to Girls Inc. of Sarasota County for outreach efforts in Manatee County

· $58,000 to Healthy Teens for its Teen Health Educator program

· $95,400 to Herrig Center for the Arts to expand access to arts education in Manatee County

· $40,000 to HOPE Family Services for its children’s counseling program

· $40,000 to Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch to support animal adoptions

· $63,000 to Kim’s Krew to help strengthen food security capacity in Manatee County

· $45,000 to Lighthouse Vision Loss Center for transportation services

· $305,750 to Manatee County’s Animal Welfare Division for animal rescue and care efforts

· $44,500 to Manatee County Historical Commission for architectural drawings for the rehabilitation of the circa-1887 church at Manatee Village Historical Park

· $250,000 to Manatee Education Foundation for a second location of its Soar in 4 Soar Lab north of the Manatee River

· $37,000 to MCR Health Inc. to support a future health center at Myakka City Elementary

· $36,000 to Minorities in Shark Sciences for its Sea Scholars program

· $150,000 to Mote Marine Laboratory to support water quality research in Manatee County

· $35,000 to Neuro Challenge Foundation for its Care Advisor program

· $50,000 to One More Child to support its Azinger Family Compassion Center

· $129,559 to Pace Center for Girls for mental health and leadership programming

· $50,000 in program support to Parenting Matters

· $75,000 to Pines of Sarasota Foundation to support Medicaid funding gap coverage

· $20,000 to Reflections of Manatee for community engagement and programming initiatives

· $50,000 to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation to support nursing and clinical education

· $25,000 to Sarasota Orchestra to support its 2026-2027 Young Person’s Concerts

· $488,000 to the School District of Manatee County for teacher retention efforts

· $30,000 to Stillpoint Mission for utility bill financial assistance

· $50,000 to Sugar’s Gift to support animal end-of-life care

· $100,000 in scholarship support for Take Stock in Children of Manatee County

· $270,000 to Turning Points to support its health center

· $80,000 to UnidosNow in support of its Future Leaders Academy

· $1,155,000 to University of Florida Foundation to support the UF Inflammatory Bowel and Celiac Disease Program

· $37,000 to University of South Florida Foundation for Manatee County civic engagement efforts

· $70,500 to Visible Men Academy for its Student Opportunity & Learning Expansion Initiative

· $50,000 to Women’s Resource Center for program and services support

· $50,000 to YMCA of Southwest Florida to support free swimming lessons for low-income children in Manatee County