We are very grateful to be named a finalist for 2023 Nonprofit of the Year by the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce! Our members should be so proud of what they have accomplished in just four years!! Congratulations to the other finalists. We can't wait for the winners to be announced across all categories on Dec. 1.
START held its Fall Meet & Greet on October 25th where new and potential members were able to hear about our organization and have the opportunity to ask questions.
When START heard that the Venice Institute of the Performing Arts (VIPA) no longer wanted their player piano with over 80 scrolls, members went to work finding a nonprofit that would give it a good home and really use it. The result was that in September the piano found its new home at The Haven in Venice. A special thanks to Two Men and a Truck who donated their time and truck to make the move go smoothly.
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Osprey Nokomis Chamber of Commerce and START hosted the Tribute to Community Care held at Paradise Grill on July 6th. With 19 nonprofits attending, it was a great opportunity to learn about other nonprofits as well as inform those organizations of our mission
The Venice Chorale hosted an appreciation night of music and food for their donors and volunteers on March 23. START is truly grateful to the Venice Chorale for a lovely evening at the Venice Art Center. START supported the Venice Chorale’s Youth Chorus with a fundraiser in February 2022.
Two START members hosted a special event at Nailed It DIY Studio. For the month of March, START was designated as their nonprofit of the month during which the studio donated 10% of all items purchased to START, as long as the buyer identified our organization. It was fun for all while making something special to take home and supporting START. Nailed It DIY Studio was able to raised $85.64 for START!
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The Venice Area Chamber of Commerce (VACC) honored START with a Business Celebration (formerly “Ribbon Cutting Ceremony”) for our recent great news of obtaining our 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit charitable organization.
In May, we entered the Gulf Shores Realty NonProfit of the Month contest. Thanks to all our members, neighbors and friends, our Outreach budget just got $1,000 bigger! We now have a little more money to carry out the START mission of improving the lives of others. Thank you so much to everyone for casting their votes for START!
START of SC is Officially a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
After a long and arduous application procedure that started in 2019 and required multiple
reapplications during the Covid crisis, START has now received a letter from the IRS stating that START is exempt from federal income tax under IRC Section 501(c)(3).
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This is great news for our membership as we continue to support other nonprofits. Future
fundraising opportunities now have the opportunity to receive matching funds from other
foundations when available.
START Board members were invited to participate in the Venice Suncoast Rotary Club ceremony on January 31st honoring Mary Beth Hansen, owner of the Paradise Grill, as the recipient of the prestigious Paul Harris Award for “Service Above Self for Outstanding Community Service for 2020-2021”. We were applauded for providing 250 volunteer hours to help Mary Beth and her staff furnish over 16,000 meals to those in in need. They prepared the free hot meals, ready for pickup, every Friday night for seven months. START members helped by distributing the meals through car windows as the recipients drove
up.
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