CareerEdge Receives $150,000 Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation to Enhance Local Workforce Development Effort 

CareerEdge Receives $150,000 Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation to Enhance Local Workforce Development Effort 

Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida (July 8, 2025) – CareerEdge, the workforce development initiative led by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has been awarded a substantial $150,000 grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast). This generous grant, made possible through the Maria Haber Charitable Fund, further solidifies the longstanding partnership between CareerEdge and Gulf Coast. As one of CareerEdge’s founding funders, Gulf Coast has continuously played an active role in advancing their mission.  

The grant will support CareerEdge Funders Collaborative’s initiatives in providing an exceptional labor force to growing industries by leveraging community assets and forming high-performing workforce partnerships. CareerEdge will utilize the grant to implement demand-driven strategies, including Fast-Track training programs, on-the-job training, internship reimbursement programs, and employer funding to upskill employees.  

“CareerEdge is proud to continue its longstanding funding partnership with Gulf Coast Community Foundation,” said Dan Sidler, Vice President of CareerEdge & Economic Development. “This investment directly fuels high-impact workforce programs that address critical skills gaps for local employers, while empowering individuals to gain in-demand training, launch meaningful careers, and improve their long-term financial stability. The ripple effects of this support are felt across the region—in businesses, in households, and throughout our economy.” 

Since its inception in 2010, CareerEdge and its employer partners have invested $18.5 million, providing training for 8,141 workers, resulting in 1,646 promotions, 5,210 raises, and $42.1 million in workers’ aggregate annual earnings. In 2024 alone, CareerEdge and partners invested $1.3 million in workforce development, resulting in 486 workers trained, $2.1 million in added wages, created 117 new jobs, provided 213 new employment opportunities, and 594 new certifications were earned.   

About CareerEdge Funders Collaborative  

CareerEdge Funders Collaborative is an innovative partnership of business, government, and philanthropic organizations, leveraging public and private dollars to provide opportunities for better jobs and wages in Manatee and Sarasota counties. CareerEdge is the workforce development initiative of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. For more information about CareerEdge and its partners, please visit www.careeredgefunders.org  or call 941.556.4045.  

About the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce  

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that exists to maximize our members’ success, the community’s competitiveness, and the area’s economic strengths. For more information, call (941) 955-8187 or visit online at www.sarasotachamber.com  

About Gulf Coast Community Foundation 
Headquartered in Venice, Fla. and with a second office in downtown Sarasota, Fla., Gulf Coast Community Foundation was founded in 1995 to serve our community – forever. Together with our donors, Gulf Coast transforms the region through bold and proactive philanthropy. Serving the needs of the region as a partner in philanthropy and leader in community initiatives, Gulf Coast has surpassed granting over $605 million in the areas of: health and human services, civic and economic development, education, arts and culture, and the environment. Since 2006, the Foundation has earned accreditation with Community Foundations National Standards®, the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. Gulf Coast was named one of the “Best Nonprofits To Work For” nationally by The NonProfit Times in 2010, 2011, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2023. To learn more, visit GulfCoastCF.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.