The holiday season may have gifted a successful financial year to the Center of Anna Maria Island.
Development director Jim McDaniel wrote in a Jan. 19 email to The Islander that the nonprofit raised $240,692 in response to a $60,000 matching challenge, a part of this year’s annual fundraising campaign.
The fundraiser ran Nov. 22, 2021-Jan. 14, 2022, and attracted 102 donors, including seven challengers and 95 respondents.
Challengers included:
- Bob and Carol Carter;
- David and Maureen Cote;
- Mark and Mary Catherine Melancon;
- Richard and Maren Cohen;
- Chris Torgeson van Zandt;
- Drigan Silver Lining Fund;
- And an anonymous supporter.
McDaniel expressed appreciation for the respondents who stepped up to meet the center challenge.
“We are deeply grateful that our donors see the value of the center to the fabric of our island community,” McDaniel wrote. “The community has responded in a resounding way during this campaign in support of the center’s efforts to serve as the hub of healthy living and active, lifelong learning.”
The money should ensure the center finishes in the black for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2021.
According to financial documents from the nonprofit, the center was $56,675 in the black through November, a $118,421 improvement over the same point last year.
The center has not detailed projected revenue for this year’s Bradenton Area Gulf Island Concert Series, which began Dec. 11, 2021, with an outdoor performance by “The Wailers.”
The nonprofit’s executive board was set to meet Jan. 25, after The Islander’s press deadline.