April 30, 2020
Dear Sawgrass colleagues,
Thank you all for the great response we have already received for our Foundation to help the employees of SGCC. There is not an overview of a total number for donations as yet, but we aspire to be able to distribute some funds to staff already in early May.
We have been asked how the allocations will be decided. The Board is still looking at the situations for our employees but the focus in the coming weeks will be to provide whatever funds we are able to collect for the Crisis Relief part of our mission. All staff below management level with reduced income due to shorter hours and lost gratuities will be considered for a crisis stipend. We will endeavor to spread what funds we will have among all these staff. The Education Stipend objective will be focused on once this national crisis has ended.
Another question was whether this Foundation will provide assistance for individual staff needing help with medical issues. Unfortunately, this is not due to the impact of the National Crisis and is therefore not in the furtherance of out exempt function and therefore not within our scope to handle. Please continue your aid to these people through the other funding channels that have been circulated. Thanks to all who are helping in all these different ways.
We have no operating expenses so the entire amount donated, less a few hundred in start-up fees, will be available in our fund. So we are hoping that your generosity will provide a nice amount that we can distribute in the coming weeks. The Foundation will continue in the years ahead, so please consider a donation now, and also going forward. We’ll keep you posted.
Sincerely,
The Sawgrass Foundation Board of Directors