Easter Seals Southwest Florida

Easter Seals Southwest Florida has been awarded an $11,700 grant under The Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s BOOST (Building Organizations’ Operational Strength Today) Initiative Fund.

The funds, according to Easter Seals Southwest Florida President and CEO Bill Lloyd, will allow the agency to obtain a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation and Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally renowned accrediting body whose rigorous set of organizational and program standards have been recognized in the human services industry since 1966. 

“We are very grateful for this funding,” Lloyd said, “which will allow us to achieve a significant goal.”

Achieving accreditation according to CARF standards, he explained, will allow Easter Seals to strengthen core programs by providing the highest quality of services to individuals with disabilities and their families. Additionally, accreditation will increase organizational capacity through continuous quality improvement monitoring; increased service delivery and efficiency; a redesigned business model that includes an enhanced risk management policy; increased confidence of stakeholders and funding sources; and positive visibility for Easter Seals Southwest Florida.

“Basically,” Lloyd explained, “CARF accreditation is ‘a seal of approval’ awarded to organizations after a rigorous consultative process. “In the end, the accreditation will assure those looking for programs for the disabled that Easter Seals Southwest Florida does, indeed, deliver the highest quality services to its consumers,” he added.

“It also will help provide a strong foundation for the pursuit of additional grants, donations and planned gifts to ensure that our 63-year-old organization will be able to continue to provide programs and services for the disabled and their families long into the future.”

“The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is pleased to make this grant to Easter Seals Southwest Florida to help the organization maintain the highest standards for people with developmental disabilities,” says Wendy Hopkins, Vice President of Grant and Program Services.