$7.7M donation is largest ever for Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

After a local philanthropist provided a second sizable donation toward redevelopment of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee campus, his gifts mark the largest in the organization’s history.

Larry Greenspon made the lead gift in 2018 toward redeveloping the campus at 580 McIntosh Road, named the Greenspon Campus for Jewish Life. His total investment, including his second donation, is $7.7 million, according to a statement from the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. 

A little more than $3.35 million came in 2018, according to Director of Marketing & Communications Ellen Biddle, and the Federation just announced the more recent gift in the past week.

Since 2019, the Federation has been raising money through a capital campaign for redevelopment of the front 16 acres of its 32-acre campus, and in recent months the work has been coming to fruition.

In April, event space The Ora opened. It has a nearly 10,000-square-foot ballroom as well as breakout rooms.

“We couldn’t be happier with the wide range of events people have had here, everything from weddings and bar mitzvahs to large corporate events,” Biddle says in an interview with the Business Observer on June 4, as the Sarasota school board was conducting training at The Ora.

“Our day camp is opening this summer,” Biddle says. “We’re very excited about that.” It will host children of all faiths for programming guided by Jewish values like kindness, she says.

A Holocaust memorial education center will open later this year, where organizers expect to host schoolchildren and civic organizations for education on what happened in the Holocaust and the Jews’ place in history.

The campus is designed to provide places for people in Sarasota and Manatee counties, many who do not identify with a synagogue, to connect with their Jewish culture, Biddle says, while at the same time providing a safe place for the greater community to gather.

“From the moment the campus vision was shared with me, I was struck by the bold and proactive approach that would bring our growing Jewish community together,” Greenspon says in a statement. 

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Greenspon’s first gift helped develop the Greenspon Campus for Jewish Life as a whole. His second gift will accelerate plans for the Greenspon Sports Facilities, which will provide tennis and pickleball courts in addition to a tennis program for underserved youths.

“My second gift is motivated by the accomplishments of Federation leadership — past and present — many of whom have become my dear friends,” Greenspon says. “Now, the Federation can look towards creating meaningful programs through the sports facilities to ensure that our youth learn valuable skills and come together in common purpose instead of being divided.”

The Federation anticipates opening the athletic facilities in summer 2025.

“With new facilities and programs starting over the summer and continuing into the fall, the growth of this Federation as a leader in our community is nothing short of extraordinary,”  Board President Deb Kabinoff says in the statement.

Including Greenspon’s latest gift, the capital campaign has raised more than $31 million, and officials say more than $13 million has been raised in the past 12 months.