FSU Foundation

Manatee Seminole Club Launches Endowment Campaign

Image of Manatee Seminole Club Launching Endowment Campaign

May 7, 2019

Moving the needle forward is the ambition behind the Manatee Seminole Club’s launch of their new scholarship endowment campaign.

The club’s fundraising initiative aims to secure two $50,000 endowments to support deserving students from Manatee County attending Florida State University. In addition to growing their current endowment with the FSU Foundation, which provides a permanent source of academic scholarship funding, the club also plans to create an athletic endowment through Seminole Boosters. The promotion of both endowments will allow the club to provide multifaceted support for the diverse group of students coming from the county, widening the scope of scholarship applicants and further strengthening the overall mission of Florida State.

Manatee Seminole Club President Frank Maggio expressed his enthusiasm for the impact the launch of their endowment campaign could create. “If it inspires someone else to move the needle forward, it’s a domino effect that everyone can feel good about.”

On March 11, the club held a donor event to kick off their campaign, where they received approximately $50,000 in gifts and commitments for the two endowments. The club also highlighted their academic scholarship endowment during the recent FSU’s Great Give, successfully raising an additional $2,500 with an accompanying matching gift.

When asked why she chose to support the club’s fundraising efforts, recent FSU graduate Stephanie Gannett explained, “Attending Florida State was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It gave me the tools and knowledge to succeed wherever I ended up [after graduation], including helping me during a challenging period in my life. I hope through supporting the Manatee Seminole Club and FSU, I can help students from my hometown receive the same experience.”

Since 2010, the club, coupled with the unparalleled support from their board, has awarded almost $75,000 in scholarships. They continue to raise funds for incoming first-year students through local events such as game-viewing parties and other exciting social gatherings throughout the year.

“This past [year], we more than doubled our attendance at game-watching parties, our annual golf tournament achieved record funding and, under President Maggio’s leadership, local alumni are helping us endow an athletic scholarship,” said Manatee Seminole Club Scholarship Chair Teri Smith. “Manatee County had 220 students accepted for the 2019-20 academic year, and our continuous efforts will help these students realize their educational goals.”

Maggio added he hopes their efforts will spark others to join on a much larger scale. “If [the club] does our part, it could leverage another individual or organization to say, ‘I want to do this as well.’ Not just those in our community, but influencing those throughout the state and nation by seeing local groups step up to assist students in realizing their dreams of becoming a college graduate,” he said.

Founded in 1984, the Manatee Seminole Club serves to create and maintain a network of FSU alumni, fans and friends in Manatee County by supporting the academic and athletic achievements of the University. Manatee County boasts a significant FSU influence with more than 2,500 alumni living in the region and home to various FSU-affiliate institutions and programs, including The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, the College of Medicine’s Sarasota Regional Medical School campus and more.


Visit manateenoles.fsu.alumnispaces.com to learn more about the Manatee Seminole Club’s scholarship initiatives and upcoming events.