Decision marks latest philanthropic action of the couple
This week, mirroring the action he took after the majority of the Sarasota County commissioners voted in September 2023 to discontinue funding for the United Way Suncoast 211 helpline in Sarasota County, Palmer Ranch developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr. donated $107,643 to Embracing Our Differences.
His wife, Eliza, joined him in that philanthropic support, a news release noted.
Along with the loss of the anticipated $46,696 county grant, Embracing Our Differences lost a $60,947 state grant when Gov. DeSantis vetoed all arts and culture grants last month, the July 23 news release about the Culverhouses pointed out.
In the case of the 211 helpline, a County Commission-appointed advisory council had recommended that the county continue to support that program. However, Commissioner Neil Rainford had reported to his colleagues that he had learned that 211 operators would refer women to Planned Parenthood for abortions. In a March 16 exchange with Bronwyn Beightol, chief impact officer with United Way Suncoast, Rainford sought clarification about whether the reports were true.
“Yes,” Beightol replied.
She was one of three people who appeared before the board that morning during its Open to the Public comment period to seek restoration of the funding.
Commissioner Mark Smith had put an item on the agenda that day, noting that he wanted to raise the issue under his report to his colleagues, with hope that they would restore the funding.
During the commission’s regular meeting on July 10, Commissioner Joe Neunder of Nokomis was the board member who first called for striking Embracing Our Differences from the list of programs that a panel of people with expertise in the arts had proposed for support in the 2025 fiscal year. The panel was working in collaboration with the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County,
Having had “conversations with individuals in our community [about the organization],” Neunder said, he did not believe Embracing Our Differences should receive county funding. Commissioner Neil Rainford agreed.
In a statement that she provided to The Sarasota News Leader after the commission’s July 10 vote, Sarah Wertheimer, executive director of Embracing Our Differences, wrote “We are disheartened and disappointed with the Board of County Commissioners’ decision to deny vital funding to Embracing Our Differences. We want to stress that we have complied with all the new eligibility requirements for this year’s grants. It’s a complicated process, but we diligently adjusted to the new criteria.”
She added, “The merit of our work isn’t in question — and it clearly wasn’t the reason we were cut off. Political calculation is the likely culprit.”
Then Wertheimer pointed out, “Embracing Our Differences is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting respect, inclusion, kindness, and community engagement. We focus on the timeless virtues of understanding and acceptance, and not the latest controversy on cable news. Our mission transcends political divisions. Supporting our mission is not a question of politics. It’s a question of basic human values — the ones all sides share.”
In the July 23 news release, Wertheimer said, “We are beyond grateful to Eliza and Hugh Culverhouse for their contribution. Their support makes a world of difference to us, especially now when our county and state funding have been cut. Their outstanding example of generosity and commitment is crucial in sustaining our programs and inspiring positive change.”
The release noted, “The organization has committed to continuing its mission and exhibition in 2025 and beyond. Since its inception in 2004, the not-for-profit organization has been an integral part of the Sarasota community, growing annually in both scope and impact.”
The release added, “This year, Embracing Our Differences [EOD] attracted approximately 420,000 visitors to its exhibition [in the City of Sarasota’s Bayfront Park] and hosted 15,000 students on school field trips.”
The Culverhouses’ donation “will support the 2025 exhibit at Bayfront Park in Sarasota and its corresponding education programs,” the release explained. Among the latter, it said, area high school students guide younger students through the exhibition and help them “understand the messages conveyed through art and quotations.”
The release also noted that “the Make-A-Day Of It! program, which allows thousands of students to visit the exhibition and then extend their experience with one of EOD’s cultural partners, will benefit from this contribution.”
The release further pointed out, “The Culverhouses have a long history of supporting local nonprofits, but more recently they have stepped in to contribute when public funds fell short.” It cited the situation with the 211 helpline service and said that Culverhouse also had “contributed $150,000 to fully fund the Sarasota County Comprehensive Treatment Court (CTC) program, which helps divert individuals with mental health disorders from jails into treatment programs.
“Eliza Culverhouse has been an avid supporter of the arts, donating millions to programs promoting arts over the years, including Embracing Our Differences, The Sarasota Ballet and The University of Alabama’s dance program,” the release continued. Her goal has been to help support students involved in the arts, it added.
“The University of Alabama recently honored Eliza Culverhouse by naming its new state-of-the-art performing arts center in her name to celebrate her enduring support and commitment to the arts,” the release noted/
For more information about Embracing Our Differences, visit www.embracingourdifferences.org.