The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay Renews a $25,000 Grant to Support Foster Youth

Funding will go toward the groundbreaking FosterPower app and movement.

Bay Area Legal Services has been selected to receive a $25,000 grant from The Community Foundation Tampa Bay. Funds from this grant will bolster the organization’s FosterPower initiative. FosterPower provides free, easily digestible essential resources for Florida's foster youth, including information on legal rights, healthcare, education, life skills, and more.

“We’re excited to receive funding from Community Foundation Tampa Bay, and we are grateful for their continued support of FosterPower,” said Joan Boles, Bay Area Legal Services CEO/President.

Since launching in May 2023, FosterPower has reached over 4,000 app downloads, 10,000 website users, and 100,000 video views. Its impact has garnered praise from members of Congress; it has earned recognition from various national and statewide media outlets, including NPR's All Things Considered, theSkimm, The Annie E. Casey Foundation blog, and the Tampa Bay Business Journal; and it has received multiple awards, such as the 2024 InnovAction Award by the College of Law Practice Management and the 2023 Florida's Children First "Outstanding Non-Profit Champion for Children" Award.

Senior Director, Community Investments Katie Shultz, shared, “Community Foundation Tampa Bay believes deeply in the empowerment of youth in and aging out of the foster care system.  We are proud to support the FosterPower initiative, which offers these young people an innovative and accessible approach to navigating the foster care and legal systems.”

FosterPower is an initiative created and managed by Bay Area Legal Services. The FosterPower team includes Taylor Sartor (creator, co-founder, and legal director), Rastko Durica (co-founder and product manager), David Gray (co-founder and business director), and Heather Tager (co-founder and advisor).

Visit fosterpower.org to learn more about FosterPower and its mission to empower Florida's foster youth. Find out more about Community Foundation Tampa Bay.