A Pasco County nonprofit that uses tennis to keep low-income kids on track for college just landed a $20,000 boost.
The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation, based in Zephyrhills, was among 88 nonprofits to receive competitive grants from Community Foundation Tampa Bay in 2026. The foundation awarded more than $2.5 million total, a record for the program, according to an 83 Degrees Media report published Wednesday. (The report was produced under an underwriting agreement between 83 Degrees and Community Foundation Tampa Bay.)
Executive Director Nick Walton said the grant will support continued growth of the organization's free after-school program, which partners with Title I schools across Pasco County to serve students in grades 1 through 12 from low-income households.
The program started small. Walton said the foundation reached 60 students in its first year. That number climbed to 120, then 350, then 450. As of July, it serves 650.
"We're in the youth development space using tennis as the hook to get kids involved," Walton told 83 Degrees Media. "But really our focus is SEL — social, emotional learning. We're trying to teach them communication, teamwork, integrity."
Students learn forehands and backhands, but the program's core is social-emotional learning: communication, teamwork and integrity skills aimed at getting every participant to college.
A second-effort win
The grant didn't come easy. Walton said the foundation applied unsuccessfully in a prior year but received a 30-minute feedback call from Community Foundation staff explaining how to strengthen the proposal. He credited that guidance with helping the organization secure not just this grant but others as well.
The nonprofit is named for Sarah Vande Berg, a Zephyrhills High School graduate and Division I tennis player at USC Upstate who died in a 2015 car crash. She first picked up a racket at church camp and developed her game at Zephyr Park in downtown Zephyrhills, according to the foundation's website. The organization carries her legacy forward by introducing the sport to kids who might not otherwise have access.
High school students in the program become ambassadors who serve as junior coaches, mentor younger participants, earn volunteer hours and build community involvement records for college and scholarship applications. During summer break, the foundation brings its programming to free and subsidized camps.
Record demand across the region
Community Foundation Tampa Bay received 426 applications in its 2026 cycle, a 17% increase over 2025. Brandi Sanchez, vice president of community impact, said the foundation saw a surge in applications from nonprofits in Pasco, Citrus and Hernando counties.
"We saw a lot more applications from those areas than in the past," Sanchez told 83 Degrees Media. "More organizations are starting to learn about Community Foundation."
President and CEO Marlene Spalten said in a news release that the applications reflected growing need across the region, particularly for programs focused on housing, food security, clothing, health care and other essential services.
The foundation's next competitive grant cycle opens in December or early January. Grants fund programs in five focus areas: economic opportunity, environmental resiliency and sustainability, physical health and mental wellbeing, quality child and youth education, and vibrant and engaged communities.
Coming up
The SVB Tennis Foundation hosts its sixth annual "Raise a Racquet" fundraising event Nov. 7 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at 6585 Simons Road, Zephyrhills. The evening includes a charity dinner, on-court exhibition, silent auction and open bar. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
