Press ReleaseCrisis Center of Tampa Bay · April 2026

Reframing a $35K grant as 50 forensic exams for teens

A $35,000 Suncoast grant, framed as 50 forensic exams for teens, and a story about the Crisis Center's role as the county's certified rape crisis center.

Visual preview of Reframing a $35K grant as 50 forensic exams for teens

The Brief

The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay received a $35,000 grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to offset the cost of forensic sexual assault exams for clients ages 13 to 17, a service that runs more than $1,700 per exam, with a deficit remaining even after government funding. Leadership wanted to announce the gift in a way that made the real cost of this care concrete for readers, recognized a long-standing funding partner, and reinforced the Crisis Center's role as the county's certified rape crisis center.

My Role

Communications Lead

The Goal

Draft and distribute a press release that translated the grant into a tangible unit of care, honored Suncoast's continued partnership, and generated earned media coverage across the Tampa Bay market.

Outcomes

  • Framed the $35,000 grant around a concrete unit of care (50 forensic exams for clients ages 13 to 17), so the dollar figure landed as impact rather than abstraction.
  • Surfaced an under-reported data point (each exam costs over $1,700, with a deficit remaining after government funding) to give readers a clear reason the gift matters.
  • Secured on-the-record quotes from both Suncoast's Executive Director of Foundations and the Crisis Center's CEO, framing the partnership from both sides.
  • Anchored the announcement inside the Crisis Center's broader mission so a single-grant story also introduced Corbett Trauma Center, Gateway Contact Center, Success 4 Kids & Families, and TransCare to new readers.

Source

More case studies