The nonprofit Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence—known as SCOPE—announced Tuesday that it will shut down this summer. Founded 20 years ago, the organization was created to study local issues, provide comprehensive data and reports to local government and nonprofits and engage the community through studies and workshops. According to a newsletter issued by the organization, government funding and private sector support have declined in recent years, while technological innovations have made data collection easier than when SCOPE was founded. "With fewer funds available, the Board of Directors faced a difficult decision," wrote board chair Tom Tryon in the newsletter. "After considering and evaluating many options, the Board came to realize that many of SCOPE's objectives at its inception have been embedded in the community, so the decision was made to continue the transition of many of its programs to other community organizations."