Gulf Coast Earns National Seal of Excellence

Gulf Coast Community Foundation is excited to share the news that our accreditation with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® has been renewed for three years.

Administered by the Community Foundations National Standards Board, a supporting organization of the Council on Foundations (COF), the accreditation is considered the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence. Gulf Coast has maintained compliance with these National Standards since 2006, shortly after the accreditation program was introduced.

The National Standards program certifies U.S. community foundations that meet and exceed federal and state law requirements in practice and by policy. According to COF, undertaking the rigorous accreditation process demonstrates a community foundation’s commitment to accountability and excellence to its donors, its community, policymakers, and the public. Accredited community foundations like Gulf Coast model the best practices in the philanthropic sector, benefitting all stakeholders and the larger community.

“Documenting our adherence to these rigorous standards is painstaking but vital,” said Veronica Thames, Gulf Coast’s chief operating officer. “Maintaining compliance and completing the months-long reaccreditation process amid the COVID-19 pandemic shows our donors and nonprofit partners how committed Gulf Coast is to integrity and excellence as we serve and support them.”

Compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® is voluntary and involves comprehensive peer and legal review. The Council on Foundations introduced the program in 2005, and Gulf Coast Community Foundation was among the first foundations to achieve accreditation, in early 2006. The program’s 26 standards cover governance and structure, resource development, stewardship, grantmaking, and donor relations.

In addition to maintaining the National Standards seal, Gulf Coast Community Foundation was recognized this year as one of the 25 “Best Nonprofits to Work For” by national publication The NonProfit Times. It was the second straight year and fifth time since 2010 that Gulf Coast has earned the “Best Nonprofits” recognition.