Gulf Coast Invests $11M in Grants

Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board of Directors approved nearly $11 million in grants and scholarships at its first meeting of the fiscal year, October 2021. These various grants support projects and initiatives that: align with our regional priorities, transform our region, and support thriving communities with opportunities for all.

When speaking to one of our grant recipients, they shared that the impact goes beyond the dollar amount, "partnering with Gulf Coast elevates our opportunity to do more, we are now able to collaborate across sectors because we have the support of Gulf Coast in our corner."

Highlights from this cycle of grant awards include:

Leveraged Grants

Gulf Coast’s Leveraged Grants fund collaborative work that will address specific regional priorities identified by the foundation through periodic community assessments. Among grants approved by the Gulf Coast Board in October were three Leveraged Grants totaling $512,500, including:

$62,500 to help Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast launch a Nature Interpretation Program. Funding will be used to hire a Nature Interpreter and implement adult educational offerings.

$150,000 to the State College of Florida (SCF) Foundation to address the critical shortage of nurses in our region by supporting the SCF Nursing Center of Excellence.

Community Grants

Gulf Coast also awarded over $124,000 in Community Grants, which are smaller grants to fund programs and projects at regional nonprofit organizations. These included:

$25,000 to Venice Theatre to support AACT WorldFest 2022, an international community theater festival that will feature performances from around the globe. Audiences will total 7,000-10,000 and will generate more than $1 million in tourism impact. This will mark the fourth time that Gulf Coast has sponsored this event.

$14,000 to Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center to determine the feasibility of developing a nonprofit human-services center in North Port. This grant comes from the Anna V. Pfister, Nellie Mae Koss, and Helen K. Hadden Memorial Endowment Fund.

$30,000 grant from the Bruce Harrison Richter Leukemia Fund to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Foundation to support leukemia research and clinical trials.

“The true power and purpose of a community foundation is demonstrated not only through the endowed funds over which our Board has discretion, but through the hundreds of donor-directed funds we administer in partnership with generous philanthropists,” said Mark Pritchett, Gulf Coast President | CEO. “In response to the growing needs of our community fueled by the pandemic, last year we experienced an increase in donor giving by about 30 percent from years prior. We anticipate similar increased support as we enter this new fiscal year.”