The NonProfit Times Named Gulf Coast One of the Country's Best Nonprofits

Gulf Coast Community Foundation was recognized by The NonProfit Times as one of its Best Nonprofits To Work For in 2020.

The national publication for nonprofit managers ranked Gulf Coast 22nd on its “top 50” list this year. The foundation ranked eighth in the small nonprofits group (15 – 49 employees) and, notably, was the only community foundation in the country on this year’s list.

“We know what a challenging time this is for just about every nonprofit and business in our region and beyond,” said Mark Pritchett, Gulf Coast’s President and CEO. “We are fortunate to be part of an organization that is positioned—and expected—to help lead our communities through the COVID-19  crisis. That’s a responsibility our team embraces. Commitment to our mission and living our values are intrinsic to Gulf Coast’s culture.”

The “Best Nonprofits” program, conducted annually by The NonProfit Times, is designed to identify the best employers in the nonprofit sector and recognize leadership and strategies that can benefit the sector and those it serves. The results are based on a rigorous survey process open to nonprofits across the country. Besides the ranking, the program provides participating organizations with an employee benchmark report they can use for further organizational and staff development.

Key drivers of this year’s selections included employees feeling valued, confidence in leadership, trust in the organization, and esprit de corps. Differentiators for organizations that made the list included leadership, culture, work environment, training and resources, and overall engagement.

While the “Best Nonprofits” rankings were released in April, Gulf Coast officials say the foundation was so focused on addressing community needs through its COVID-19 Response Initiative that it hadn’t shared news of the honor beyond the staff, Board, and some of the foundation’s donors.

“We received official word of our ranking from The NonProfit Times just a few weeks after we pivoted to a remote work model in response to COVID-19,” said Veronica Thames, Chief Operating Officer of Gulf Coast, who was interviewed by the magazine for its accompanying cover story. “As we made that transition, the first thing I heard from several of our staff members was, ‘People want to help, but they don’t know how. I’m so glad we can continue to support our community directly.’ I think that sentiment sums up the alignment of our team with Gulf Coast’s mission, vision, and values.”

This is the fourth time Gulf Coast Community Foundation has been selected as a “Best Nonprofit.” The most recent previous recognition was in 2017.