SRQ Daily: Making A Difference

The following guest column by Gulf Coast President|CEO Mark Pritchett appeared in the Saturday, February 18, 2023 edition of SRQ Daily:

Last week I was talking to the owner of a local moving company.  I asked him, “So John, what states are making the most moves to Florida?”  Without hesitation, he said, “New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It’s a big change. It used to be mostly Ohio, Illinois, and other Midwestern states.”

There is no doubt that our region is feeling the surge of another Florida boom.  This migration brings great opportunities and challenges as we try to accommodate thousands of new neighbors on our roads, in our waters, and throughout our neighborhoods. 

At Gulf Coast Community Foundation, we focus on how we can sustain our region’s beauty, prosperity, and culture in the face of this population surge.  We do this by working with hundreds of donors and nonprofit partners in our community to transform our region through bold and proactive philanthropy.

In January, we were thrilled to announce that Gulf Coast Community Foundation surpassed $500 million in grants awarded, marking a significant moment in our foundation’s 27 year history.

Our grants have led to or supported transformational amenities like the Legacy Trail, our beautiful new bay front park The Bay, mentoring for our youth, scholarships for our students, and support for low-income families such as food, job training, and childcare.

These grants were made by thousands of generous residents and visitors just like you who believe in making our region a better place than when they found it.  Their charitable donations fund our nonprofit partners who keep food on the tables, provide scholarships to our students, keep our waters clean and beautiful, and enrich our lives through the arts.

We welcome and challenge our new neighbors to leave our region better than where they found it.  Join our donors and nonprofit partners and make an impact by giving back.  We are seeing an uptick in new-to-the-area donors.  You can learn more at GulfCoastCF.org.

Our Gulf Coast team is excited to work with you so that we can help you make a difference.

Mark Pritchett is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.