During the summer Community Grant cycle, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) awarded nearly $1 million to organizations serving Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto Counties.

$345,000 was granted to organizations that addressed three priority areas identified by the 2025 Regional Scan: Attainable Housing, Protecting Our Natural Environment, and Helping People through Times of Crisis. These priorities were determined by the results of the 2025 Regional Scan, which gathered perspectives from more than 1,500 residents across the region.

Gulf Coast's Board of Directors invested more than $900,000 to fuel bold work region-wide, reaching 79 organizations spanning the Foundation's five focus areas, including:

• Arts and Culture
  • The Florida Philharmonic ($25,000) — To provide third graders with the opportunity to play and sing alongside professional musicians through the Carnegie Hall Link-Up program
  • CreArte Latino ($10,000) — To support program and production costs for art-driven community engagement events that foster connection, cultural identity, and emotional well-being
• Civic and Economic Development
  • Suncoast Searchlight ($12,500) — To continue support of the Searchlight Series, community engagement events aimed to deepen public understanding of and connection with local issues
  • CareerSource Suncoast ($23,600) — To help prepare rising high school seniors for in-demand careers in banking and human resources through educational courses and paid work experience
• Education
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, Inc. ($15,000) — To provide at-risk Sarasota High School students with career exploration opportunities through the “Beyond School Walls” programming partnership with Sarasota Memorial Hospital
  • School Board of Sarasota County ($20,000) — To support the Career Skills Challenge, a multi-grade level competition that encourages innovative thinking and problem-solving for middle and high school students
• Environment
  • Metamimicry ($5,000) — To provide assessment and filtration support to three active local rewilding and stormwater improvement projects
  • Suncoast Waterkeeper, Inc. ($5,000) — To invest in continued water quality monitoring, community education, and advocacy around our local water sources
• Health and Human Services
  • Charlotte Behavioral Health Care ($25,000) — To expand 24/7 services of the FACT (Florida Assertive Community Treatment) team that provides community-based treatment and support services to individuals with severe and persistent mental illness
  • FoodRecovery.org ($15,000) — To implement a real-time driver tracking system to facilitate efficient communication and support new nonprofit partner outreach

“There is tremendous possibility within the organizations working every day to make our region a better place,” said Erin Minor, Vice President, Community Leadership. “Gulf Coast’s role is to help those organizations build on what they do best, so their work can reach more people and make an even greater difference in our communities.”

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About Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Since 1995, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has powered bold philanthropy and collaborative leadership to drive meaningful change across our region. Guided by values of authenticity, curiosity, collaboration, grit, and a trailblazing spirit, we work side-by-side with donors, partners, and community members to tackle our region’s biggest challenges and unlock its greatest opportunities. Together with our donors, we’ve invested more than $650 million in health and human services, education, civic & economic development, arts & culture, and the environment. Headquartered in Venice, with a second office in downtown Sarasota, Gulf Coast is nationally recognized for excellence, earning multiple “Best Nonprofits to Work For” honors and accreditation from Community Foundations National Standards®. Learn more at GulfCoastCF.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.