TRANSFORMING MENTAL HEALTH CARE
A new study lays out recommendations to create a true system of care for our community's youth and their families.
FOUNDATION OF COMMUNITY
Institutional we are not. We partner with donors and organizations
that care about their communities to transform our region.
TO DONATE BEGINS WITH “TO DO”™
At Gulf Coast, our donors are also doers. Like our mission statement says,
“Together with our donors, we transform our region through bold and proactive philanthropy.”
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GAVE
Together with our donors, we are creating solutions to some of our region’s biggest challenges,
like creating a system of care for homeless teens who are on their own.
BECAUSE IT MATTERS
Join the Civility Squad and improve our community
one good deed at a time!
Your Philanthropy
Your Philanthropy
Giving through Gulf Coast LEARN MORE
Professional Advisors
Professional Advisors
Our partners in philanthropy LEARN MORE
Compact for Impact
Compact for Impact
Our commitment for the year ahead LEARN MOREGULF COAST BOARD INSTITUTE
A high-level nonprofit governance training series for new and veteran board members.
BECAUSE IT MATTERS
Civility is the foundation of community. That’s why Gulf Coast has reimagined and reintroduced this regional initiative to increase civic participation, civil discourse, and social capital.
A GULF COAST FAMILY
More than 800 families, individuals, businesses, and organizations have made Gulf Coast their philanthropic home.
BOLD AND PROACTIVE
At Gulf Coast, we push the outer edges of the envelope to redefine the role of a community foundation and the potential of philanthropy.
GULF COAST STRONG
Record totals in new gifts and grants last year translate into a safe harbor for tomorrow. Learn more about our philanthropic stewardship.
Our Initiatives
Gulf Coast creates and funds data-driven initiatives to address our region’s most pressing challenges.
Click on an area below to see how we are transforming our community.
Civic & Economic Development
We are committed to moving our region toward an innovation-based economy.
Health & Human Services
A critical measure of our region is how well we care for our own.
Education
Preparing the workforce of tomorrow starts in the classroom today.
Arts & Culture
Investing in the arts paints a brighter future for our region.
Our Mission
Together with our donors, we transform our region through bold and proactive philanthropy.
Our Impact
21st Century Classrooms
Our community invested $18 million over eight years into technology-enhanced education, making our school district a model for the country and forever changing the way our teachers teach and students learn.
Learn More
Confidence for Aspiring Readers
Our nationally recognized implementation of Reading Recovery is changing the trajectory for struggling first-grade readers in Sarasota County. It is also benefitting entire schools in the process.
Learn More
Havens for the Homeless
With Gulf Coast leadership and funding, our community has strengthened the safety net for homeless students and their families. Next we are adding critical services to ensure that these families, once stabilized, can thrive.

Feeding Hungry Families
Together with our donors, we partnered with All Faiths Food Bank to transform our region’s hunger-relief system

Latest News
Apply for Our Winter 2020 Gulf Coast Board Institute
Gulf Coast Community Foundation is now accepting applications for the Winter 2019 Gulf Coast Board Institute. Applications must be submitted by December 14 to be considered.Gulf Coast Awards Nearly $10 Million in Donor Grants
Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board of Directors recently approved over $10.5 million in grants and initiatives. That total included $9.7 million in grants recommended by donors to the foundation.
Foundations Help Sarasota High Schools Get ‘Innovative’
Sarasota County Schools unveiled six redesigned Immersive Language Arts (ILA) classrooms created and implemented through a partnership with Ringling College of Art and Design, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, and Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The innovative classrooms are part of a larger effort to transform the learning experience for ILA students by improving content delivery, student engagement, and teacher retention.25 Graduate from GCLI
Twenty-five aspiring and experienced leaders from across our region recently completed our Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. This group joins a network of 300 action-oriented community leaders who have participated in this comprehensive leadership training and are now using their new schools to improve our communities.