Gulf Coast Community Foundation Announces Opening of The Sarasota Philanthropy Center

Gulf Coast Community Foundation is excited to announce the opening of The Sarasota Philanthropy Center, an extension of its Venice headquarters, at 1549 State Street, Sarasota. The 5,000-square-foot space will serve as a convening collaborative for Gulf Coast’s nonprofit partners to further their mission through meetings, retreats, and workshops. Gulf Coast’s donor families will enjoy ease of access to their Gulf Coast team not only in Venice, but now in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Hours of operation for The Sarasota Philanthropy Center are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The phone number is 941.777.1270. Gulf Coast’s nonprofit partners may book their meeting room reservations here.

“We are thrilled to welcome our incredible donor families and nonprofit partners to The Sarasota Philanthropy Center, a state-of-the-art, sustainable, cutting-edge facility that has been in the planning stages for several years,” said Veronica Thames, Chief Operating Officer for Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “It is truly inspiring to see all of our plans come together, from the architecture to the important sustainability functions to the crisp, modern interior design. What’s even more inspiring is that the space will serve as a convening collaborative for our nonprofit partners, and our donor families will enjoy the ease of access to their Gulf Coast team not only in Venice, but in the heart of downtown Sarasota,” continued Thames.

The Sarasota Philanthropy Center furthers the philanthropic potential of our community. With this centralized location in a charming, growing city block in downtown Sarasota, Gulf Coast makes itself more available to its existing Sarasota philanthropic families, as well as having the opportunity to engage the future generation of philanthropists in Sarasota. This space, open to all of Gulf Coast’s nonprofit partners, boasts three community-style rooms and three intimate meeting rooms, where partners have the opportunity to reserve space to convene, collaborate, and celebrate their mission.

Gulf Coast ensured that sustainability and future focus was woven throughout the creation of The Sarasota Philanthropy Center. From hand dryers, to the full LED light system, to the recycled wood from the John Ringling Tower Stables in the Board room, Gulf Coast was intentional in making smart decisions that minimize its impact on the local environment. In addition, 11 computer ready work stations for the Gulf Coast team were built to support the growth of the organization with the future of philanthropy in mind.

“One of our core values is collaboration and this space offers bright, beautiful, and inspirational rooms for our partners to do just that. We hope they will enjoy the space to convene, create, and work together to address our community’s needs. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to request meeting space by utilizing our website,” said Dr. Kameron Partridge Hodgens, Director of Community Leadership for Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

This space was made possible by Gulf Coast’s generous Board, donors, and the partnership of Willis Smith Construction and Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP.