Gulf Coast Repeats as a "Best Nonprofit"

For the second-straight year, The NonProfit Times has recognized Gulf Coast Community Foundation as one of the “Best Nonprofits to Work For” in the country.

The national publication ranked Gulf Coast 17th on its 2021 list of the 50 “Best Nonprofits,” which was published in a special report on April 5. The foundation placed seventh among small organizations (15-49 employees) and was the only community foundation selected.

“The ‘Best Nonprofits’ recognition is really a testament to our supportive Board of Directors and our many generous donors, as well as our strong nonprofit partners,” said Gulf Coast President | CEO Mark Pritchett. “In a uniquely challenging year, we actually moved up in our ranking from last year—which I find remarkable. That speaks to the trust our team feels from our Board and the sense of agency they get connecting philanthropists with meaningful opportunities to make a visible difference right now.”

Gulf Coast moved up five places from its ranking on last year’s list. Since 2010, its has been named a “Best Nonprofit” five times.

A Rigorous Process

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. Among the differentiators that set apart those that made this year's list were confidence in their organization’s leadership and planning, satisfaction with its culture and communications, and overall engagement of employees.

Besides the list ranking, the “Best Nonprofits” program offers participating organizations the opportunity to obtain a benchmark report they can use for further organizational and staff development—an especially valuable reason to participate, according to Gulf Coast’s Chief Operating Officer, Veronica Thames.

“As an organization whose reason for being is to serve and improve our communities, having an engaged and empowered staff translates directly into more effectively meeting our mission,” said Thames. “I think the ability and the responsibility our team felt to keep helping others this past year increased their already-high levels of satisfaction and sense of purpose.”

Thames also noted that three other Sarasota County-based organizations were recognized this year. Joining Gulf Coast Community Foundation on the 2021 "Best Nonprofits" list are CAN Community Health, Florida Center for Early Childhood, and Children First.

"Seeing four Sarasota County nonprofits selected among the 50 best in the country is just amazing," she said. "It's direct evidence of what we frequently hear and maybe even take for granted: The nonprofit sector here in our Gulf Coast region is second to none."  

To learn more about the 2021 Best Nonprofits to Work For, go here.