Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee

501(c)(4) organization Gainesvile, FL EIN: 59-2959383

The Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee, which operates as the Gainesville Sports Commission, is a public charity based in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1988, it supports and establishes sporting events in Alachua County and seeks to attract additional events to the area.

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee at a glance

In short: Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee gave $371K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in Florida. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2024)
$371,064
+65.7% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
20
+53.8% vs 2023
Average grant
$18,553
+7.7% vs 2023
Median grant
$15,000
Total assets
$1,273,261
+2.4% vs 2023
Primary geography
Florida (74% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.

How to apply to Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee

Contact

Mailing address: 4870 Celebration Pointe Ave, Gainesvile, FL 32608
Phone: (352) 338-9300

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Total Other Grant Recipients: $43KTotal Other Grant Recipients$43KFlorida Association Basketball Coac: $40KFlorida Association BasketballCoac$40KJG Sports Management LLC: $33KJG Sports Management LLC$33KSouthern Pride Florida PGF: $27KSouthern Pride Florida PGF$27KRadd Sports Newberry LLC: $25KRadd Sports Newberry LLC$25KEaston Newberry Sports Complex: $23KEaston Newberry Sports Complex$23KFlorida Sports Foundation: $22KFlorida Sports Foundation$22KCP Event Center Operations LLC: $20KCP Event Center Operations LLC$20KStephen C Oconnell Center: $20KStephen C Oconnell Center$20KHigh Springs BMX: $15KHigh Springs BMX$15K

The largest 2024 recipient was Total Other Grant Recipients ($43K). Together the top 10 received $268K.

Grant Size Distribution

55 grants across all recorded years

53<$50K2$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 55 (96%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The organization’s stated focus is sporting events in Alachua County, Florida. In 2024, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida; the filing also reports 9% to Georgia, 3% to New Jersey, 3% to Tennessee, and 12% to a recipient state identified as “?”. Listed recipients include organizations in Florida and Georgia.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.

Cities

GainesvilleAlachuaSarasotaNewberryBufordJacksonville BeachHudsonHigh SpringsJacksonvilleOrlandoWesley ChapelChattanoogaEnglewoodLouisvilleTallahasseeWinter Haven

How Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee gives

  • 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 86% from 2021 to 2024. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K$400K3 grants2020 9 grants2021 10 grants2022 13 grants2023 20 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $72K (2020) to $371K (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $371K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Total Other Grant Recipients Sports Tourism$42,956
Florida Association Basketball Coac Wesley Chapel, FLSports Tourism$40,000
JG Sports Management LLC Buford, GASports Tourism$33,000
Southern Pride Florida PGF Hudson, FLSports Tourism$26,920
Radd Sports Newberry LLC Sarasota, FLSports Tourism$24,547
Easton Newberry Sports Complex Newberry, FLSports Tourism$23,000
Florida Sports Foundation Tallahassee, FLSports Tourism$22,155
CP Event Center Operations LLC Sarasota, FLSports Tourism$20,491
Stephen C Oconnell Center Gainesville, FLSports Tourism$20,040
High Springs BMX High Springs, FLSports Tourism$15,000
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2024$1,273,261$919,146$894,282$371,06420$11,856
2023$1,242,968$850,568$805,190$223,97813$11,065
2022$801,988$728,042$706,953$200,89810$1,991
2021$835,636$695,276$644,048$199,1079$2,336
2020$774,155$617,267$481,690$72,0203$3,295

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The organization’s stated purpose is to support and establish sporting events in Alachua County and attract additional events to the area. Its filing says the events benefit participants and indirectly benefit local businesses through the economic impact they generate.

The organization makes grants toward sports tourism. In 2024, it awarded $22,155 to the Florida Sports Foundation. The foundation describes its own mission as promoting and developing professional, amateur, and participatory sports for Florida residents and attracting out-of-state visitors through sports to create economic benefit for Florida.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the committee reported 20 grants totaling $371,064. Grant amounts ranged from $5,454 to $42,956, with a median of $15,000. The largest listed awards included $40,000 to the Florida Association Basketball Coaches, $33,000 to JG Sports Management LLC, $26,920 to Southern Pride Florida PGF, and $24,547 to RADD Sports Newberry LLC. The listed purposes were sports tourism.

The filing says organizations apply for grant funds, with eligibility determined by the number of hotel room nights generated by the organization or event. After the event, organizations must provide proof of attendance and local hotel use in a room-nights report to receive the grant. Grants are designed to cover event expenses beyond those covered by entry fees, and a committee of the board of directors oversees bid-pool allocations.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The commission’s website identifies Rochelle Trygar as its 2026 president and says its board of trustees has 20 members. It lists Joleen Cacciatore Miller as executive director, Emily Stillwell as associate director, and Bridgette Welch as marketing and events manager.

The 2024 filing lists Adam Anderson, Carlene Baker, John Broska, Bruce Cribbs, James DiVirgilio, Tim Fletcher, Bryan Flood, Weston Gallop, Ryan Gilbert, and Karina Hamilton among the officers and directors.

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee is led by Rick McGinnis, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 18 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Rick McGinnis

    President

    Treasurer → Vice President, 2023

    Vice President → President, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Adam Anderson

    Board Member

    President → Past President, 2021

    Past President → Board Member, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bruce Cribbs

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bryan Flood

    Past President

    Vice President → President, 2023

    President → Past President, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dennis Plunket

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • James Divirgilio

    Board Member

    Secretary → Board Member, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kyriaki Kaplanidou

    Board Member

    Past President → Board Member, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark McClain

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rochelle Trygar

    Vice President

    Secretary → Treasurer, 2023

    Treasurer → Vice President, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ryan L. Gilbert

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Terry Lee

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Weston Gallop

    Board Member

    President → Past President, 2023

    Past President → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Carlene Baker

    At-Large Member

    Board Member → At-Large Member, 2024

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Scott Peters

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Broska

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Karina Hamilton

    Board Member

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lynda Reinhart

    Board Member

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tim Fletcher

    Board Member

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (13)
  • Former: Elliot Harris (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Lynda Rienhart (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Marcia Teague (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Marty Dempsey (2020–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Travis Parker (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Chris Malphrus (2021–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Damon Messina (2021–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Frank P. Saier (2020–2022) — Legal Counsel
  • Former: Bill Allen (2021–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Harry Shaw (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Kari Thompson (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Larry Holsey (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Ron Hernandez (2020) — Board Member

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee

How much does Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee give each year?

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee gave $371K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $224K across 13 grants.

What is Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's typical grant size?

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $18,553, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.

Where does Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee give grants?

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee gives mostly in Florida: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Georgia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Gainesville, FL (4 grants), Sarasota, FL (2 grants) and Alachua, FL (2 grants).

Does Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Sports Tourism" (20 grants).

Who are Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's largest grantees?

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's largest 2024 grantees include Total Other Grant Recipients ($42,956), Florida Association Basketball Coac ($40,000) and JG Sports Management LLC ($33,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee?

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $919K.

What does Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee fund?

The organization’s stated purpose is to support and establish sporting events in Alachua County and attract additional events to the area. Its filing says the events benefit participants and indirectly benefit local businesses through the economic impact they generate. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee?

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's EIN?

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-2959383. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.

Data update history

(5)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 7, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 30, 2023)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 23, 2024)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
  5. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Florida

Barco Family Foundation Inc

Jacksonville, FL

The foundation supports a range of charitable work, including health, conservation, education, scholarships, legal advocacy, and community services, with most 2025 grant dollars going to Florida organizations. Its 30 grants totaled $309,801, ranging from $500 to $40,000, with a median of $5,000. It accepts no unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$10.6M

Grants

30

Total Given

$310K

Smith Family Foundation

Estero, FL

Assets

$68K

Grants

14

Total Given

$34K

Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc

Sarasota, FL

Advancement of and development of tourism and the service of the tourism industry within the county of sarasota, Florida

Assets

$4.3M

Grants

9

Total Given

$355K

Publix Super Markets Charities Inc

Lakeland, FL

Publix Super Markets Charities supports nonprofits addressing hunger, homelessness and housing, youth, education, and community needs in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky. Its 2024 median grant was $2,500, though awards ranged widely; it accepts online requests from eligible organizations, with application periods varying by program.

Assets

$233.8M

Grants

3,269

Total Given

$52.5M

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida Inc

Jacksonville, FL

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida supports neighborhood strengthening, nonprofit capacity, education, older adults, the arts, and other community needs, primarily in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $5,000, while its Program Support grants offer up to $25,000; eligible nonprofits may apply to competitive programs, but donor-advised funds do not accept applications.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$708.7M

Grants

2,470

Total Given

$78.0M

The Community Foundation of Sarasota CO Inc

Sarasota, FL

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County funds nonprofit programs in areas including education, health care, basic needs, animal welfare, arts, and community capacity building. Its programmatic grants average $10,000–$25,000 and support organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$518.5M

Grants

540

Total Given

$41.2M

More similar funders

More Funders in Florida

Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gainesville-sports-organizing-committee-morg_08d021dba7764846b10adce5f6553fea

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_592959383_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/gainesville-sports-organizing-committee-morg_08d021dba7764846b10adce5f6553fea},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-23. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}

The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.

Figures come from Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?