Gulf Coast Community Foundation Inc
Gulf Coast Community Foundation is a public charity and community foundation headquartered in Venice, Florida, with a second office in downtown Sarasota. Established in 1995 with proceeds from the sale of The Venice Hospital—a community hospital founded by local citizens more than four decades earlier—the foundation operates as an endowed organization designed to serve the region in perpetuity. The foundation functions as a collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families, organizations, and corporations to support causes in the region and beyond.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$482.8M
+8.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$40.6M
+12.0% YoY
Grant Count
541
+5.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$75K
+6.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: "Together with our donors, we transform our region through bold and proactive philanthropy."
The foundation's core values include authenticity, curiosity, collaboration, grit, and a trailblazing spirit. Gulf Coast Community Foundation identifies priority issues through quantitative and qualitative research, creates and funds catalytic community initiatives targeting those priorities, and connects donors to these initiatives.
Primary funding areas include:
- Health and Human Services
- Education
- Civic & Economic Development
- Arts & Culture
- Environment
- Disaster Response
The foundation also operates specialized initiatives including the Empowering Arts Grant Program, Sarasota Housing Action Plan, and Rapid Response Fund for disaster relief.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $5,022 to $6,412,277 in typical awards
How to Apply
** First-time applicants are encouraged to contact communityleadership@gulfcoastcf.org for guidance prior to completing an application. The foundation uses grantinterface.com as its Grants Lifecycle Management platform for submissions.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation serves Sarasota County, Charlotte County, DeSoto County, Boca Grande, Lakewood Ranch, and Longboat Key in Florida. While primarily focused on the Gulf Coast region of Florida, the foundation also supports charitable work in New York and Pennsylvania through its donor-advised funds.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $482.8 million
- Total Revenue: $54.4 million
- Total Expenses: $55.6 million
- Total Liabilities: $30.8 million
- Annual Giving: $45 million
The foundation maintains a donor-advised fund structure and operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization since July 1966.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $482,820,352 | $443,953,807 | $411,069,499 |
| Revenue | $54,435,281 | $51,082,837 | $79,396,677 |
| Expenses | $55,630,111 | $50,505,292 | $50,084,573 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $14,284,357 | $3,180,698 | $18,589,817 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Gulf Coast Community Foundation Inc
Boca Cares Grant
GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Empowering Arts Grant Program
GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
GCCF Community Grants
GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation employs 37 staff members. Key leadership includes:
- Kelly Carlstein: Vice President Brand Strategy
- Raymunda Barnes: Member Board of Directors
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHILLIP P LANHAM | PRESIDENT/CEO | 50 | $252,586 |
| CHRIS STOBAUGH | CFO | 50 | $234,491 |
| KRISTIN PRINCE | SECRETARY | 40 | $64,388 |
| KELLY CARLSTEIN | VP OF BRAND STRATEGY | 1 | $129,531 |
| JOE CARTER | VP FOR PHILANTHROPY (FROM 6/24) | 50 | — |
| JON THAXTON | SENIOR VP FOR COMMUNITY IN | 50 | $250,134 |
| MARK PRITCHETT | FORMER PRESIDENT/CEO | 50 | $196,104 |
| VERONICA THAMES | FORMER COO | 40 | $177,539 |
| KIRSTIN FULKERSON | FORMER SVP OF PHILANTHROPY | 40 | $192,745 |
| DAVE SESSIONS | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| ANAND PALLEGAR | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| ANNE ESSNER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PING FAULHABER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROSE-ANNE FRANO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN GIGLIO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAVID GREEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROD HERSHBERGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KEITH JOHNSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| FRANK MARTUCCI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PETE PETERSEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PETER SODERBERG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUSAN SOFIA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TRACY KNIGHT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has surpassed $625 million in total grants awarded since its inception. Recent grant recipients have included:
Gulf Coast Community Foundation surpasses $625M in awarded grants - TownSarasota Orchestra
Sarasota Orchestra Receives Grant From Gulf Coast Community FoundationEmbracing Our Differences (Empowering Arts Grant)
Animal-welfare agencies across the region
Gulf Coast Community Foundation awards grants to animal-welfare agenciesThe foundation continues to expand its community impact initiatives and maintains active grantmaking across its priority focus areas.
Gulf Coast Community Foundation surpasses $625M in awarded grants - TownSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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