Manatee Community Foundation: Competitive Grants for Health & Human Services

Manatee Community Foundation: Competitive Grants for Health & Human Services

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Manatee Community Foundation
Amount: Up to US $15,000
Last Updated: March 21, 2026

Summary

The Manatee Community Foundation offers Competitive Grants for Health & Human Services, focusing on mental health, access to healthcare, substance use recovery, and services for vulnerable populations including veterans and seniors. With a mission to enhance community welfare through philanthropy, the foundation prioritizes funding for projects that demonstrate proven success and strong governance. They do not support grants to individuals or unrelated charities, ensuring that resources directly benefit residents of Manatee County.

Overview

Our Mission & History The mission of Manatee Community Foundation is partnering with our citizens to strengthen and enhance our community through philanthropy, education, and service—now and forever. We value leadership, transparency, trust, integrity, loyalty, respect, and inclusivity in our work. Dorothy S. (Dot) Ridings, a former Publisher of The Bradenton Herald, originally proposed the concept of Manatee Community Foundation, and in June of 1998, the Manatee Community Foundation was incorporated. Bob Blalock, Bob Christopher, and Bob Beall– referred to with gratitude as “The Three Bobs,” led the way in our establishment. First classified as a supporting organization of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, we capitalized on its administrative and investment services. As part of an initiative to start, support and grow community foundations in its 26 newspaper communities, the Knight Foundation challenged the new Manatee Community Foundation’s board to raise the first $1 million of endowment funds for Manatee County. Fast forward to 2016 after we occupied several buildings, partnered with hundreds of donor advisors, and created many legacy funds, Manatee Community Foundation moved into a newly renovated 5,000 square foot building on Manatee Avenue, the Gene and Anne Beckstein Center. Our building allows staff to grow and the organization to better serve the community with meeting room space. In 2025, we celebrated our 27th anniversary, with a milestone: having invested over $65 million in the communities we serve. Competitive Grants for Health & Human Services Area of Focus: Mental health and wellness Access to healthcare and preventative services Substance use prevention and recovery Services for individuals with disabilities and veterans Crisis intervention and domestic violence services Services for seniors and aging populations Economic mobility and financial stability Services for foster youth and at-risk families

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Ineligibility

Manatee Community Foundation does not fund: Grants to individuals Conduit organizations that fund unrelated charities Political campaigns Lobbying Scholarly research Annual campaigns Event sponsorships Team or sport travel Travel-related expenses Food pantries Scholarship funds Organizations not serving Manatee County residents