Who may apply for a Gulf Coast grant?
Organizations classified as 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charities by the Internal Revenue Service. Organizations that provide programs and services that benefit the residents of Sarasota County, its immediately surrounding communities, and Boca Grande.
Regarding education related grants: Gulf Coast is focused on funding school and classroom activities through our initiatives. Therefore, individual schools and/or classrooms are not eligible for funding. Only grant requests submitted by the Sarasota County School District will be considered.
Gulf Coast Community Foundation offers four grant programs. Applications and grant guidelines for each grant can be found below.
Sponsorship Grants
Throughout the year, Gulf Coast’s nonprofit partners strive to increase awareness of and raise funds for their important work. Gulf Coast invests in these efforts through sponsorship grants to help organizations maximize their impact. Sponsorship requests are accepted on a rolling basis and may not exceed $10,000.
Community Grants
Gulf Coast Community Foundation supports nonprofit partners as they take on smaller projects that will have a positive impact on our communities. Community grant requests are accepted on a rolling basis and may not exceed $10,000.
Leveraged Grants
Leveraged grant requests should clearly target regional priorities, utilize creative strategies, and provide measurable data to assess impact. Successful leveraged grants involve multiple partners that extend the impact of your program or project.
Your organization must also have skin in the game - in other words, your confidence in the proposal is so strong that your organization will provide at least 50 percent of the cash for the program or project.
The first step in applying for a Leveraged grant from Gulf Coast is to review the grant guidelines, and then complete the pre-application when they become available. Once this is received, Gulf Coast staff will be in touch to discuss next steps and, if approved, schedule a face-to-face interview. Please note that not all organizations completing part 1 will be invited to submit a full application.