Grant Eligibility Requirements

Community foundations use funds that were set aside for charitable purposes to make grants to charitable institutions. As such, one of the legal requirements for grantees is that they are certified by the IRS as a 501(c)3 organization. Learn more about becoming a 501(c)3 organization.

As a community foundation, we are dedicated to expending our available funding within our local area.  

According to the Council on Foundations, “community foundations are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities.”  

Learn more about our mission and values.

Learn more about community foundations.

The Giving Partner, presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, allows local nonprofits to tell their story at all levels, and allows all of us to explore how each nonprofit is making a difference. 

This database contains the profiles of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. Each organization’s profile reflects holistic information including core mission, needs, programmatic impact/outcomes, leadership, planning, and financial health. To be eligible for grants and other opportunities, nonprofits are required to maintain a profile with an Approved/CURRENT status, which signifies that the organization provided the required content and key information was reviewed by our team. 

Learn more about The Giving Partner or get started in creating a profile.