Community Foundation Tampa Bay Awards Over $2.2 Million to Nonprofits

TAMPA, Fla. (June 11, 2025) – Community Foundation Tampa Bay has awarded over $2.2 million in discretionary grants to support 84 innovative nonprofit projects throughout its five-county service area – Citrus, Hillsborough, Hernando, Pasco, and Pinellas. This investment supports projects fostering economic mobility, environmental resilience, educational opportunity, and overall health and well-being.

This year’s grants process received a record number of 363 applications totaling $10 million in requests. After an extensive review, 84 projects were awarded, including 17 continuing multi-year grants from the 2023 and 2024 competitive grants cycles.

“This grant cycle was especially meaningful, coming on the heels of significant hurricane recovery efforts,” said Brandi Sanchez, Senior Director of Community Investment. “These investments empower nonprofits to pursue innovative, forward-thinking programs that deliver long-term impact well beyond daily operations.”

Grants are awarded across five key focus areas: Economic Opportunity; Environmental Resiliency and Sustainability; Physical Health and Mental Wellbeing; Quality Child and Youth Education; and Vibrant and Engaged Communities. Selected grant recipients include:

• AdventHealth Foundation’s Exploring Health Program was awarded $52,000 in the Quality Child and Youth Education focus area. This support will provide onboarding health screenings, educational materials, certifications and outreach for those seeking healthcare careers in Hernando and Pasco Counties.

• Firehouse Cultural Center’s Building Community Through the Arts Program was awarded $55,000 in the Vibrant and Engaged Communities focus area. This support will help maintain and expand its no-fee art workshop offerings and provide scholarships for youth and low-income adults across Hillsborough County and SouthShore communities.

• Florida Audubon Society’s Reducing Fishing Debris Program was awarded $25,000 in the Environmental Resiliency and Sustainability focus area. This support will help expand cleanup and outreach efforts to protect the region’s waterbirds and nesting habitats in Pinellas County.

• MacDonald Training Center’s CommUNITY Works Program was awarded $50,000 in the Economic Opportunity focus area. Support will increase the number of individuals and employers served by this customized curriculum, bridging the gap between job seekers with disabilities and available job opportunities in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties.

• Who We Play For’s Expanding Access to Preventative Heart Screenings for Youth Program was awarded $25,000 in the Physical Health and Mental Wellbeing focus area. This funding will support community screening events, ECG interpretation by its volunteer team of board-certified pediatric cardiologists and follow-up care in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco Counties.

Following Community Foundation Tampa Bay’s 35th anniversary and the announcement of $1 billion in philanthropic funds committed to Tampa Bay’s future, Community Foundation Tampa Bay remains focused on driving meaningful, long-term impact through partnership and collaboration.

To learn more about the Annual Competitive Grants process and other funding opportunities for nonprofits, visit http://www.cftampabay.org/annual-competitive-grants.

About Community Foundation Tampa Bay

Community Foundation Tampa Bay is the leading philanthropic investor in Tampa Bay. Founded in 1990, Community Foundation Tampa Bay connects philanthropists, nonprofits, business and community leaders for fundamental change in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Over the past 35 years, Community Foundation Tampa Bay and its donors have fostered collaboration, sought creative solutions and invested more than $460 million in nonprofit organizations to help our community thrive. Learn more at CFTampaBay.org.