A $1 million community matching campaign has been launched to continue rewilding the Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields, bringing together funders including Sarasota Audubon Society, Big Waters Land Trust, the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Bob and Joan Geyer, the Elizabeth Moore Sunrise Fund, and the Elsa & Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation. The $1 million pool of matching funds includes $350,000 from the Barancik Foundation, $350,000 from Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and  $300,000 from the Geyers, the Elizabeth Moore Sunrise Fund and the Elsa & Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation recently awarded more than $900,000 to organizations serving Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto Counties, including $345,000 to three priority areas: attainable housing, environmental resilience and helping people through times of crisis, determined by the results of the foundation's 2025 Regional Scan.

The Exchange recently awarded Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe $35,000 in funding: $30,000 for WBTT's 2026-2027 mainstage theater season and $5,000 toward Jazzlinks, its outreach education program.

The Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota has received a $10,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation to support "Hocus Pocus Pops II," a family-friendly Halloween concert.

The Wilson-Wood Foundation recently awarded a grant of $15,000 to Safe Children Coalition for its Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program. The grant will help area families with young children to prepare their children for success in school.

Sarasota Opera has been awarded a $60,000 Empowering Arts Grant from
Gulf Coast Community Foundation's Zoe Anderson Charitable Fund in support of its 2026–27 Season. The grant will provide funding for the opera's artistic programming, seasonal productions and community events.