Board recognizes a decade of growth, partnership and community impact
CLEARWATER, Fla. (November 6, 2026) – This month marks 10 years since Duggan Cooley, CFRE, became CEO of Pinellas Community Foundation, a decade defined by growth in charitable giving, expanded community partnerships and a continued focus on strengthening Pinellas County.
Since Cooley became CEO in 2016, PCF has welcomed more than 250 new funds, received nearly $75 million in contributions and distributed more than $100 million in grants and charitable support to organizations and communities in Pinellas County and beyond.
But the numbers tell only part of the story.
Over the past decade, Cooley has led PCF through periods of significant change and community need, including pandemic relief, American Rescue Plan Act initiatives and recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Throughout that work, the foundation has continued to strengthen relationships among donors, nonprofits, community leaders and philanthropic partners.
“Duggan’s 10-year legacy of serving the people of Pinellas County and the region is unequaled. He is an ethical, collaborative and remarkably skilled leader who has built an exceptional organization. Duggan deserves our respect and our thanks,” said Steven M. Seibert, Chair of the Pinellas Community Foundation Board of Governors.
For Cooley, that work reflects a deep belief in the role private philanthropy can play in strengthening communities.
“I have a deep belief in private philanthropy. At its best, it is neighbors showing up for neighbors,” Cooley said. “I believe that kind of generosity will become even more important in the generations ahead. People care deeply about the places they call home, and they want to be part of making those places stronger.”
That belief has helped shape PCF’s approach to its work: building trust, bringing people together and helping charitable resources respond to local needs.
Staff, board members and community partners also reflected on Cooley’s leadership as part of the anniversary.
“When you look at the impact you’ve been able to generate during the last 10 years, it’s something equivalent to more than 20 years,” said Freddy Williams, Vice Chair of the Pinellas Community Foundation Board of Governors and President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast and Tampa Bay.
“You have such a gift for bringing people together and making us all feel like we’re part of a team doing something bigger than ourselves,” said Samantha “Sam” Church, Founder and CEO of Building Social Good.
The work, Cooley says, is far from finished.
That focus on what comes next is reflected in JOIN Pinellas — Joining Opportunities, Investment, and Neighbors — a new PCF convening series that will bring approximately 20 community organizations together each month beginning in 2027. Participants will collaborate around shared challenges including food security, housing, homelessness and behavioral health.
The initiative reflects a question Cooley continues to bring to the work: how can PCF do more for the community it serves?
“What sustains this work is the strength of our relationships,” Cooley said. “It comes back to neighbors seeing one another, believing in one another and helping each other succeed.”
Learn more about JOIN Pinellas at pinellascf.org/join-pinellas.
About Pinellas Community Foundation
Pinellas Community Foundation connects generosity, local knowledge and trusted relationships to create meaningful impact across Pinellas County. Since 1969, PCF has worked to improve quality of life in the community by uniting philanthropy with solutions to local challenges. PCF partners with individuals, families, professional advisors, businesses and nonprofit organizations through charitable giving tools, operating grants and community initiatives such as the Helping Pinellas Now Fund.
Learn more at pinellascf.org.
Media Contact:
Jacqueline Roche, Pinellas Community Foundation
jr****@********cf.org | 727-306-3928
