ABOUT

About PCF

About Pinellas Community Foundation

Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) is a charitable organization that provides philanthropic knowledge, community leadership, and investment expertise to address the needs of the people and nonprofit organizations of Pinellas County.

  • We collaborate with businesses, individuals, families and local organizations to establish customized charitable funds that drive meaningful giving.

  • With a focus on grantmaking to nonprofits in our community, we offer leadership and resources to foster solutions that enhance the quality of life in Pinellas.

  • Through the strategic use of endowments, we establish lasting resources for Pinellas nonprofits, ensuring sustainability both now and in the future.

Our mission is to improve the quality of life in our community by bringing together philanthropy and solutions to local issues.

Why PCF?

Unlike many charitable organizations that concentrate on a single issue, PCF adopts a comprehensive approach, offering leadership and cultivating sustainable resources to address the significant challenges facing our community, now and in the future.

Proven Leadership

Over 55 years of successful leadership and community engagement.

Philanthropic Expertise

Extensive experience in managing and guiding charitable efforts.

Unrivaled Local Knowledge

Deep insights into the community’s needs and dynamics.

Customized Giving Strategies

Personalized plans to maximize philanthropic impact.

Exceptional Fiduciary Oversight

Rigorous management of funds to ensure accountability and fund growth.

Endowment for Lasting Impact

Long-term financial stability to support ongoing philanthropic efforts.

PHILANTHROPIC SOLUTIONS CUSTOMIZED FOR YOU

We pride ourselves on our ability to help you make the best charitable decisions with as much or as little help as you need. We have the convenience of an online donor portal for quick funding or offer investigating assistance to find the right charity to meet your charitable giving needs.

Investing In PCF

Support to Pinellas Charities

Pinellas Community Foundation provides financial support to eligible nonprofit organizations through grants that cover general operating needs, as well as programs that help our neighbors in need. Since its founding, PCF has distributed over $108 million in donor-funded grants to more than 553 charities, including social services, educational, and cultural nonprofits. PCF also collaborates with donors to establish scholarships, providing educational opportunities to deserving students. Additionally, PCF distributes emergency relief funds to charities, ensuring timely and effective support to communities in need during crises.

Financially Sound Investments

Donations to Pinellas Community Foundation are prudently invested, growing and earning interest over time. These earnings are a sustainable source of funding, and a portion of the earnings are released annually for charitable giving. PCF is governed by community leaders with expertise in charitable giving, nonprofit management, and investment strategies.

Pinellas Community Foundation

What types of funds are available at PCF?

Unrestricted Fund

At Pinellas Community Foundation, we’re dedicated to addressing the most urgent needs of our community, including those challenges that may arise in the future, unforeseen at the moment of your fund’s creation. By choosing not to restrict the focus of your fund, you empower our team of experts and our Board of Directors to excel at what we do best—evaluating the community’s needs and directing grants to the nonprofits doing the most vital work. This flexibility allows your fund to serve as an enduring pillar of support for our community, acting as a safeguard for the place you cherish.

Field of Interest Fund

Lets you channel your support towards the causes you care about most. Whether your passion lies in the arts, environment, education, or health, you have the freedom to choose the specific area your fund will assist. Our expert team and Board of Directors take care of the grant-making process for you, ensuring that your contributions are allocated effectively. If there’s a cause close to your heart, a Field of Interest Fund guarantees that your support will consistently benefit this cause, aligned with your personal values, interests, and objectives.

Donor-Advised Fund

You have the power to suggest which charitable organizations should benefit from your grants, while we handle the due diligence and paperwork for you. Utilize your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) to contribute to the charities you’re passionate about, when new opportunities emerge. Our team of philanthropy experts are here to introduce you to new causes and opportunities that might capture your interest. Enjoy a tax deduction the moment you contribute to your fund, giving you the freedom to carefully select the causes you wish to support over time.

Designated Fund

You have the opportunity to designate support to specific organizations, ensuring your contribution makes an impact for generations. Your donation is placed into the PCF endowment, where it’s poised for growth over time. A portion from your fund is then distributed annually to the organizations of your choice. As both the principal amount and future earnings increase, so too will the size of the grants, establishing a lasting financial foundation for your chosen nonprofit(s). This creates a perpetual source of funding that endures indefinitely. Moreover, should an organization no longer operate or shift its focus, the Foundation has the flexibility to reallocate your fund in a way that continues to honor your philanthropic goals. We take care of these details for you, ensuring your legacy of giving thrives even in your absence.

Scholarship Fund

Offers you a unique opportunity to significantly influence an individual’s educational journey or their path to acquiring essential job skills. Through this fund, you directly shape someone’s future prospects. Additionally, you have the option to specify the focus of the scholarship, whether it be in areas like nursing, the arts, engineering, or any other field, and set criteria for eligibility that can include financial need, academic achievements, place of residence, or a commitment to community service.

Nonprofit Endowment Fund

Offers charitable organizations the opportunity to leverage the Foundation’s diversified investment portfolio and financial acumen, securing a steady stream of support. This arrangement enables these organizations to concentrate on their core mission, as PCF takes on the responsibilities of tax reporting, audits, and other financial management tasks.

Duggan at Glady Douglas Preserve

Frequently Asked Questions

Community foundations are public charities dedicated to improving lives in specific local areas by pooling resources from individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits. They vary in size, from under $100,000 to over $1.7 billion in assets.

Community foundations identify and solve local problems. In 2017, they contributed an estimated $5.48 billion to nonprofits in arts, education, health, human services, the environment, and disaster relief.
Pinellas Community Foundation is one of the first fifty community foundations established in the US, where there are now over 900. This model has spread globally, with U.S. community foundations’ international giving tripling from $103 million in 2011 to $315 million in 2015, and their share of overall U.S. international giving increasing from 1.4% to 3.4%. Despite being local in nature, the impact of community foundations is felt across the globe.

Adapted from the Council on Foundations

PCF will work with you to find the right philanthropic solution for your charitable needs. Here are the fund types we can create for you:
Unrestricted Fund, Field of Interest Fund, Donor-Advised Fund, Designated Fund, Scholarship Fund, Nonprofit Endowment Fund.

A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a dedicated account for charitable giving to any IRS-qualified charity, and you advise how and where to distribute and invest the funds. You can contribute individually or ask friends, family, or coworkers to donate to your fund, too. You may also donate stock, real estate, mutual funds, property, and land.

PCF manages and distributes charitable funds on behalf of donors, which avoids significant legal costs and paperwork. There are many advantages in creating a philanthropic fund through PCF, including tax savings, a quick setup in just a day versus several months, and startup and management costs that are much lower than those of a private or family foundation.

Find out which financial institutions are represented on the PCF Trustee Banks.

Since 1969, PCF has invested over $100 Million in the community. Take a look at all the incredible grantees and social service agencies we’ve had the pleasure of granting funding to support the Pinellas County community.

PCF members are donors committed to improving life in the community, who give an annual donation to support competitive grant programs. These funds are reinvested into the community and allocated to organizations performing the most impactful work in Pinellas County. View the list of the current PCF members.

View a list of all the individual and nonprofit endowment funds held at PCF.

View the PCF audited financial statements.

Trustee Banks

In 1969, various Pinellas County banks and trust companies joined forces to simplify philanthropic options for improving our community. They became the original trustee institutions of the Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF). Through PCF, financial gifts of any amount can be combined, safeguarded and nurtured to maximize charitable impact.

These 11 bank and trust companies currently serve as signatories to the Pinellas Community Foundation Trust Agreement. Representatives of these financial institutions constitute the Trustees Committee, and each financial institution is authorized to receive and manage gifts in trust for PCF and the betterment of our community.

  • Bank of America, N.A.

  • Evercore Wealth Management

  • Fifth Third Bank

  • Merrill, a Bank of America Company

  • PNC Institutional Asset Management

  • Raymond James Trust Company

  • Regions

  • Sabal Trust Company

  • Truist Bank (formerly SunTrust Bank)

  • U.S. Trust, Bank of America Corporation

  • Wells Fargo, N.A.