Collaboratory

Collaboratory is a Community Foundation

Since 1976, we have partnered with donors to distribute more than $120M to the community. We are committed to bringing Southwest Florida together to solve all of our major social problems by 2040. Achieving this mission will require us to align impact to change systems which will improve regional outcomes. 

Your Community Foundation Because we are entrusted with our donors’ philanthropic funds, our first priority as a community foundation is responsible stewardship of these gifts. We are diligent at managing donor funds, guiding investments with oversight from our board of directors and finance committee, adhering to strict investment policies with an eye on long-term growth, keeping donor intent, and granting with the greatest return on investment in our community.

Grantmaking

Collaboratory offers numerous types of grantmaking programs, including donor-advised funds, endowments, scholarships, field-of-interest funds, giving circles, and agency funds. We are leveraging a portion of our funds to increase diverse investment in the work of coalition partners to achieve the 2040 Goal.

Fund Development & Management

We have served Southwest Florida since 1976 and pride ourselves on our knowledge of the region. This allows us to provide a personalized approach to donors who are looking to make the biggest impact with their philanthropic dollars. We’re also here to talk to professional advisors about their clients’ philanthropic dreams.

Community Leadership

Given no single entity can solve a big social problem alone, Collaboratory is using our community leadership role to resource, engage, and coordinate regional coalitions of cross-sector partners aligned around shared goals to change regional outcomes and make SWFL an even better place to live, work, learn, and play.

Capacity Building

We are committed to building the region’s capacity to support five coalitions while also providing training and resources to regional partner organizations to strengthen our collective ability to solve problems together.​ We plan to offer at least 12 FREE capacity building workshops annually.