Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

Community foundations occupy a unique space. We spend a lot of our time listening – seeking to understand where opportunities and needs in our region intersect. Those conversations shape not only where we invest resources but also how we show up as a partner.

That is why feedback matters.

Recently, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) participated in the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s (CEP) Grantee Perception Survey, which gathers feedback directly from area nonprofit organizations about their experiences with funders. Through that survey, Gulf Coast was ranked highest among community foundations in CEP's national cohort for community impact. To be ranked highest among community foundations in that cohort is meaningful – not as a milestone to celebrate, but as a signal that our approach is resonating with the people we most want to serve. Their feedback helps us better understand where we are supporting their work effectively, where we can improve, and how we can continue showing up as a thoughtful, intentional partner.

As we close this fiscal year, I see that feedback as both affirmation and responsibility. It reinforces many of the qualities we strive to bring to our work while reminding us that there is always room to learn. It also underscores something I believe deeply: meaningful progress is never the result of a single organization. It grows from the dedication of nonprofit partners, the generosity of donors, and the collective commitment of people across our community.

The Grantee Perception Survey is one of several ways we listen and learn. It helps us understand how we are supporting the organizations working every day to strengthen our community. Feedback from our recent Donor Perception Survey offers another perspective, helping us better understand how to support the philanthropy that makes this work possible. Along with the results of the most recent Regional Scan and ongoing community conversations, these efforts provide valuable insight into both how we do our work and where we focus it.

Three years in, I have learned that understanding our community means actively seeking it out. This year, Gulf Coast conducted its largest listening effort in our 30-year history, hearing directly from more than 1,500 residents across our region through the 2025 Regional Scan. That effort joined the Grantee Perception Survey and last year's Donor Perception Survey as part of a sustained commitment to learning from the people who know this community best: not only the leaders and experts at the table, but the families, workers, and neighbors whose lives reflect what is actually unfolding here. Curiosity and authenticity are values we hold at Gulf Coast; they shape how we ask questions, who we ask them of, and what we do with what we hear.

Through the Regional Scan, we heard clearly that affordable housing, protecting our natural environment, and supporting individuals and families in times of crisis remain among our community’s most pressing concerns. Addressing challenges of this scale requires coordination, partnership, and a long-term commitment to the region's well-being. That understanding continues to guide our approach moving forward. This fiscal year, we facilitated more than $7.5 million in donor partnerships supporting nonprofit organizations working in these areas every day; this work reflects a shared effort to respond to what we are hearing and direct resources where they can make the greatest difference.

What we’re hearing shapes what we’re doing – and that alignment matters. There is important work ahead, and we enter the new fiscal year with clearer priorities, stronger partnerships, and a deeper sense of what this community needs and deserves. What drives me most is not the progress we can point to, but the relationships and trust that made it possible. I am grateful for the dedication of our board and staff, the leadership of our nonprofit partners, and the donors who choose to invest in our region’s future. Together, we are building a strong foundation for the future.

Phillip P. Lanham is President | CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.