By LOIS KINDLE
Community Foundation Tampa Bay started with a single $100 donation in 1990. Since then, the generosity of thousands of donors has fueled exponential growth in funding, allowing its philanthropic giving to expand in kind.
In mid May, the foundation announced it had reached an incredible milestone. Launched with a single $100 donation by retired teachers Stuart and Peggy Ford in 1990, it now manages $1 billion in charitable funds and is the largest community foundation in Florida. It’s also one of the largest in the country.
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Many Community Foundation Tampa Bay donor funds are specifically earmarked to provide funding for programs supporting children and literacy.
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Community Foundation Tampa Bay’s support has been critical to the Enterprising Latinas’ Wimauma Opportunity Center and its entrepreneurship and workforce training and development programs. From left are Enterprising Latinas fonder and CEO Liz Guterriez and Elliot Seca,
“South Shore has played a vital role in the Community Foundation’s growth over the past 35 years,” said its president and CEO Marlene Spalten. “The generosity of donors, vision of nonprofit leaders and strong sense of community here have all contributed to the momentum behind our $1 billion milestone.
“Some very generous people who lived in the Sun City Center and South Shore area were among the first to embrace the power of giving through the Community Foundation Tampa Bay during their lifetimes and in their estates,” Spalten continued. “The example they set with their generosity, especially in those early days, helped others trust the Community Foundation to carry out their wishes to enhance the entire community for generations to come.”
Through their estates and planned giving, Sun City residents like Hazel Bryson, Harold Corrigan and Mary Petro chose early on to leave a legacy of care and commitment to the community they loved. Their gifts ensure that South Shore will continue to receive vital support for generations to come.
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The growth of Community Foundation Tampa Bay over the past 35 years enables it to award funding to charitable groups over five counties. For example, in 2024, through its Critical Needs List and the Tampa Bay Rapid Response Fund, CFTB facilitated the awarding of $882,673 in hurricane recovery grants from its various funding sources to nonprofit organizations serving South Shore communities.
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The Community Foundation Tampa Bay also provides matching grant opportunities for charitable organizations to raise funding. Last year, it awarded $250,000 in matching funds from the Wilma W. Robinson Fund to the Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort animal shelter in Ruskin after it raised $250,000 on its own.
“Marlene’s leadership has been nothing short of transformative,” said Katie Shultz, vice president of communication. Since joining the foundation in 2012, she’s led it through a period of unprecedented growth, expanding assets under management from $142 million to $1 billion.
“Her impact goes far beyond [that],” Shultz continued. “She’s built a strong, mission-driven team and fostered a culture rooted in trust, transparency and collaboration. Her strategic approach – grounded in relationships, responsiveness and bold decision-making – has helped the foundation evolve into a vital connector and convener across the region, and she’s also played a central role in reshaping how philanthropy happens and bridged gaps between the nonprofit, business, education and public sectors, guiding rapid emergency response efforts such as the $5 million in hurricane relief deployed within hours in 2024.
Oscar Horton’s appointment as chairman of the board in 2023 was also key. When he stepped into the role, he challenged the foundation’s board and staff to grow the foundation’s community commitment from $600 million to $1 billion by the end of his term in 2025.
“He understood the goal wasn’t just about a number,” Shultz said. “It was about what that number could represent – a deeper, wider, and longer-lasting impact on Tampa Bay’s communities, a promise to communities like South Shore. It reflects our increased capacity to fund critical programs, respond to urgent needs and support transformational change – now and for generations to come.”
CFTB currently manages more than 1,200 charitable funds and 129 family foundations. In 2024 alone, it awarded more than $32 million in grants to 1,231 nonprofits, bringing the organization’s grant-making total to more than $450 million since its inception.
This year even further growth is expected to support additional nonprofit projects and initiatives.
For example, just last week Community Foundation Tampa Bay awarded 66 new grants totaling $1,622,319 through its 2025 competitive grant process. It also continued nine multi-year grants started last year, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Enterprising Latinas, Bess the Book Club Inc. and the PCAT Ministries Literacy Program.
Such funding is essential to nonprofits like these.
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The Community Foundation Tampa Bay celebrated 35 years of giving May 13 with the announcement it recently reached $1B in manageable assets, making it the largest charitable foundation in Florida and one of the largest in the country. Seen here, from left, are Oscar Horton, outgoing CFTB board chairman; Marlene Spalten, president and CEO; and Linda Simmons, incoming board chairwoman.
“Funding from Community Foundation Tampa Bay has been absolutely critical to our work at Enterprising Latinas,” said Elizabeth Guterriez, founder and CEO. “If it had not been for its support early on, we wouldn’t have been able to grow to where we are now. The Foundation supports our Wimauma Opportunity Center, entrepreneurship program and workforce training and development, which are a core component of the work we do.”
The foundation’s vision remains firmly on the future.
“This is not a finish line; it’s a foundation for what’s next,” Spalten said. “We’re honored to be part of Tampa Bay’s history and even more excited about the impact we can make in the years ahead.”
To learn more about Community Foundation Tampa Bay and/or get involved in shaping Tampa Bay’s next chapter, visit www.cftampbay.org/.