Collaboratory
Collaboratory is a 50-year-old Southwest Florida community foundation stewarding over $184 million in charitable assets across 480+ donor funds and coordinating regional coalitions to advance workforce, health, infrastructure, and education outcomes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersFort Myers, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Collaboratory does
Collaboratory (formerly Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1976 and headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida. The organization stewards more than $184 million in charitable assets across 480+ donor funds and operates as the regional convener for collective impact initiatives spanning Lee, Hendry, Glades, Charlotte, and Collier counties. Its core programs include grantmaking ($12.0 million distributed in the most recent year, totaling more than $132 million since founding), fund development and management, community leadership, nonprofit capacity building, and scholarships ($1.5 million awarded to 218 scholars).
Collaboratory coordinates several major cross-sector coalitions aligned to 2040 regional goals: FutureMakers Coalition (workforce and education-to-career pipeline), Health & Wellness Coalition, Community Infrastructure Coalition, and the more recent SWFL HI AI Innovation Hub. It also operates the SWFL Resilience Fund for disaster response and an Impact Dashboard tracking regional outcomes. FutureMakers has documented measurable progress, with the percentage of working-age adults holding post-high-school credentials rising from 39% in 2013 to 44.3% as of recent reporting (more than 62,600 credentials earned).
The foundation's revenue mechanics are tied to philanthropic flows rather than commercial pricing. It manages donor-advised funds, field-of-interest funds, and organizational endowments, earning administrative fees on assets under management. Grants are funded by donor contributions, foundation grants (e.g., Lumina Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Bank of America, Philos Foundation), and government funding (notably the $22.9 million EDA Good Jobs Challenge Grant awarded to the FutureMakers Coalition in 2022). The organization maintains no proprietary technology products and employs between 11 and 50 staff. Revenue concentration is moderate: Bank of America has been a continuous funder for over 25 years, but the donor base is broad with hundreds of philanthropic funds and diverse coalition partners. Customer segments include donors and philanthropists (primary), regional nonprofit organizations (primary), students and adult learners (primary), and professional advisors (secondary).
Collaboratory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Collaboratory
- Legal name
- Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Inc.
- Website
- https://collaboratory.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Collaboratory is a 50-year-old Southwest Florida community foundation stewarding over $184 million in charitable assets across 480+ donor funds and coordinating regional coalitions to advance workforce, health, infrastructure, and education outcomes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Collaboratory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Foundation Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where Collaboratory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Myers
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Collaboratory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Fund Management: Collaboratory manages donor funds and charitable investments, stewarding more than $184 million in assets. They distribute grants and scholarships funded by these endowments and donor contributions. The foundation earns administrative fees for managing charitable funds on behalf of donors.
- Grantmaking: Collaboratory distributes grants made from donor-advised funds, organizational endowments, and field-of-interest funds to support community programs. Last year they made $12.0 million in grants. They also receive grants from foundations and government entities to support specific initiatives like the Equitable Jobs Pipeline.
- Fiscal Sponsorship and Administration: Collaboratory provides administrative support for donor funds and initiatives, including handling the Jordan Ashley Gutheim Foundation fund which has issued $695,461 in grants over 10 years.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Collaboratory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Collaboratory is a regional community foundation that stewards charitable funds and distributes grants and scholarships across Southwest Florida's five-county region. Its core offerings include grantmaking, donor fund development and management, scholarship administration, community convening and leadership, and nonprofit capacity-building training. It coordinates cross-sector coalitions—FutureMakers (workforce), Health & Wellness, Community Infrastructure—around shared 2040 regional goals.
Product overview
Collaboratory is a community foundation offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives. Core services include grantmaking, fund development and management, community leadership, nonprofit capacity building, and scholarships. Major initiatives include the FutureMakers Coalition (workforce development), Health & Wellness Coalition, Community Infrastructure Coalition, and the SWFL HI AI Innovation Hub. The organization also operates the Impact Dashboard for tracking regional progress toward 2040 goals, and provides meeting/event spaces at its Fort Myers venue.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grantmaking Core grantmaking program that distributes donor funds to the Southwest Florida community; since 1976, over $132 million has been distributed to address social challenges across the five-county region.
- Fund Development and Management Manages donor funds (480+ funds) and coordinates public, private, and nonprofit investments toward regionally coordinated 2040 goals on behalf of philanthropists and organizations.
- Community Leadership Provides community leadership to resource, engage, and coordinate regional coalitions of cross-sector partners (FutureMakers, Health & Wellness, Home/Community Infrastructure) aligned around shared regional goals.
- Nonprofit Capacity Building Provides training and resources (e.g., Grant Writing Community of Practice workshops, Impact Skills Series) to regional nonprofit partner organizations to strengthen their collective ability to solve community problems.
- Scholarships Provides financial support to students in Southwest Florida pursuing education and skills aligned with in-demand careers; awarded $1.5 million to 218 scholars in a recent year across multiple scholarship funds.
- FutureMakers Coalition Collective impact initiative strengthening Southwest Florida's education-to-workforce pipeline by advancing system-level solutions from early learning through career attainment; includes 260+ individuals and 180+ organizations and is a designated Lumina Foundation Talent Hub.
- Health and Wellness Coalition Collective impact initiative working to transform Southwest Florida to be among the healthiest communities in the nation by exceeding the 90th percentile for health indicators by 2040.
- Community Infrastructure Coalition Leverages collective impact strategies to improve community infrastructure outcomes across Southwest Florida, ensuring accessible, sustainable, and resilient communities.
- Impact Dashboard Interactive dashboard showing key regional goals that partners are working toward, with the aim of solving social issues in Southwest Florida by 2040.
- Grant Writing Community of Practice Workshop Series Monthly workshop series (offered virtually and in person) teaching nonprofit organizations grant readiness, organizational positioning, narrative writing, budget development, and funder relationship building.
- SWFL HI AI Innovation Hub Regional coalition dedicated to advancing human-centered AI (Human Intelligence first) across Southwest Florida, bringing together education, business, healthcare, government, nonprofits, and community leaders.
Quantifiable outcome
- Increased percentage of working-age adults with post-high school credentials from 39% to 44.3% since 2013, equaling more than 62,600 credentials earned.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Collaboratory
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Collaboratory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Collaboratory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Florida College Access NetworkmajorCollaboratory selected for Talent Strong Florida High-Value Pathways Initiative led by Florida College Access Network and supported by Lumina Foundation, receiving $50,000 over 18 months to expand access to postsecondary pathways tied to in-demand careers.
- Florida Gulf Coast UniversitycoreEducational partner in FutureMakers Coalition and Equitable Jobs Pipeline. FGCU leveraged the pilot project to secure $22.9 million EDA Good Jobs Challenge Grant for the Southwest Florida Equitable Jobs Pipeline. Partnership includes debt forgiveness programs for returning students.
- Florida Southwestern State CollegecoreEducational partner in FutureMakers Coalition. Developed GED Pathway program and Last Mile & Gap funding to prevent student dropouts. Partnership agreements with public school systems for data sharing.
- National League of Cities and CAELmajorCity of LaBelle selected to join National League of Cities and CAEL's Municipal Action Cohort: Connecting Adults to Postsecondary and Workforce Success. Hendry County and FutureMakers Coalition supporting this initiative connecting adults with educational opportunities leading to good jobs.
- CareerSource SWFLcoreWorkforce development partner in FutureMakers Coalition and Southwest Florida Equitable Jobs Pipeline initiatives.
- CivicLabmajorFutureMakers Coalition selected for CivicLab's three-year national incubator program, receiving training, technical assistance, and direct financial support valued at $150,000 to develop system-level strategies for low-income learners in Hendry County.
- Center for Progress and Excellence (CPE)coreCommunity-based organization focused on behavioral health outcomes. Collaborating with Collaboratory's Health and Wellness Coalition on a $10,000 crisis prevention data sharing and quality measurement pilot to strengthen crisis mental health services in Southwest Florida.
- Southern Technical CollegemajorReceived $285,000 grant from FutureMakers Coalition through SWFL Equitable Jobs Pipeline to offer surgical technology scholarships (60 students at $6,000 each) at Port Charlotte campus.
- Lee County School DistrictcoreKey education partner in FutureMakers Coalition. School of Lee County Health Occupations Coordinator leading nursing retention pilot project. Partner in healthcare workforce development initiatives.
- Hendry County School District Adult EdcoreEducation partner in FutureMakers Coalition and City of LaBelle's National League of Cities initiative to connect adults with postsecondary education and good jobs.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Collaboratory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gulf Coast Community Foundation: Community foundation serving parts of Southwest Florida (Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties). Direct competitor for donor-advised funds, regional grants, and nonprofit capacity-building services within overlapping Southwest Florida geography.
- Central Florida Foundation: Community foundation serving Central Florida with a comparable portfolio of grantmaking, scholarships, donor-advised funds, and collective-impact coalitions. Operates a similar business model and serves an analogous set of donor and nonprofit segments.
- The Miami Foundation: Florida-based community foundation stewarding comparable assets and offering grantmaking, scholarship administration, and collective-impact initiatives. Direct comparable for regional community-foundation operations in Florida.
- Chicago Community Trust: Large U.S. community foundation operating collective-impact initiatives, donor-advised funds, and scholarship programs. Closely comparable business model and product set, though operating in a much larger metro area.
- Cleveland Foundation: One of the oldest and largest U.S. community foundations; offers grantmaking, donor-advised funds, scholarships, and civic-leadership programming directly analogous to Collaboratory's portfolio. Strong model for what a mature community foundation scales into.
- Greater Houston Community Foundation: Regional community foundation managing donor-advised funds, conducting strategic grantmaking, and convening cross-sector coalitions across a multi-county region. Directly comparable scale, structure, and product mix.
Regional players
- The Patterson Foundation: Florida-based private foundation actively engaged in workforce, education, and community-impact initiatives across Southwest Florida. Operates in the same geographic market but as a private (non-community) foundation, so competes for some grants and partnerships but not for donor-advised funds.
- Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg: Florida-based place-based foundation funding health, economic opportunity, and community initiatives in Pinellas County. Comparable in operating model (place-based, multi-issue, community-led) but focused on a different Florida geography.
Broad incumbents
- Lumina Foundation: National private foundation focused on post-secondary attainment that has designated Collaboratory/FutureMakers as a Talent Hub and Community Partner in Attainment. Functions as both a peer in the education-attainment space and a major funder/strategic partner.
- Kresge Foundation: National foundation supporting place-based community development, education, and health equity. Co-funder with Lumina on Talent Hub designations and active partner in the FutureMakers model; comparable in grantmaking orientation and education/workforce focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Collaboratory social profiles
Digital presenceCollaboratory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Collaboratory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Collaboratory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Collaboratory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Collaboratory
What does Collaboratory do?
Collaboratory is a regional community foundation that stewards charitable funds and distributes grants and scholarships across Southwest Florida's five-county region. Its core offerings include grantmaking, donor fund development and management, scholarship administration, community convening and leadership, and nonprofit capacity-building training. It coordinates cross-sector coalitions—FutureMakers (workforce), Health & Wellness, Community Infrastructure—around shared 2040 regional goals.
Is Collaboratory a public or private company?
Collaboratory is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Collaboratory founded?
Collaboratory was founded in 1976. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Collaboratory based?
Collaboratory is headquartered in Fort Myers, United States, in the North America region.
How does Collaboratory make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Fund Management is the primary driver. The others are grantmaking and fiscal Sponsorship and Administration.
Who are Collaboratory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Central Florida Foundation, The Miami Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Cleveland Foundation and Greater Houston Community Foundation. Regional players are The Patterson Foundation and Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. Broad incumbents are Lumina Foundation and Kresge Foundation.
Does Collaboratory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Collaboratory.
What industry is Collaboratory in?
Collaboratory's product category is Community Foundation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.