What Central Florida Foundation does

Central Florida Foundation (CFF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1994 and headquartered in Orlando, Florida, stewarding philanthropic capital on behalf of individual donors, families, and nonprofit organizations across a seven-county Central Florida region (Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, and Polk). The foundation manages 400+ charitable funds — including donor-advised funds, nonprofit endowments, and scholarship funds — with cumulative community investment of $114M since inception. It operates under a Board of Directors and is led by President/CEO Mark Brewer (in role since 2000), with Meghan Warrick as EVP/CFO. The organization is staffed by 11-50 employees and certified under both the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations and the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.

CFF's core product is its Thrive Central Florida initiative, a localized version of the UN Sustainable Development Goals organized into five impact funds: Economic Stability, Healthcare, Livability, Education, and Community & Social Connection. The foundation's underlying technology stack consists of three role-based portals (MyFund for fundholders, MyGrant for grantees, MyScholarship for recipients) supporting fund management, grant administration, and community engagement. It runs several specialized programs: Rally, a social enterprise accelerator (96 ventures, $40M+ alumni capital raised since 2017); 100 Women Strong, a strategic giving circle (31 grants, $1.17M deployed since 2006); TableTalk, a community conversation initiative (3,000+ participants in its inaugural 2019 event); and the First You Talk podcast. Specialized funds include the Better Together Fund (established after the 2016 Pulse tragedy), the Homeless Impact Fund (Housing First model), and the Parramore Asset Stabilization Fund (direct real-estate acquisition since 2019).

CFF's business model is that of a traditional community foundation: it accepts donations across asset classes (cash, appreciated securities, real estate, life insurance, IRAs, bequests), holds them in endowed or donor-advised structures, invests the corpus, and distributes grants aligned with the Thrive framework. Pricing on grantee-facing programs varies by program (e.g., Grassroots Grants award $5,000; Winter Park Community Grants range $10,000-$25,000; OnePulse Scholarship provides up to $10,000 over four years; 100 Women Strong membership is $1,100 annually; Thrive Impact Fund donations start at $25). CFF generates revenue through a combination of investment returns on endowed assets, administrative fees on managed funds, and programmatic grants. Customer segments include individual donors and families (primary), nonprofit organizations (primary), professional advisors, social entrepreneurs, and community leaders/government. Distribution is primarily regional and relationship-driven, supported by events, content marketing, and a multi-channel digital presence.

Name

Central Florida Foundation

Legal name

Central Florida Foundation Inc.

Website

https://cffound.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Florida Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1994 in Orlando, managing 400+ charitable funds and deploying grants across a seven-county region through its Thrive Framework, Rally accelerator, and 100 Women Strong giving circle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Fund Management: The foundation manages charitable funds for individuals, families, and nonprofits, providing personalized giving strategies and stewardship services
2. Grantmaking Services: Strategic grant distribution to nonprofits aligned with Thrive focus areas and community priorities
3. Donations and Contributions: Accepts a wide range of assets including cash, appreciated securities, real estate, life insurance, IRAs, and bequests from donors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Central Florida Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that stewards philanthropic capital for individuals, families, and nonprofits across a seven-county Central Florida region. It manages charitable funds (donor-advised funds, nonprofit endowments, scholarship funds), administers strategic grantmaking programs, and operates community initiatives such as Thrive Central Florida, 100 Women Strong, Rally social enterprise accelerator, and the Better Together and Homeless Impact funds.

Product overview

Central Florida Foundation is a community foundation offering a comprehensive suite of philanthropic services centered around its Thrive Central Florida initiative with five impact funds (Economic Stability, Healthcare, Livability, Education, Community & Social Connection). The foundation manages charitable funds (donor advised, nonprofit endowments, scholarships), administers strategic grantmaking programs, and operates specialized initiatives including 100 Women Strong giving circle, Rally social enterprise accelerator, TableTalk community conversations, Community Conversations webinars, and the First You Talk podcast. Additional programs include scholarships, Better Together Fund, Homeless Impact Funds, Thrive Venture Philanthropy Cohort, and Thriving Together Collaborative. The foundation also previously offered Nonprofit Search platform, which is being retired.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thrive Central Florida: A localized version of the UN Sustainable Development Goals initiative comprising five impact funds: Economic Stability, Healthcare, Livability, Education, and Community and Social Connection.
• Rally
• 100 Women Strong
• Better Together Fund
• Homeless Impact Fund
• Nonprofit Search
• TableTalk

Products and services

• Charitable Funds Management Manages donor-advised funds, nonprofit endowment funds, scholarship funds, and other charitable fund structures for individuals, families, and organizations seeking personalized philanthropy strategies and concierge-level fundholder services across Central Florida.
• Strategic Grantmaking Administers and distributes grants to nonprofits transforming the community, including Grassroots Grants of $5,000, Winter Park Community Grants of $10,000–$25,000, and specialized programs such as the Frank R. Ethridge Nursing Education Fund distributing $40,000 annually.
• Thrive Central Florida Core initiative that brings together nonprofits, government officials, business leaders, educators, and community members to address pressing regional challenges through five impact funds (Economic Stability, Healthcare, Livability, Education, and Community & Social Connection) and accompanying data scorecards.
• 100 Women Strong Strategic giving circle dedicated to improving the lives of women and children through collective giving and collaborative grantmaking, with a $1,100 annual membership. Currently focused on Women's Health & Well-being, and a member of the Philanos national giving circle network.
• Rally Social Enterprise Accelerator Regional social enterprise accelerator founded by CFF in 2016, connecting early-stage social entrepreneurs with mentors, investors, and higher education institutions to source, test, refine, and scale social and environmental innovations. 120+ ventures have gone through the program, raising $40M+ in capital.
• TableTalk Community-wide conversation initiative that brings Central Floridians together to discuss community issues and spark ideas for improvement, with microgrants awarded to implement community-developed solutions. The inaugural event engaged over 3,000 participants.
• Community Conversations Free virtual webinars featuring local experts discussing pressing regional issues including healthcare, mental health, housing, education, and social justice topics affecting Central Florida.
• Scholarships Manages multiple scholarship funds supporting students in achieving educational goals, including Brede-Wilkins, Edna S. Hargrett, OnePulse (up to $10,000 over 4 years), and others, totaling $3.1 million awarded since 1994.
• Better Together Fund Special fund supporting victims, families, and survivors of the Pulse tragedy, as well as programs created to help the Central Florida community heal.
• Homeless Impact Funds Fund focused on development and implementation of long-term, system-wide solutions to reduce homelessness in Central Florida using the Housing First model.
• Thrive Venture Philanthropy Cohort Three-month collaborative experience for community-minded individuals focusing on philanthropy during crisis and applying venture philanthropy principles, with Central Florida Foundation matching grants up to $50,000 to participating cohorts.
• Thriving Together Collaborative Cohort-based initiative engaging five communities within Orange County identified as areas with limited opportunity, combining classroom-style trainings with hands-on implementation phases to drive place-based impact.
• Nonprofit Search Searchable database of all nonprofits in the Central Florida region supporting nonprofit information, visibility, and philanthropic engagement. The platform is being retired on June 30, with CFF directing nonprofits to maintain profiles on Candid.

Quantifiable outcome

• $114M invested in the community since inception
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• University of Central Florida (UCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UCF's Nonprofit Management Students for Community Investment Grants. CFF also partners with UCF's College of Community Innovation and Education for the Center for Social and Civic Prosperity. Additionally, CFF serves on the CCIE Deans Advisory Council and UCF School of Public Administration Nonprofit Advisory.
• CandidcoreOthersAs part of strategic direction, Central Florida Foundation is retiring Nonprofit Search on June 30 and directing nonprofits to maintain profiles on Candid for eligibility for CFF grants and opportunities.
• Rally (Social Enterprise Accelerator)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRally is the region's social enterprise accelerator founded by CFF in 2016. It collaborates with entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and higher education institutions to source, test, refine, and scale social innovations. CFF provides operational support and funding for Rally programs.
• Florida BluenotableGTM or Marketing PartnerKey contributor to Thrive Central Florida initiative, supporting healthcare and community wellness focus areas.
• News Collaborative of Central FloridanotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFF acted as convener and facilitator for this unique, groundbreaking journalism collaborative bringing together media organizations.
• Enterprising Black OrlandonotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on economic stability and building bridges to create a better future for the Black business community in Orlando.
• Black Boardroom Leadership InstitutenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative working to ensure that leading voices of Orlando's nonprofit sector reflect the diversity of the city.
• PhilanosnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of giving circles connecting women's collective giving across 28 states, DC, and Australia. 100 Women Strong is a member.
• Orange County Mental and Behavioral Health Implementation CommitteenotableOthersCFF has representation on this committee working on mental health systems and services.
• Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando and Osceola CountynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFF participates in Face the Housing Crisis workgroup led by Habitat for Humanity to address housing challenges.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Foundation: One of the oldest and largest U.S. community foundations, sharing CFF's operating model (DAFs, scholarships, grant cycles, community data) but at materially larger AUM and programmatic scale.
• Fidelity Charitable: The largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor, competing for the same pool of philanthropic dollars as CFF but at national scale with a digital-first offering and substantially lower fees than a staffed community foundation.
• Schwab Charitable: National donor-advised fund program tied to Schwab's wealth platform, offering Central Florida donors a lower-friction alternative to opening a fund at CFF.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Large-scale community foundation combining donor-advised funds, grantmaking, and regional initiatives — an upstream benchmark for CFF's fundholder services and venture philanthropy ambitions.

Direct peers

• The Miami Foundation: Greater Miami's community foundation stewarding donor-advised funds and grant programs across Miami-Dade. Comparable as a Florida-based community foundation with parallel fundholder services, scholarships, and impact initiatives.
• Impact100 Orlando: A women's collective-giving chapter in Central Florida, direct comparable to CFF's 100 Women Strong giving circle, competing for the same local high-capacity female donors.
• Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg: A place-based Florida foundation operating in the Pinellas County region with focus on health equity and community-driven grantmaking, sharing CFF's local-impact framing and community-convening model.
• Community Foundation of Greater Tampa: A regional Florida community foundation managing charitable funds, donor-advised funds, and grantmaking across the Tampa Bay region. Closely comparable in scope, structure, and revenue model to CFF, differing primarily by geography.

Others

• Candid (formerly GuideStar): Nonprofit transparency platform and now CFF's designated directory replacement following Nonprofit Search's retirement. Adjacent technology/ecosystem player, not a direct donor-services competitor but increasingly influential in nonprofit visibility and grant discovery.

Regional players

• Adventist Health Foundation: Florida-region health-focused nonprofit steward; overlaps in healthcare grantmaking via Thrive Healthcare Impact Fund but is sector-specific rather than general community philanthropy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cffound
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centralfloridafoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/100womenstrongorl
• Xx.com/cffound

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Florida Foundation