Couch Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Couch Family Foundation supports local efforts that address poverty, religion, education and health in the Tampa area of Florida.
IP TAKE: This is a local funder in Tampa that prioritizes small, local organizations that are seeking to launch new initiatives. This foundation prefers to support new initiatives, special projects and the expansion of current programs.
While this funder isn’t accessible and doesn’t accept grant proposals, it is responsive to requests for information and brief, 2-page LOIs that succinctly describe your organization’s scope of work for a particular project, with budget. Once through the door, this funder offers general funding support and multi-year grants. That also means it’s giving space is more crowded, but it appears they are deeply supportive of grantees.
It’s important to note here that there are other opportunities for grant matching through either trustees or Couch family members, so those avenues present opportunities for networking.
PROFILE: Established in 1989, the Couch Family Foundation (CFF) is a private family foundation based in Tampa, Florida. This is the foundation of Ted Couch Sr., who is a Tampa native and pursued a successful career in banking and real estate. Martha K. Couch serves as the foundation’s president. The foundation aims to "support the following needs in the Hillsborough County community.” CFF funds local efforts for the religious based programs, cancer research, and education.
Grants for Religious Programs, Arts, Youth and Education
The Couch Family Foundation’s education grantmaking focuses on helping disadvantaged youth and adults be stimulated productively and creatively through lifelong learning. CFF has a matching grant program to encourage family members and trustees to make their own philanthropic contributions.
Previous grantees include the Life Enrichment Center, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Everyday Blessings, Jesuit High School, and the University of South Florida, among others.
Grants for Medical Research
Medical advancement grants focus on basic and applied medical research to cure cancer. This relates to Ted Couch, Sr.’s commitment to cancer research at the University of South Florida, Moffitt Cancer Center and University Community Hospital. CFF provides support to community and faith-based organizations who provide aid to underserved local communities.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range between about $1,000 and $10,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses on Tampa and Hillsborough County in Florida. Past local grantees include the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Trinity Café and the Tampa Bay History Center.
This foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry from nonprofits who have missions that align with the foundation’s goals. Nonprofits can submit LOIs by email. However, CFF rarely invites organizations to apply for grants based upon an unsolicited letter of injury. It accepts full grant applications by invitation only. Direct general questions to the staff at info@couchfamilyfoundation.org or 407-237-4500.
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