Organization
Founded in 1969, Pinellas Community Foundation helps residents launch community projects with generous support from locals.
Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) devotes its funds to bettering the community. The goal is to ensure that each donation leaves a lasting impact on Pinellas County; donations are invested in local charities so that they benefit from continuous contributions. PCF’s community-oriented approach accounts for every resident in Pinellas County, distributing grants to social services, educational and cultural agencies. For example, PCF has received over $20 million in scholarships to help send students to university and community college, and because of residential support, PCF was able to launch a campaign to end childhood hunger in Pinellas County in 2017.
Founded in 1969, Pinellas Community Foundation helps residents launch community projects with generous support from locals.
Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) devotes its funds to bettering the community. The goal is to ensure that each donation leaves a lasting impact on Pinellas County; donations are invested in local charities so that they benefit from continuous contributions. PCF’s community-oriented approach accounts for every resident in Pinellas County, distributing grants to social services, educational and cultural agencies. For example, PCF has received over $20 million in scholarships to help send students to university and community college, and because of residential support, PCF was able to launch a campaign to end childhood hunger in Pinellas County in 2017.
Profile
The Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) is the only charitable organization of its kind dedicated to perpetually enhancing the lives of every Pinellas County resident. Serving Pinellas for nearly a half-century, more than 130 charitable agencies rely on generous donor-funded grants distributed annually by PCF.
Core values/mission statement
Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) seeks innovative and effective solutions for Pinellas County’s most challenging social, environmental and educational issues.
Company Leadership
Executive Director
Appointed in October 2016, Cooley is a long-time resident of Pinellas County, and comes to PCF with a robust career in nonprofit leadership and fundraising including work in nonprofit startups, organizational mergers, as well as public policy development and advocacy. Executive Director Cooley brings extensive community leadership experience to Pinellas Community Foundation through his service on a variety of nonprofit executive boards including the Pasco Economic Development Council, Pinellas County Homeless Leadership Board, Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless, Rotary Club of Trinity, Pasco Rebuilds Together, United Way of Florida. He is a past president of Leadership Pinellas, and a graduate of Leadership Pasco.
Community Impact Manager
Leah J. Slavensky brings more than three decades of marketing, event planning and art direction experience to the Pinellas Community Foundation. Having spent much of her career working in the financial services and health care industries, Slavensky has a proven track record of exceeding communication goals while enriching brand awareness. Slavensky has been instrumental in elevating the Pinellas Community Foundation’s brand identity as part of her efforts to launch the first marketing program in the organization’s nearly 50-year history.
Director of Development
Suzanne Ruley, CFRE, CFRM, is an accomplished fundraising professional with extensive experience and connections in the greater Pinellas Community. Before joining the Pinellas Community Foundation, Ruley worked as director of development at RCS, after serving as manager of grants and planned giving at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Prior to that, Ruley was the national arts marketing project coordinator at Americans for the Arts, and served as the City of Clearwater’s cultural affairs specialist. In addition to overseeing administrative operations, Ruley will prepare the Pinellas Community Foundation to launch an expanded donor development program.
