The Private Funding Landscape in Florida

The Florida grant landscape is constantly evolving, which can be both exciting and challenging for nonprofits looking to win grants. Below, we’ll share a broad overview of funding at the Florida-state level to help you leverage these trends to your advantage.

Total Grant Funding From Grantors in Florida

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Grant funding from Florida grantors reached more than $24 billion in 2022. While that’s impressive in itself, it also reflects a 26 percent increase over 2021.

In 2023, we’re seeing a reduction in total grant funding at just $17.8 billion, but we’re still waiting on the full IRS data, which is likely why that number is lower. We expect it to increase once more data is available.

While it is unclear if the total funding will reach 2022 levels, the private funder pool in Florida is still incredibly healthy, which is a good sign for nonprofits seeking funding.

In the next section, we’ll break down the total funding on a more practical level, discussing the median grant size to help you understand the typical grant nonprofits receive in Florida.

What Is the Median Grant Size in Florida?

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Overall, grant funding isn’t the only thing that increased in 2022. The median grant size rose as well.

The median grant size in 2022 was $14,800, increasing nearly $5,000 over 2021. This likely means that there were more larger gifts granted over the previous year, causing the median to skew higher. Again, this is good news for nonprofits as the grants you receive could be more substantial in size.

Unfortunately, the median grant size from Florida funders fell more than 32 percent to $10,000 in 2023. Why is that? Not all the IRS data has been released, so we expect that amount to increase after the final data is released.

However, it may not reach 2022 highs.

This may not be a negative sign. It could simply mean there were more smaller grants, causing the median number to skew lower. It could also mean that a larger grant has been broken up into smaller ones.

The median in 2023, even without the total data, is still higher than in 2021, which is a positive sign about the health of the Florida grant pool. There are still plenty of healthy-sized grants to fuel your nonprofit’s work.

Which Funders in Florida Give Out the Most Funding?

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We examined the top 20 funders in Florida, exploring the total funding and the number of grants they awarded. This can help you understand what funders you may want to explore, as well as key giving trends related to your mission.

In 2022, Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund was Florida’s top grantor, awarding 57 percent of total funds and 23 percent of the total grants.

This is likely due to the fact that Fidelity allows its clients to increase their tax savings by giving back to charitable causes that are important to them. They operate the largest donor-advised fund in the country, which is a type of charitable investment account that allows people to contribute to foundations, charities, nonprofits, or financial institutions.

Interested donors can search and select a nonprofit to receive their contributions, which can be stocks, cash, or other assets. Nonprofits can put their hat in the running for donor-advised fund grants by ensuring their EIN is publicly available and that they are searchable in the databases.

Outside of Fidelity, the other top grant funders are charitable trusts, healthcare organizations, and educational organizations. Look to see if you have any connections at these organizations. That can help give you a leg up and make you eligible for some of these large grant opportunities.

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When you look at the number of grants, nearly 50 percent of the top funders don’t actually award a lot of grants. Instead, they award just a handful of large awards.

These grants are often invite-only and highly competitive. While they are large, they can be extremely challenging for nonprofits to receive.

There are some exceptions, especially as you look at the healthcare system and donor-advised funds like Fidelity and the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund. They award a significant number of grants, and as long as you are searchable in their systems, you could be eligible to receive these funds without even needing to apply.

Now, let’s take a look at the overall grant funding distribution across all Florida counties.

In 2022-2023, Miami-Dade, Orange, Broward, and Hillsborough were consistently among the top-performing counties in terms of the amounts awarded. Based on per capita income, these are some of the wealthiest counties in Florida, and some of the top funders are located within them. They invest directly back into the communities they live and operate in.

Meanwhile, Hamilton, Union, and Lafayette were among the counties with the lowest amounts awarded. They are also some of the poorest counties in Florida, with the lowest household incomes. Additionally, they are among the smallest counties based on population. These counties may be overlooked when it comes to funding because fewer nonprofits operate within the area, which results in less visibility to major funders.

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We see similar patterns when looking at the number of grants awarded per county. The higher-income communities receive the most number of grants. Many of the universities, hospitals, and educational institutions are located in these areas, so they invest directly back into their local resources.

Looking at your county's total funding only tells part of the story. You also need to understand whether funding is increasing or decreasing in your region. We’ll explore that in more detail below.

In 2022, Florida saw grant funding increase in 75 percent of counties, while 4 percent remained stable. About 21 percent of counties saw a decrease in overall funding.

There are no apparent trends in declining funding. Grant funding is declining across wealthy, low-income, small, and large counties.

If you are in one of these counties that is experiencing a decrease in funding, here are some strategies to help you build resilience:

• Diversify funding streams. You can protect your organization’s financial health when you have a mix of private, public, and government grants, corporate partnerships, donors, and more.
• Expand your focus. If you aren’t receiving funding, examine your nonprofit’s focus areas and how they are meeting the community's needs. It may be time to reevaluate your mission and geographic focus areas to help you win more grants.
• Review your grant applications. You may not be meeting the funder requirements or don’t have strong enough needs statements. Take a look back at old applications to see if you can spot weaknesses.

The median grant size varies significantly across counties, so it’s important to understand funding trends in your area and adjust your grant strategy as needed.

The highest median grant size is in Liberty County at $51,238. Liberty is among the smallest counties in Florida, so they may receive fewer grants, causing their median grant size to be higher. On the contrary, the lowest median grant size is in Highlands with just $1,000.

Nonprofits should compare the median grant in their county to the state’s median to see how their local area stacks up.

If your county's median grant size is lower, you may want to expand your grant strategy to be more broad. Apply for more national opportunities in addition to targeted local ones.

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The good news is that nearly half of Florida counties saw a positive increase in median grant size between 2021 and 2022. Nearly 25 percent saw no increase, and the remainder saw a decrease in funding.

It’s interesting to note that while Liberty had the highest median grant size, it also experienced the worst year-over-year change in median grant size. The county could have lost a significant grant, or a nonprofit may have relocated, which could free up funding for other counties.

The median grant size in your community can inform the number of grants you apply for and the variety of funding sources you pursue. It can also impact what you ask for in proposals.

For nonprofits that operate in counties whose median grant sizes are flat or decreasing, you should do your best to maintain flat costs and reduce unnecessary expenses. Maintain strong relationships with your funders and do your best to make the case for increased funding in the future.

As you would expect, there are huge disparities between counties in terms of per capita grant funding.

Grant funding per capita is highest in Alachua County, which is not surprising. It’s home to the University of Florida, which may receive many grants to help further education and research for students and professors.

Conversely, Union County, on average, receives just $6 in funding per capita. It is small and home to the state’s prison. Most people who work there may not live within the county, and there may not be as many nonprofits based in the area.

What does this disparity mean for your organization?

• High per capita funding counties should continue to foster strong relationships with funders and look for ways to differentiate themselves from others. You want to continually deliver innovatively toward your funder and community needs.
• Lower per capita funding counties may feature smaller communities with lower incomes. They have fewer nonprofits—and funders—in the area. You should focus on building capacity, demonstrating a broader need, and collaborating with others to increase your impact to stand out to funders.

Don’t get discouraged if your county has low grant funding. You can help change that by integrating the below expert insights in your grant strategy.

As you look for ways to stand out in the competitive Florida funding landscape, here are some expert tips to keep in mind.

Be Short, Sweet, and Direct

Grant professional Angie Romero encourages nonprofits to be direct in their grant applications.
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“Be short and concise in regards to what you are asking for funding on. They will ask if they want additional information. And I have found that a short, personal cover letter also helps if the grant request is asking to be mailed in.”

One of the biggest mistakes she sees nonprofits making is sending incomplete or outdated information. This may automatically disqualify them from the running, even if their project is perfect for the grant.

Communicate Your Community Impact

Larissa Gelman, Executive Director at Midori & Friends, stresses the importance of highlighting community impact.
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“Ensure the application communicates the organization's tangible impact that the work has on the intended community. Research the funder's priorities and align the proposal with their interests and goals. Since we are all looking for organic connections, I suggest incorporating stories and case studies that illustrate the real-world impact of your work.”

Funders want to know they are making a difference in their local communities, especially within Florida.

Personalize Your Application

While it takes time, Elizabeth Burrows, Principal at Burrows Consulting, encourages nonprofits to take the time to tailor applications to best tell their story.
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“Nonprofits fail to personalize each funding proposal to that specific funder. Many nonprofits have a ‘form’ application or letter they send out. However, each application should be personal and specific to each funding opportunity and each private funder.”

Drawing personal connections between your nonprofit and potential funders can help them feel like you respect the difference they are trying to make in the community. You want to collaborate to make a difference, not just use them for what they can do for you.

The Florida private grant landscape may be experiencing a slight decline after a rapid increase in 2022. It is still promising, with over $24 billion in total funding.

Key findings include:

• Donor-advised funds make up a big chunk of the private giving landscape, with both Fidelity and the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund awarding the highest number of grants annually.
• The wealthiest counties may receive the highest numbers of grants, and most counties report an increase in grant funding year over year.
• There are significant disparities in the median grant size, likely due to the resources and population within the counties.

We estimate that there may be some impact on private grant funding due to economic fluctuations.

Nonprofits can help diversify funding streams, strengthen community relationships, and increase the number of grants they apply for to protect their financial health.

Instrumentl’s robust database can help you identify and secure new grant opportunities. You can even streamline the application process with our latest AI features, tracked grant deadlines, optimized workflows, and so much more.

Sign up today for a free, 14-day trial to see how Instrumentl can help your Florida nonprofit win more grants.