The Supporters Behind the Searchlight

Founding Investor: Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

$1.1 million

Suncoast Searchlight was created to strengthen local accountability journalism at a time when communities across the country are losing trusted news sources.

With seed support from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, the organization launched in 2023 as the Community News Collaborative, producing community-centered reporting in partnership with local media.

In 2024, that work evolved into an independent nonprofit newsroom called Suncoast Searchlight with its own governing board and a focused mission: to produce investigative and explanatory journalism that serves and empowers the residents of Florida’s Suncoast region (Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties).

Today, Suncoast Searchlight is building long-term sustainability through community investment, ensuring strong and independent journalism for the Suncoast for years to come.

Founders Circle

A leadership investment in independent local journalism.

The Founders Circle is composed of community leaders who are helping Suncoast Searchlight transition from seed funding to long-term sustainability through meaningful annual support.

As seed funding sunsets, Founders Circle members ensure that investigative, watchdog and explanatory journalism remains strong and independent in our community.

To learn more about the Founders Circle, please contact Samantha Ramlall at samantha@suncoastsearchlight.org

Beacon Circle ($100,000+)
Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Nancy Jo Marchisello Charitable Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Watchdog Circle ($50,000-$99,999)

Scott and Rebecca Barancik

Spotlight Circle ($25,000-$49,999)

Teri Hansen

Investigative Circle ($10,000-$24,999)

Newsmatch, INN

Gary Olson

Sam & Dona Scott

Karen Slack

Press Pillars ($5,000-$9,999)

Michael Hannon & Elaine Carbo

Jackie & Glenn Tilton

Civic Partners ($1,000-$4,999)

Anonymous

Jaime V. DiDomenico
Jim Doyle
James Furneaux
AG Lafley
Emily Le Coz
Marilyn Lucht
Kelly McBride*
Richard D Moore
Gregory & Kimberly Parris
Lourdes Ramirez*
Peter Schelhorn
Barbara & Richard Scissors
Keaton Williams, Seidman Family Foundation
Keith Woods
Stanley Zimmerman

Community Contributors ($1 – $99)

Anonymous
Mary Aust*
Richard Barry
Laird Boulden
Mary Anne Bowie*
Daniel Bradley
Jessica Bryan
Judith Burgis
Mollie Cardamone
Christian Casale*
Stephen Chupack
Robert Clark
Robin Cooper
Melodie Deeds
Diane Desenberg
Donna Mae Donovan
Sharon Donovan
Ericka Dow
Flo Entler
Vicki Epstein
Carol Gaskin
Mary Ginley*
Dru Greene*
Brenda Griffiths
Harry Harless*
Joe Harris
Tamara Harte
Barbara Hicks
Irek Hicks
Mary Jo Hixon
Jeff Hollway
Alice Howard
Andrew Hudson
Nancy Hughes
Carolyn Johnson
Jennifer Johnston
Abby Karish
Jamie Kattrein*
Linda Koser
Melinda Lamon
Michael Lehner
Cynthia McCague
Robert & Elizabeth McCarthy
Michelle McLean*
John & Janet Moynihan
Alex Neihaus
Laura Pether
Patricia Rousseau
Linda Salomon
Peter Saxon
Lynn Schaefer
Marc Schreiber
John Scibak
Kristina Skepton*
Susan Skovronek
James Slusser*
Susan Smitten
Matthew Soldano
Laura Sperling
Sharon Stoffel
Gary Szpatura
Lucy Tobias*
Tracy Vanderneck
Grissim Walker
Regina Walker
Joel Werth
Amber Whittle*
Norman Wirtz*
Allyne Zorn

*Searchlight Club Members who give monthly to sustain local reporting

Our Commitment to Transparency

Suncoast Searchlight maintains a Gift Acceptance Policy that guides how we steward philanthropic support and protect our editorial independence.

To learn more about this policy, visit this page.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please click here.

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