Sponsors & Supporters

FOUNDING DONOR: Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

$1.1 million

Suncoast Searchlight grew from a desire to address the local impacts of the nation’s rapidly shrinking news industry and preserve within the region the strength of the fourth estate.

Seeded by a generous grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, that desire first took shape in 2023 as the Community News Collaborative (CNC) – a nonprofit newsroom housed under Tampa Bay-area NPR affiliate WUSF that produced community news for local media partners.

In 2024, the CNC reformed as an independent 501c3 with a separate governing board and a more focused mission of producing investigative, watchdog and explanatory journalism under the name Suncoast Searchlight.

OTHER ESTEEMED SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT SUPPORTERS

THE VANGUARD ($100,000+)

  • Gulf Coast Community Foundation

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE ($50,000+)

  • Scott and Rebecca Barancik

VISIONARY SUPPORTERS ($5,000+)

  • Michael Hannon

PILLARS OF THE PRESS  ($1,000+)

  • Emily Le Coz
  • Jim Doyle
  • Barbara and Rich Scissors
  • Keith Woods

STEWARDS OF THE MISSION  ($500+)

  • Doug Logan
  • Kelly McBride

FRIENDS OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT  ($100+)

  • Diane Allen
  • Susan Buniva
  • Susie Bowie
  • John Bradbury
  • Julee Breehne
  • Richard Brinson
  • Kelly Brown
  • Su Byron
  • Judy W. Carson (in honor of Miles Toder)
  • Karen Christianson
  • Brian Cody
  • Kay Delaney
  • Robert Hendel
  • Brian Hunter
  • Michelle Kapreilian
  • Robert McCarthy
  • John Mercer
  • League of Women Voters of Sarasota County
  • Philip Peters
  • Carol Rescigno
  • Michael J. Shelton
  • Barbara Peters Smith
  • Sandra “Sandi” Stuart
  • Steve Wilson

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS ($1 – $99)

  • Elizabeth Barrett
  • Jessica Bryan
  • Judith Burgis
  • Mollie Cardamone
  • Robert Clark
  • Robin Cooper
  • Diane Desenberg
  • Ericka Dow
  • Joe Harris
  • Robert Hendel
  • Irek Hicks
  • Mary Jo Hixon
  • Nancy Hughes
  • Daniel Idzik
  • Jennifer Johnston (in honor of Matt Sauer)
  • Michael Lehner
  • Alex Neihaus
  • Robert Patten
  • Marjorie Peter
  • Laura Pether
  • Linda Salomon
  • Peter Saxon
  • Susan Smitten
  • Sharon Stoffel
  • Gary Szpatura
  • Tracy Vanderneck
  • Regina Walker
  • Allison Werner
  • Joel Werth
  • Allyne Zorn

MONTHLY SUSTAINERS (Recurring contributions)

  • Mary Aust
  • Laird Boulden
  • Hazel Bradford
  • Melony Deeds
  • Kelly Franklin
  • Mary Ginley
  • Stephen Hoffman
  • Margo Howard
  • Jamie Kattrein
  • Karl Kaukis
  • Carol Larson
  • Carol LoCicero
  • Kelly McBride
  • Michelle McLean
  • Margaret Pennington
  • Fitz-Edward Otis
  • Samantha Ramlall
  • Renee Ray
  • Katie Ross
  • Kristina Skepton
  • Janice Webster
  • Eric Winder
  • Norman Wirtz

GIFT ACCEPTANCE POLICY

Suncoast Searchight has a Gift Acceptance Policy to guide how we handle donations to our 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization. To learn more about this policy, visit this page. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please click here.