The following guest column by Phillip Lanham appeared in the Saturday, January 17, 2026 edition of SRQ Daily:
Philanthropy works best when it does more than meet a moment. It stays in motion, supporting long after an initial gift is made. Impact investing is a tool built on that idea: it puts charitable dollars to work to meet today’s needs while keeping them available to serve the community again in the future.
At Gulf Coast, we are constantly exploring how philanthropic resources can be structured to create lasting benefit. Our role is not simply to direct funds, but to amplify them – carefully aligning charitable intent with the evolving needs of our community. Impact investing is one way we fulfill that responsibility, offering a value-driven approach that balances immediate impact and long-term sustainability.
A clear example of this approach in action is One Stop Housing’s Sarasota Station, a 202-unit workforce housing development off Fruitville Road that broke ground earlier this week. Gulf Coast provided a $2.5 million below-market-rate loan to help bring the project to life. Unlike a traditional grant, these funds are structured as an investment; they support the project during construction and, once repaid, remain available to fund future initiatives, sustaining philanthropic momentum.
Sarasota Station represents years of collaboration, planning and careful attention to the needs of working families in our community. The site was selected to meet the region’s growing demand for workforce housing, with careful attention to the proximity to employment centers, transportation, and essential services. Gulf Coast’s involvement reflects our commitment to creative, sustainable solutions that help working families thrive.
The impact investing model is proven nationwide. Communities across the country have used similar strategies to address affordable housing, community development and other pressing needs, demonstrating that charitable dollars can do more than a one-time good—they can recirculate, grow, and serve multiple generations.
Looking ahead, impact investing will complement our traditional grantmaking and open new opportunities for collaboration. We’re creating a platform for donor-advised fund holders to co-invest alongside Gulf Coast in future initiatives that share the same principles: thoughtful evaluation, long-term thinking, and shared responsibility for the region’s future.
Sarasota Station, and impact investing as a tool, reflects confidence—in the development, in the people it will serve, and in the future of our community. By shifting from one-time impact to sustained momentum, we affirm a simple belief: progress grows over time, through trust, care, and a willingness to invest in what comes next.
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