Charitable Community Foundation

10/26/2026

Some leaders build organizations. Nate Jacobs built a home for an entire community’s voice.

Congratulations to Nate Jacobs, Founder and Artistic Director of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, on being named to the Impact 50, our list of Southwest Florida’s Most Influential Charitable Leaders.

Nate didn’t wait for a stage to be offered. He built one. Through Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, he has given artists a platform, audiences a reason to gather, and our region a cultural treasure that reflects who we are and who we can become. That is arts, people, culture, community, and impact, all in one leader.

That’s what Impact 50 is about.

The Charitable Community Foundation created Impact 50 because Southwest Florida’s nonprofit leaders deserve more than funding. They deserve:

- A voice to tell the story behind the mission.
- A platform that puts their work in front of the people who need to see it.
- Recognition that matches the weight of what they carry.
- Respect as the executives, visionaries, and community builders they are.
- A community of peers who understand the work.

Impact 50 isn’t an award you apply for and forget. It’s the list every nonprofit leader wants to be on, and a network of the people shaping Southwest Florida’s future.

Nate, thank you for showing all of us what leadership in service looks like. You earned this.

Meet the leaders defining charitable impact in our region: www.charitablecommunity.org

Recognizing. Elevating. Leading.

10/22/2026

A life of faith. A legacy of impact.

If Dennis Gingerich is your friend, colleague, or someone whose contributions to Southwest Florida you admire, join us for a celebration that carries his legacy forward.

On December 9, celebrate Dennis and the nominees for the Dennis Gingerich Faith in Action Award at the 10th Anniversary ENPY Awards, presented by Charitable Community Foundation.

Founding Pastor Cape Christian and an award-winning wildlife and nature photographer, Dennis brings a distinctive perspective to leadership, service, and community.

Be there when this year’s recipient is announced.

December 9, 2026
Reserve your seat at www.charitablecommunity.org

10/16/2026

$228 Million in Giving. Two Foundations. One Room. Here’s Why Southwest Florida’s Leaders Will Be There.

In philanthropy, scale is rare. Sustained scale is rarer still. That’s what makes this year’s ENPY Awards worth your calendar.

For its 10th anniversary, the Excellence in Nonprofit Performance Yearly Awards brings together two longtime friends and two powerhouse organizations: Michael Chatman, President & CEO of the Charitable Community Foundation and founder of the ENPYs, and Dr. Carol Rae Culliton, Founder of the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation. Together, their foundations represent $228 million in combined giving, a figure that places them among the most consequential charitable forces in the region.

This year’s program features the Charity Event Awards, recognizing the galas, fundraisers and community events that do more than raise money. They raise expectations.

Why attend? Because the people who move Southwest Florida’s nonprofit sector forward will be in one room. Board chairs, executive directors, donors and civic leaders come to the ENPYs to celebrate results, compare notes and build the partnerships that drive next year’s impact. A decade in, this has become the region’s benchmark for nonprofit excellence.

- Wednesday, December 9, 2026, | 11:30 AM
- 13051 Bell Tower Drive, Fort Myers, FL

Seating is limited, and 10th-anniversary events tend to fill fast. Reserve your seat now:
https://2026enpyawards.rsvpify.com/

10/11/2026

10/07/2026

One leader. Thousands elevated.

Behind every food pantry that stays open, every after-school program that keeps its doors unlocked, and every shelter that finds one more bed, there's a nonprofit leader carrying more than most people will ever see.

Michael Chatman built Charitable Community Foundation for them.

As President & CEO, Michael set out to answer a question too many mission-driven organizations ask alone: Who's in our corner?

Today, the answer is a movement:

- 5,700+ nonprofit organizations connected, supported, and elevated.

- 37,000+ nonprofit professionals growing into stronger leaders.

- $4.19B+ in annual nonprofit revenue powering missions that transform lives.

- AI-powered. Debt-free. Mission-driven. Innovation that finally levels the playing field.

This isn't about one man's title. It's about what happens when small and mid-sized nonprofits get the same tools, connections, and visibility the big players have always had.

They've been called "a leader to nonprofit CEOs across the country," and the real proof is in the communities those CEOs serve every single day.

Recognized. Respected. Revolutionary.

Your turn: Tag a nonprofit leader who deserves to be celebrated today. Let's flood this post with the names of people changing the world without asking for credit.

Get connected. Get recognized. www.CharitableCommunity.org

10/05/2026

ONE OF FIFTY. A LEADER SHAPING SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

Charitable Community Foundation is proud to recognize Richard LeBer, President & CEO of Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, as a 2026 Impact 50 Honoree—one of only fifty leaders selected for extraordinary influence on the future of our region.

Richard's leadership represents what the Impact 50 was created to recognize: influence that extends beyond an organization, leadership that strengthens an entire community, and a commitment to service that produces lasting impact.

At Harry Chapin Food Bank, Richard has become a powerful voice in the fight against hunger and food insecurity, helping ensure that individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida have access to one of life's most fundamental necessities.

But Impact 50 is about more than titles.

It is about the leaders whose vision, credibility, courage, and service help shape what Southwest Florida becomes next.

Richard LeBer is one of those leaders.

Richard, congratulations on this well-deserved distinction. We are proud to recognize your leadership, your influence, and your commitment to Southwest Florida.

2026 IMPACT 50 HONOREE
Richard LeBer
President & CEO | Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida

Charitable Community Foundation
The Definitive Authority for Nonprofit Leadership in Southwest Florida
Visit: www.charitablecommunity.org

09/29/2026

Ten years ago, some people gave him a year. Maybe less.

When Michael Chatman stepped in to lead Charitable Community Foundation, proudly founded in Cape Coral, Florida, the doubts were loud. The resources were thin. The odds weren't in his favor.

He showed up anyway. On the hard days. On the days when nobody was watching and nobody was clapping. He kept believing that the people doing the quiet, unglamorous work of serving their communities deserved to be seen and celebrated.

Today, we're marking 10 years.

Michael will be the first to tell you he didn't get here alone. He got here because of every volunteer, donor, nonprofit leader, and friend who believed in the mission when it was still a long shot. This milestone belongs to all of you.

If you've ever been underestimated, this one's for you. Where you start doesn't decide where you finish.

Help us celebrate Michael! Drop a congratulations in the comments or share a time someone doubted you and you proved them wrong. We'd love to hear your story.

09/25/2026

Some leaders build organizations. Dr. Larry Antonucci built a legacy.

For 40 years, Dr. Larry Antonucci has served Southwest Florida. He spent more than two decades as a Fort Myers OB/GYN, bringing thousands of our neighbors into the world. He then stepped into hospital leadership, starting at Cape Coral Hospital in 2007, and has led Lee Health as President & CEO since 2017.

Under his leadership, Lee Health became one of the top-rated health systems for quality in the nation. It stood strong for our community through COVID-19 and hurricane after hurricane. And he never lost the touch of a physician. Those who know him know he still puts people first.

As Dr. Antonucci completes his tenure as CEO on September 30, the Charitable Community Foundation is proud to honor him as part of The Impact 50. This recognition is reserved for the leaders whose influence has shaped the Southwest Florida we call home.

Dr. Antonucci, thank you. Our region is healthier, stronger, and more hopeful because of you.

Did Dr. Antonucci deliver you, your children, or your grandchildren? Did he or the Lee Health team care for someone you love? Share your story and your thank-you in the comments. We'll make sure he sees every one.

The Impact 50 celebrates Southwest Florida's most influential leaders. Proudly founded in Cape Coral, the Charitable Community Foundation is where our region's leadership is recognized, connected, and celebrated. Visit: www.charitablecommunity.org

Thank you Dr. Larry Antonucci!

09/22/2026

BLACK LEADERS OF IMPACT & INFLUENCE. Three Leaders Shaping Southwest Florida.

Some leaders hold positions. Others move a region.

Today, Charitable Community Foundation is proud to recognize Nate Jacobs, Founder & Artistic Director of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe; Gene Jones, President & CEO of YMCA of Southwest Florida; and Jamie Ulmer, President & CEO of Healthcare Network SWFL, as three extraordinary Black leaders selected for the 2026 IMPACT 50.

Their leadership is shaping Southwest Florida through culture, opportunity, health, equity, and stronger communities. Their influence reaches beyond their organizations. They are helping define what this region can become.

Congratulations Nate Jacobs, Gene Jones, and Jamie Ulmer—three remarkable leaders!

Charitable Community Foundation is the creator of IMPACT 50 and Impact & Influence, the definitive guide to the leaders who move Southwest Florida forward. Major donors, foundation executives, and business sponsors turn to it to know who is shaping our region's future, and where their investment will matter most.

When Southwest Florida asks who its most influential leaders are, Charitable Community Foundation answers.

Meet the leaders shaping our region's future at CharitableCommunity.org.

09/19/2026

Kathleen van Bergen. Southwest Florida's Most Influential Woman in Charitable Leadership.

Some leaders hold positions. Others move a region.

Today, Charitable Community Foundation is proud to declare Kathleen van Bergen, President & CEO Artis—Naples, the most influential woman in Southwest Florida charitable leadership, and to recognize her as one of the region's most influential leaders in IMPACT 50.

Her leadership has helped shape what Southwest Florida values, supports, and aspires to become. The standard she sets is the reason this recognition exists.

Congratulations Kathleen van Bergen, you are a remarkable leader!

Charitable Community Foundation is the creator of IMPACT 50 and Impact & Influence, the definitive guide to the leaders who move Southwest Florida forward. Major donors, foundation executives, and business sponsors turn to it to know who is shaping our region's future, and where their investment will matter most.

When Southwest Florida asks who its most influential leaders are, Charitable Community Foundation answers.

Meet the leaders shaping our region's future at CharitableCommunity.org.