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Louis And Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust

Annual Giving
$9.5M
Grant Range
$0K - $3.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9,503,463 (2023)
  • Total Matched: Over $28 million through matching program since 2020
  • Grant Range: $5 - $3,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto Counties, Florida
  • Number of Awards: 111 grants (2023)

Contact Details

Website: https://flanzertrust.org

Email: [email protected]

Phone:

  • Main: 941-383-6000
  • Additional: 941-780-5427

Administrative Office: 335 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017 c/o Bristol Consultants Phone: 212-708-0280

Physical Location: Sarasota, FL

Overview

The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust was established in 2005 to serve as the vehicle for the Flanzers' charitable activities focused on Florida's Suncoast area. Gloria and Louis Flanzer, originally from New York, fell in love with Sarasota during a 1970s business trip and spent their last 35 years living on Longboat Key. Following Louis's death in 2013 and Gloria's in 2015, their estate established the trust to continue their philanthropic legacy. The trust is managed by co-trustees Dr. R. Dean Hautamaki, a board-certified physician who cared for the Flanzers, and Eric Kaplan, a longtime Milstein family attorney and CPA. The trust operates with two distinct approaches: large direct grants to transformative projects and capital improvements, and a signature matching program that has distributed over $28 million since 2020. In 2023 alone, the trust contributed $9,503,463 in grants across 111 awards. The trust is dedicated to improving quality of life for those in need in the Suncoast region.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Matching Donation Program (Rolling Basis)

  • Individual donations of $5-$500/month are matched dollar-for-dollar
  • Maximum match: $3,000 per donor/household per charity annually
  • Over 150+ participating nonprofit partners
  • Program extended through 2026
  • 100% of donations passed through (trust absorbs all PayPal processing costs)
  • Year-round program, the only one of its kind in the region

2. Direct Major Grants (Trustee Discretion)

  • Large transformative grants ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions
  • Recent examples:
    • All Star Children's Foundation: $3 million (2019) for campus construction
    • Sarasota Memorial Hospital: $800,000 (2022) for Emergency Medicine Graduate Medical Education Program
    • Previous hospital support: $750,000 for ICU, $500,000 for cardiac-care equipment
    • Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys and Girls Club in Arcadia (capital project)
    • Flanzer Campus of JFCS (capital project)
    • COVID-19 support for needy families

Priority Areas

The trust focuses exclusively on organizations providing direct services to the public in the following areas:

  • Social Services and Social Welfare: Programs that directly improve quality of life for those in need
  • K-12 Education: Educational initiatives serving youth
  • Healthcare: Medical facilities, equipment, and programs

Key Selection Criteria:

  • "Transformative non-profit ventures" that combine science, innovation, and compassion
  • Long-term organizations that "truly touch people in need"
  • Visionary missions with potential for broad systemic impact
  • Organizations that improve quality of life for all residents, not just direct clients
  • Direct service delivery (not intermediary organizations)

What They Don't Fund

Ineligible Organizations:

  • Agencies that fund other agencies (intermediaries)
  • Religious organizations
  • Entertainment and arts organizations
  • Agencies engaged in "controversial issues"
  • Organizations outside the four-county service area
  • Organizations whose officers have criminal records

Ineligible Donations (for Matching Program):

  • Corporate donations or bundled gifts
  • Anonymous donations or donor-advised funds
  • Capital campaign contributions (explicit restriction)
  • Golf outings, galas, and fundraising events
  • Raffles, auctions, and paddle raises (unless pre-approved by trustees)
  • Donations in exchange for goods or services
  • Money orders

Governance and Leadership

Co-Trustees:

Dr. R. Dean Hautamaki: Board-certified physician practicing in Sarasota who served as the Flanzers' physician and cared for them through their final years. As trustee, Dr. Hautamaki describes his role: "Eric Kaplan and I are the instruments that have been put in place to ensure that their wishes to help people and benefit society and our community are achieved."

Eric Kaplan: Longtime Milstein family attorney and CPA. Manages legal and financial administration through Bristol Consultants in New York.

Trust Philosophy: According to Dr. Hautamaki, "The focus of the Flanzer Trust is to invest in transformative non-profit ventures." He notes that "The Flanzers felt that these select agencies greatly improve the quality of life for all residents, not just their clients," and emphasized that "While many believe that our local agencies are amply funded by large donors and the government, they, in fact, need broad support from the public to be able to do their important work."

The trust is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and explicitly states it is "not affiliated with any other member of the Flanzer Family."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Matching Program Participation: Organizations meeting eligibility criteria should email [email protected] with:

  • Nonprofit certificate
  • Tax-exempt determination letter from IRS
  • Request for participation

Once accepted, organizations must:

  • Complete Match Program Application
  • Sign Matching Donation Agreement
  • Submit Re-Certification of Agency Form
  • Submit annual reports by March 31st each year

For Direct Major Grants: There is no public application process. Large transformative grants are made at the sole discretion of the trustees. These grants typically support capital projects, major equipment purchases, or innovative program development that aligns with the trust's focus on transformative ventures.

Decision Timeline

Matching Program: Timeline for acceptance into the program is not publicly specified. Decisions are made at the trustees' discretion.

Direct Grants: No timeline available as these are invitation-only or trustee-initiated.

The trust explicitly reserves the right to deny any agency participation "at the sole and exclusive discretion of the Trustees whether or not they meet the guidelines of participation."

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The matching program currently works with 150+ nonprofit partners and has engaged over 64,000 individual donors since inception.

Reapplication Policy

Not specified in available materials. Organizations denied participation may inquire about reapplication timing by contacting the trust directly.

Application Success Factors

Based on the trust's documented priorities and funded projects:

1. Demonstrate Transformative Impact The trust specifically seeks organizations whose "business models combine science, innovation and compassion in a way that will be transformational." Projects should show potential for systemic change, not just incremental improvement.

2. Focus on Direct Service Delivery Organizations must "provide direct services to the public." The trust does not fund intermediaries or re-granting organizations. Clear documentation of who receives services and how lives are changed is critical.

3. Emphasize Broad Community Benefit Dr. Hautamaki notes the trust values agencies that "greatly improve the quality of life for all residents, not just their clients." Show how your work creates ripple effects beyond direct beneficiaries.

4. Establish Long-Term Sustainability The trust invests in "long-term organizations." Demonstrate organizational stability, track record, and sustainable operating model. New or experimental organizations may face higher scrutiny.

5. Geographic Alignment Strict requirement to serve only Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, or DeSoto Counties. Multi-county organizations must clearly document services in the eligible area.

6. Financial Transparency Organizations must submit annual reports by March 31st. Strong financial management and transparency are implicit requirements given the trust's emphasis on accountability.

7. Evidence-Based Approaches The trust's interest in projects combining "science, innovation and compassion" suggests preference for organizations using research-backed methodologies and measuring outcomes.

Recent Funded Projects as Models:

  • All Star Children's Foundation: Innovative trauma treatment for foster children combining evidence-based therapeutic approaches
  • Sarasota Memorial Hospital: Graduate medical education program building long-term capacity
  • Boys & Girls Clubs: Direct youth services with proven developmental framework

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Dual funding model: The trust operates both a matching program (accessible to eligible organizations) and discretionary major grants (invitation only for transformative capital projects)
  • "Transformative" is the key word: For major grants, emphasize innovation, systemic impact, and how your project combines evidence-based approaches with compassionate service delivery
  • Direct services only: Must deliver services directly to beneficiaries; no funding for intermediary organizations or re-granting
  • Geographic restriction is absolute: Must serve only the four-county Suncoast area; no exceptions documented
  • Build trustee awareness: Major grants appear to result from trustee knowledge of organizations, often through their professional networks or community presence
  • Matching program requires discipline: For participating organizations, educate donors about restrictions (no corporate gifts, no capital campaigns, no event-based donations)
  • Annual compliance is mandatory: March 31st deadline for annual reports; failure to comply likely results in removal from program
  • Trustee discretion is final: Even eligible organizations can be denied; focus on alignment with stated values and demonstration of transformative impact

References

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