New United Way CEO guides $21.7M organization into new era

Having just passed the 100-day mark as the new CEO of one of the most prominent nonprofits in the region, the United Way Suncoast, Kourtney Sanchez gets a variation of the same question a lot: are you still drinking from a fire hose?

It’s an understandable query. The Tampa-based nonprofit has a wide reach, with $21.7 million in revenue, $51.2 million in assets and $13 million in impact investments in 2025, according to the organization and public tax filings. And while sure, Sanchez has her share of overwhelmed days, in general her first three months, she says, have made her more optimistic than ever about both the organization, and the large community it serves. United Way Suncoast focuses on educational opportunity, financial security and community resiliency for families in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties. 

Photo by Mark Wemple

“I am feeling very energized and fired up,” says Sanchez, who adds if she had to choose one word to describe her tenure so far, it would be hopeful. “I feel really hopeful about the future for this organization. We are entering into a brand new era to be responsive to the needs of our community members.”

Sanchez was named CEO of United Way Suncoast after previous CEO Jessica Muroff was named president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. A third-generation Tampa Bay native, Sanchez brought more than a decade of nonprofit experience to the post. Her previous role was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where she was chief impact officer, directing the franchise’s community team and overseeing philanthropic strategy and partnerships. She was also executive director of the Glazer Family Foundation and the Glazer Vision Foundation.

Before the Bucs, Sanchez held development roles for AdventHealth, the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, the American Heart Association and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. At the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, Sanchez increased revenue by 130%, led a rebrand and launched a new website, according to her 40 under 40 nomination. At AdventHealth, she completed a $21 million capital campaign that opened the Taneja Center for Surgery. 

Sanchez credits her grandfather, Toby Krayer, with being a key mentor and big presence in her life. Known as Pop-pop, Sanchez says Krayer, a longtime banker, business and civic leader in St. Petersburg, who died in 2020 at 89, taught her about discipline, hard work and the value of emotional intelligence. She also took on one of Krayer's catchphrases: Kill them with kindness. 

The influence of Krayer, too, is partly why Sanchez has spent her entire career in either nonprofits or philanthropic work. Krayer was the most "charitable person I’ve ever known,” she says. 

And even though nonprofit work can be emotionally draining, Sanchez says being in a position to help others, and lead the people who help others, is a fulfilling, pay-it-forward way to spend a career. “I find myself running to painful situations,” she says, “more than running away from them.”