Gestures of Generosity,
Large and Small

Generosity isn’t just about what we give, but how we show up for one another – and our community.

We found countless ways to come together this April: rolling up our sleeves during National Volunteer Week, lacing up for the Lexus Corporate Run, walking alongside a coalition of civic and faith leaders at the We Are United: March in Unity, and celebrating the voices of the 305 through the O, Miami Poetry Festival.

Whether through service, advocacy or art, we want to remind you that civic engagement is one of the greatest forms of generosity.

Whether you volunteer for local organizations, vote in local elections, stay informed on important issues by supporting local news outlets – or simply attend local cultural events – you are investing in our collective future – in the Miami we all know and love.

Finding ways to connect with the people and places of Greater Miami can also deepen our sense of belonging, spark connections, and inspire collaboration in unexpected and meaningful ways.

Since April is National Poetry Month, we’ll share one of our favorites by Miami-Dade’s newly christened Poet Laureate Nicole Tallman, who reminds us that even our afternoon cafecito can be a lesson in generosity.

The first time
I tried a
colada,
I didn’t know
to share.

(You can find Nicole’s ode to her 33132 ZIP code along with hundreds of other local contributors in O, Miami’s recent book, Literally Everyone’s Invited.)

As you explore this month’s newsletter, we invite you to reflect on how you’ve engaged this month — and where your generosity might lead next.

At The Foundation

Welcoming our Board Members

We’re excited to welcome our Executive Suite and the newest members of our Board of Trustees. Their leadership, insight, and commitment to our mission will help shape the work ahead as we continue building a stronger community where everyone can thrive:

Kerry-Ann Royes, M.B.A.
Board Chair
President & CEO, YWCA South Florida

Ken O’Keefe
Vice Board Chair
Founder of BPOC

Kareem Brantley, CFA
Board Treasurer
Florida Principal, The Integral Group

Jaret Davis
Board Secretary
Co-Managing Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, P.A

Welcome to Our New Board Members:

JC Liscano
Vice President of Miami Hub Operations, American Airlines

Maria Escorcia
Southeast Region Executive- Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Laura Kaplan
Market President, BNY Wealth

Welcoming our newest Executive Team Member

We’re also thrilled to welcome Sue Rosenthal to our team as Chief Financial Officer of The Miami Foundation!

Sue brings a wealth of professional experience, having served in key executive positions at Barry University and the Miami Herald Media Company — along with years of dedicated service on boards and within our community. Her expertise and vision will be tremendous assets as we work towards building a stronger Miami.

Seeing Impact in Action: Nonprofit Site Visits

This April, we visited organizations making a difference across our community. Our site visits connect funders and community members with nonprofit organizations, offering a firsthand look at their work and fostering relationships that can lead to meaningful support. From expanding access to clean water and developing young leaders with BLUE Missions, to empowering young women in tech through creative coding at Code/Art, each visit highlighted innovation and impact in action.

We connected with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami to learn how mentorship builds lasting relationships for children and families, and with Hope for Miami to see how volunteers and resources are mobilized to meet community needs.

At Pace Center for Girls, we saw how a supportive environment helps girls build healthy relationships and plans for their futures. Our final visit to Casa Familia reinforced the importance of creating inclusive communities where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can thrive.

Racing for Nonprofits: Miles that Matter

Be sure to SAVE THE DATE for the 2026 Give Miami 5K + Festival on November 15, where your miles will help directly support the nonprofit of your choice for Give Miami Day! Details coming soon.

Understanding South Dade: New Report on Community Needs and Nonprofit Funding

Between January 2023 and October 2024, $94 million in funding flowed to South Dade nonprofits. Yet 77% of that support came from public sources, highlighting how heavily the sector depends on government funding.

In our new report, South Dade Community Needs and Nonprofit Funding Landscape, we take a closer look at how generosity moves through the region. By pairing data with insights from local leaders, the findings tell a clear story: while meaningful investments are reaching South Dade, critical gaps remain — and addressing them will be essential to unlocking the community’s full potential.

Learn more about our data and access the full report here.

Launching Nonprofit Bridge Loans

We know our local nonprofits deliver essential community services, yet many rely on government or philanthropic grants that reimburse expenses after costs are incurred, meaning they have to cover those costs up front while they wait for funds.

The Miami Foundation now offers Nonprofit Bridge Loans: short-term, low-interest financing aimed at stabilizing local nonprofit cash-flows, so they can focus on their missions, provide stability for staff, and deepen their community impact.

Visit our Nonprofit Bridge Loan webpage for more information.

Donor Spotlight: Rosa Parks Fund

Small but strategic actions can spark meaningful impact. That’s the simple but powerful approach at the heart of the Rosa Parks Fund, established at The Miami Foundation in 2017 by a longtime philanthropist who, after years of giving in New York, chose to root their work more deeply in Miami.

The fundholder, who chooses to remain anonymous, was inspired by the legacy of Rosa Parks, whose quiet refusal to give up her seat on a segregated Alabama bus became a watershed moment for the Civil Rights Movement.

The Rosa Parks Fund has centered its efforts on advancing social justice, community connection, and the arts — including at the grassroots level, where smaller, strategic investments can have an impact. The fund makes a generous impact in Miami by participating in Give Miami Day and supporting organizations working in youth education, the arts, and journalism and media throughout the year. Recent grantmaking has also helped organizations serving Miami’s Haitian diaspora navigate uncertainty around rapidly shifting immigration policies. In its nearly ten-year history, the Rosa Parks Fund has supported the work of over 70 nonprofit organizations in our community.

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