Gearing Up for Impact
What does it mean to prepare for meaningful impact?
As students head back to school and voters head back to the polls, Miami is filled with “get ready” energy. Nonprofits are gearing up for the largest giving day of the year (yes, Give Miami Day!!), our network of partners is gearing up for the height of hurricane season, and our Foundation is pounding the pavement to bring more resources to the leaders solving our community’s most pressing issues.
We’ve increased our scholarship investments by 66%, consolidated our community’s nonprofit data to be used far and wide, hosted three Vote Miami forums to help Miamians feel informed at the ballot box, and welcomed many new philanthropists to our network of giving. Amazon, this month’s spotlighted Philanthropic Partner (read on to learn more!), turned data on South Dade nonprofits into transformative investment.
What we know about gearing up for impact is that it starts with learning. When we understand our community’s strengths and challenges, listen to one another, invest in knowledge, and act before needs become crises, we build a stronger Miami, together.
We’re gearing up. Get ready to gear up with us!
At The Foundation
Striding Towards Give Miami Day
Give Miami Day is where 60,000+ donors show up to raise millions for 1,000+ local nonprofits. The Give Miami 5K + Festival on Sunday, November 15, at Maurice Ferré Park, is where that generosity gets loud! There will be thousands of supporters running, walking, skipping and dancing for the causes they love.
100% of every race registration fee goes straight to the nonprofit or issue area of your choice. Returning champion or first-timer, the time to build your Give Miami Day campaign, rally your people, and lace up is now. Greater Miami’s biggest day of giving is coming, and it needs everyone.
Give Miami Day Nonprofit Spotlight:
Foot Forward Foundation
These are the types of organizations that your Give Miami Day donations support. Across Miami-Dade, dozens of nonprofits are helping students start the school year off right. Supported by The Miami Foundation, Foot Forward Foundation collects new and gently worn shoes for those in need. “It’s tough with back-to-school. New shoes for kids are costly,” said Christopher Sisco, Co-Executive Director. Partnering with Hope for Miami and Project UP-START, they sent a sneaker questionnaire to participating students and their families. “It’s very intentional. We ask their favorite color, hobby, subject, and sport.” At the start of this school year, they provided nearly 200 brand-new pairs.
Scholarships: Gearing Students Up for Impact
As the new school year starts, we’re celebrating the dreams, determination, and potential of our scholarship recipients, the future leaders of our community. This year, through our scholarships program, 969 students received scholarships totaling $3.45 million. It’s an increase from 888 students and $2.29 million awarded last year.
Our incredible donors make this work possible. These scholarships are helping students access higher education opportunities across Miami-Dade, Florida, and beyond, creating pathways to academic success and future leadership.
If you’re interested in exploring starting a scholarship fund, reach out to our Philanthropy team: philanthropy@miamifoundation.org.
Building Capacity and Strengthening Miami’s
Arts & Culture Ecosystem
Lasting impact takes shape through partners that invest in resiliency. This month, the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation announced a $720,000 investment in Miami-Dade County’s nonprofit arts sector through its CreARTE grant program, supporting projects designed to strengthen the infrastructure and resilience of local arts organizations.
The investment will support 28 organizational capacity-building projects and four collaborative arts ecosystem initiatives focused on leadership development, advocacy, resource-sharing, and workforce challenges.
“Great arts organizations don’t just create extraordinary cultural experiences. They build stronger, more connected communities,” said Jorge M. Pérez, the founder of the Pérez Family Foundation. “As we’ve worked alongside our CreARTE partners over the years, we’ve learned that investing in their long-term infrastructure is just as important as supporting their programming … we’re investing in an arts ecosystem that will continue enriching Miami’s cultural fabric for generations.”
Preparing for Hurricane Season
Peak hurricane season is approaching, but at The Miami Foundation, we believe resilience means preparing long before a storm is on the horizon. The Miami Foundation recently published our second Disaster Resilience in Greater Miami Infographic. This snapshot maps our nonprofit network, how it is meeting Miami’s growing and diversifying disaster preparedness needs, and what it requires to sustain.
Through initiatives like the Miami Strong Disaster Resilience Network and our permanent revolving disaster fund, The Miami Foundation works year-round to ensure trusted community organizations have the tools, relationships, and resources necessary to serve residents when they need them most.
Assessing the State of Miami’s Nonprofit Sector
We believe meaningful impact starts with knowledge. The State of Miami’s Nonprofit Sector 2025 is the most comprehensive analysis of nonprofits and donors in our region to date. Understanding the financial health, challenges, and resilience of 1,466 active nonprofits across Miami-Dade County helps to paint a portrait of who we are as a community. By equipping donors, nonprofits, and civic leaders with actionable data, we can make a proactive investment in the people and organizations building a stronger Miami.
Dive in, share the data, and use it to shape a stronger Miami. Nonprofit leaders take note! Each of the charts is easily downloadable.
Most importantly, we hope it fuels generosity for all of Miami. Read the report here.
Understanding the Impact of Arts Access
Access to the arts is foundational to a thriving Miami. In 2020, we wanted to expand high-quality arts education across Miami. Partnering with Young Musicians Unite and local philanthropists, we launched Arts Access Miami, bringing organizations together into public schools to expand free music, visual arts, and creative programs.
Six years later, Arts Access is running full steam ahead with Young Musicians Unite at the helm. This collaboration is expanding access to arts education and helping us better understand its impact on students and schools. Arts Access’s first-ever case study report and mini-documentary called A Diamond in the Rough showcases Leisure City K-8 Center’s dynamic turnaround through access to arts education.
Philanthropic Partner Spotlight: Amazon
Earlier this year, a group of South Florida funders, including The Miami Foundation, released the South Dade Community Needs and Nonprofit Funding Landscape report that highlighted the opportunities and challenges in one of Miami’s fastest-growing regions. One finding stood out: just 4% of all funding in the region is flexible or unrestricted, leaving grassroots organizations with limited resources to sustainably grow their staff, space, or reach, or to react to unexpected needs. The report highlighted several recommendations to strengthen collaboration and investment, including the need to fund grassroots innovators and diversify resources with flexible dollars.
Amazon read the findings and acted on them. Today, the company committed $1 million to 13 nonprofits serving South Dade families.
Amazon’s support is a clear example of what data-informed giving can look like and highlights the many forms of generosity that contribute to a sense of belonging in Miami. Amazon’s vision will put flexible dollars toward strengthening workforce development, education, and essential community services across South Dade.
“South Dade is a community we know well and care deeply about. This report confirmed what local leaders have been telling us: smaller, grassroots organizations need more flexible support to grow their impact. We’re committed to being a good neighbor in the communities where we live and work.”
– Angelica Santibanez, Head of Community Engagement for Amazon Public Policy, Florida and Latin America
The Miami Foundation is here to help you find the approach to giving and creating impact that’s right for you. Connect with our team to learn more at philanthropy@miamifoundation.org.
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