“Culture is what drives communities, and it’s how communities are remembered,” says Dennis Scholl, seen at the center of the photo. “When you think of the Greeks and Romans from thousands of years ago, you don’t think of their businesses, you think of their culture.”
AT OOLITE ARTS, MIAMI ARTISTS FIND A SPACE TO CREATE
“Culture is what drives communities, and it’s how communities are remembered,” says Dennis Scholl, seen at the center of the photo. “When you think of the Greeks and Romans from thousands of years ago, you don’t think of their businesses, you think of their culture.”
JORGE AND DARLENE PÉREZ ON THE FAMILY’S NEW $1 MILLION ARTS PROGRAM
Only one generation ago, Miami was widely derided as a cultural wasteland. Now, the city has emerged as a dynamic, global hub for the arts. Miami’s creative scene launched in an extraordinary burst of cultural energy in the 1980s. That decade saw the creation of the Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony, Center for the Fine Arts (now Pérez Art … Read More
HONORING MARLON A. HILL: A CIVIC CHAMPION FOR PHILANTHROPY
Editor’s note: We are pleased to recognize Marlon Hill, a great Miamian, for his selfless dedication to investing in his community and inspiring others to do the same, as our 2019 Donor Next Door honoree. Below is the short piece that appeared in the Donor Next Door Family Album. Attorney Marlon A. Hill joined The Miami Foundation’s inaugural Miami Fellows … Read More
WHAT MIAMI LEARNED FROM DETROIT AT THE 2019 STATE OF BLACK PHILANTHROPY
Philanthropy, in its purest form, is action taken for the love of people. “We in philanthropy get caught up in the institutional definition of what it means: a distribution of capital. And, yes, capital is labor, investment and money, but it is all based in love … a love for others,” said Tonya Allen, president and CEO of The Skillman … Read More
EMERGING PHILANTHROPISTS: YOUNG MIAMIANS TO WATCH
A new crop of young philanthropists is making it so that, in Miami, it’s cool to care. According to the Millennial Impact Report, 84 percent of millennials made a charitable contribution and 70 percent volunteered their time in 2015. Greater Miami’s numbers have historically lagged behind but young locals like Kara Zeder Rosen are changing that. For the past six … Read More
WHY THIS COUPLE IS INVESTING ARTISTIC RISK CAPITAL IN THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
Bob and Dede Moss love Miami. As New Yorkers, when they found themselves looking for a second home they picked Miami. Nearly two decades later, the two continue to find inspiration in the place they call home and invest in the city’s growing arts scene to help others feel as welcome here as they did. More recently, as longtime supporters of the arts, Bob and Dede established a the Fund for New Ventures at The Miami Foundation that will provide New World Symphony with artistic risk capital for innovative, new programs.
We sat down for a chat with Bob about why he and Dede chose to live in Miami, the causes they care about and the unique way they’ve chosen to champion homegrown creativity.
GIVE MIAMI DAY DONORS HELP LOCAL KIDS REUNITE WITH FATHERS IN PRISON
Editorial note: Give Miami Day returns on Thursday, November 15th. Explore organizations working on the causes you care about at GiveMiamiDay.org. This coming holiday, dozens of families will reunite in an unlikely place, the Everglades Correctional Institution. Kids and caregivers will hop on a bus for the visit organized by Children of Inmates (COI), a local nonprofit that provides inmates … Read More
HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA: THE DONORS AND NONPROFITS REBUILDING FOR RESILIENCE
Last hurricane season challenged this community in ways we hadn’t seen in decades – and not just during the storms. The aftermath was equally trying as the region faced an uncertain path toward long-term recovery. Yet, in the midst of such devastation, we saw inspiring signs of hope as people from all walks and regions stepped up, eager to take care of one another. More than 11,000 individuals, corporations and foundations from around the world helped us raise $6.4 million for relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts throughout Greater Miami, Florida Keys and the Caribbean islands. Dollars fueled nonprofits’ efforts to distribute food and supplies, repair roofs and build resilience hubs. Now, in the midst of another active hurricane season and with our thoughts on our neighbors in the Carolinas, we reflect on the people who stepped up and collaborative efforts formed that continue to motivate and inspire.
BUILDING A RESILIENT MIAMI: ARMANDO CODINA’S STORY
Armando Codina arrived in the United States at age 14 from his native Cuba via Operation Peter Pan, a program that resettled thousands of children stateside during the Castro regime. Alone, and with no knowledge of English, he was sent to an orphanage and lived in and out of foster care until he was reunited with his mother. Despite these events, he would not allow his life to be defined by those experiences. He worked several jobs to support his mother when she arrived, he started and sold a number of businesses, and even facilitated restoration efforts after Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida. Still, he moved forward in a city that promised a future. Armando has helped transform Miami through his real estate development businesses while consistently standing up for and defending the city he loves. Armando and Miami have this in common: despite being knocked down they continuously get back up.
Today, Armando is executive chairman of the Coral Gables-based real estate investment and development company, Codina Partners, and is using philanthropy to build a more resilient Miami. He shared his Miami story with us.