In this issue . . .   
BOARD NEWS   Thank you for your service, Mr. Chairman!
FOCUS ON FUNDS  Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce contributes to their fund on Small Business Saturday
RECENT EVENTS   The Foundation celebrates the holiday season
UPCOMING EVENTS Register for the 2016 Tour of Kitchens!
MERRICK SOCIETY  Become a member, make a difference in your community    
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BOARD NEWS
Thank you for your service, Mr. Chairman!

The final day of 2015 marks the end of Carlos F. Garcia's Chairmanship of the Coral Gables Community Foundation's Board of Directors.

Carlos joined the Foundation in 2010 and became Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. During his leadership on the Board, the Foundation saw the creation and implementation of great initiatives such as the Golden Gables Fund, the Culinary Arts Fund, the GSK Cares Charitable Fund, the Piggy Bank Campaign, the Coral Gables Community Foundation Four-Year College Scholarship, the Ponce Society of Young Professionals and the Community Giving Committee with over $100,000 awarded in grant funding since its inception. 

Carlos' term as Chairman saw significant growth of the Foundation in terms of funds raised and dollars contributed back to the community and an overall increased footprint of the Foundation. In 2015 alone, the Foundation and the 41 funds administered by the Foundation, contributed nearly $500,000 back into the community. 

On behalf of the staff and Board of Directors of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, we would like to thank Carlos for his service to the Foundation. He has been a tremendous leader who has made significant and positive contributions that not only impact our organization, but our entire community as well. Coral Gables is truly a better place with Carlos in it!
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FOCUS ON FUNDS  
Small Business Enhancement Fund receives donation on Small Business Saturday
L Photo: Mark Trowbridge, CEO of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce; Wayne Eldred, Chairman of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce; and Matthew Meehan, Secretary of the Foundation Board of Directors. R Photo: Foundation Board Secretary Matthew Meehan and Board member Scott Richey. 

Small Business Saturday, a day that encourages shoppers to patronize small businesses, took place on Saturday, November 28th and was celebrated by the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce with visits to 27 local shops throughout the day. The Chamber kicked off their Small Business Saturday blitz with a stop at Snow's Jewelers on Miracle Mile. While there, the Chamber presented a $2,500 check to their Small Business Enhancement Fund at the Foundation. The Small Business Enhancement Fund supports the Chamber's local small business efforts and programs. 

South Florida Business Journal names GSK on Top 25 Charitable Firms list

Goldstein Schechter Koch and its fund, the GSK Cares Fund, have been recognized in South Florida Business Journal's  2015 Top 25 Corporate Giving/Corporate Foundations in South Florida list.  The list is ranked by the most annual distributions made to South Florida charities.

GSK Cares is a philanthropic fund managed by the Coral Gables Community Foundation. It is funded entirely by the Firm, its leadership, and employees. It centralizes all of the Firm's philanthropic efforts and serves to provide charitable funding in organizations/programs of interest in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. All GSK employees are encouraged to donate to the Fund and the Firm matches those gifts with a generous percentage. The GSK Cares' Grant Advisory Board meets on an ongoing basis to determine funding priorities and is comprised of GSK team members from a cross section of administrative and professionals from all offices.

Ponce de Leon Middle School beautifies courtyard with Foundation grant funds

On December 2nd, the Coral Gables Community Foundation and Community Giving Committee Chair, John Allen, visited the historic Ponce de Leon Middle School   and the new benches and tables in the school's beautiful courtyard. The benches and tables were purchased with a $5,000 grant that the school was awarded earlier this year from the Foundation.

Foundation delivers trees to Golden Gables residents

On December 3rd, the Coral Gables Community Foundation teamed up with the  City of Coral Gables Fire Department to deliver Christmas trees to residents of the MacFarlane Homestead and Golden Gates neighborhoods. A few lucky neighborhood children even got to ride the fire truck!
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RECENT EVENTS
Holiday party celebrates Foundation's achievements through the year
On December 10th, the Coral Gables Community Foundation's Board members, staff, Merrick Society members and fund holders gathered to celebrate the holiday season. 

The Foundation's annual holiday party was held at the beautiful home of Immediate Past Chairman Bill Bonn and Ruben Ceballos. Awards for Board Members of the Year were presented to Aura Reinhardt and Pat Blanco for their outstanding service and dedication to the Foundation over the years. 

The Board of Directors, Incoming Chairman John O'Rourke III and Executive Director Mary Snow gifted outgoing Chairman Carlos F. Garcia with touching mementos to commemorate his time as Chairman of the Board.  

During his address to attendees, Garcia spoke about the Foundation's many achievements throughout 2015, including the establishment of the Coral Gables Community Foundation Four-Year Scholarship, the Golden Gables Fund as well as the over $50,000 awarded in grant funding this year.

Foundation wins Outstanding Small Non-Profit at Diamond Awards
L-R: Nelson Penalver, Coral Gables Community Foundation Chair-Elect John O'Rourke III, Foundation Board members Aura Reinhardt, John Allen, Jack Lowell and Foundation Board member and Chamber of Commerce Chairman, Wayne Eldred

The Coral Gables Community Foundation received the Outstanding Small Non-Profit Award at the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce's annual Diamond Awards on Friday, November 13th at the Coral Gables Country Club. Coral Gables Community Foundation Board members were on hand to accept the award. The Foundation is proud to be recognized with this great honor!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Register for the Tour of Kitchens today!

Take the Tour of Kitchens with Bike Walk Coral Gables
 
For those who wish to bike the Tour of Kitchens,  Bike Walk Coral Gables  is offering guests the opportunity to take the tour in a group bike ride. This is a great way to travel to each stop, enjoy the beautiful weather and even burn off some calories so you can enjoy the food provided by our participating restaurants guilt-free! Experienced bicycle tour leaders from Bike Walk Coral Gables will guide Tour participants on safe routes to the Tour stops. If you are interested in biking the Tour, please contact Deborah Swain at 305.496.2374  or dswain@milianswain.com by February 4, 2016.
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MERRICK SOCIETY

Create your legacy today! 

Coral Gables Royal Poinciana in full bloom

 

ABOUT THE MERRICK SOCIETY 

Merrick's vision for better living continues today as involved Coral Gables stakeholders strive to maintain the look and feel of the City Beautiful. Do you have a vision for Coral Gables? The Coral Gables Community Foundation established the Merrick Society so that visionary people like you can continue George Merrick's dream. The Merrick Society promotes and preserves key philanthropic activities in Coral Gables and raises unrestricted funds for the Foundation. Merrick Society donors commit to a three-year annual contribution of  $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, or more. Merrick Society donors are invited to the annual benefactor reception and other special events, and receive a lapel pin in recognition of their participation. To find out more, please contact our Executive Director, Mary Snow, at 305.446.9670, or via email at mary@gablesfoundation.org.

 

Mary Snow, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

305.446.9670 | mary@gablesfoundation.org 

305.446.9670

ABOUT THE CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Led by community leaders, the Coral Gables Community Foundation provides the philanthropic conduit to connect individuals and corporations looking to positively impact the success of the community. For almost 25 years, The Foundation has been at the forefront of the evolving needs of Coral Gables, while effectively bringing together beneficiaries and benefactors to fund programs with the greatest impact and benefit to "The City Beautiful."