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In This Issue
Recognition for Donors Leading the Way;
Growth in Foundation's Grant and Scholarship Programs,
New Funds, New Faces
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GRATITUDE TO THE COMMUNITY | |
Foundation Recognizes Donors
as ‘Rocks of the Community’
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The Coral Gables Community Foundation and its generous Merrick Society donors gathered at the home of Vivian de las Cuevas Diaz and Rick Diaz (at left) for a special early summer reception introducing the Rocks of the Community. President and CEO Mary Snow (right) presented bronze-topped coral rocks to (left to right) Ed & Carol Williamson, Ray Corral & Alina Meledina and Claudia Holliman.
We are grateful to our Rocks of the Community for their leadership and commitment to the Community Foundation and our work in making an impact in our community. Since 1991, we have been working with passionate individuals, families, organizations, and business who show their spirit by supporting causes that strengthen and improve our community through charitable funds. Donor Advised Funds are a great way for your family to ease its way into community philanthropy.
LEARN MORE about the 'Rocks of the Community,' making a gift or creating a fund please contact Katherine Caskey, Director of Philanthropy. We share a passion to help your generosity do the most good in our community and that is what matters most.
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Foundation’s Investment
in the Community
Grows by 40% in One Year
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Donors, Fund Holders Enable Foundation’s Key Programs to Award $687,000 in Scholarships and Grants | |
96 Scholarships to College-Bound Students | |
Community Grants to 59 Organizations | |
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Generous local donors who care deeply about the future of Coral Gables have enabled a forty percent growth in Scholarships and Community Giving grants this year over last.
Scholarships grew in 2023 as new donors entered the list of funds that power the Foundation's scholarship offerings.
Community Giving expanded by more than double:
- A commitment to lifelong learning was behind the $75k fund created to power the Tristarr Adult Education Grants to MDC and Gables Adult Ed.
- Artist and Entrepreneur Ray Corral's donation of $50k created twelve awards for the new Corral & Cathers Professional Artist Grants.
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A LEGACY OF CARING FOR CORAL GABLES | |
Planned Giving: Gifts
that Cost you Nothing Today
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What is an Estate? What is Estate Planning? How do you make Charitable Bequests? We enlisted the assistance of Foundation Board Member and local Estate Planning Attorney Eric Gros-Dubois to walk us through these important terms. We are grateful for Eric’s generosity and expertise.
You can make a lasting impact on our City Beautiful by listing the Coral Gables Community Foundation as one of the beneficiaries on your financial and/or retirement accounts. This gift can be completed at any time by simply updating the beneficiary designation on your financial accounts. While you are alive, you have complete access and control of your financial accounts. Upon your passing the amount you have earmarked for philanthropic causes will pass directly to charity.
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PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS COUNCIL | |
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Professional Advisors Gather over
the Great Generational Wealth Transfer
at Gables gatherings
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Thank you to our Professional Advisors Council for sharing your expertise with us at our breakfast meetings this month and last. Our June meeting was graciously hosted by our friends at Grove Bank & Trust and featured a discussion on the Great Generational Wealth Transfer. A special thank you to our Co-Chairs, Peter Zubizarreta and Michael Walsh for leading our growing Professional Advisors Council.
If your firm represents charitably-inclined clients who would benefit from the Foundation's deep local insight and expertise about charitable funds, programs for nonprofits and community engagement, contact Katherine Caskey, Director of Philanthropy, katherine@gablesfoundation.org.
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What is a Family Philanthropic Fund? | |
Michael Walsh, CFP at Evensky & Katz/Foldes and Chair-Elect of the Coral Gables Community Foundation | |
The Coral Gables Community Foundation is at the center of charitable giving in Coral Gables. A Donor Advised Fund offers a simple and tax-efficient way to maximize the impact of your charitable giving.
It allows donors like you to create your very own charitable fund in which contributions are eligible for a tax deduction and grow tax-free, leveraging the value of your philanthropy. Charitable distributions are recommended by you at your own pace, providing the opportunity to develop a strategic approach that better supports your philanthropic vision, while we handle the back office, due diligence and administrative support. You have the flexibility to recommend the specific organizations you’d like to benefit from grants awarded through your fund as needs and opportunities arise. Additionally, our team can also share new opportunities of which you may not be aware.
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CELEBRATE JAPAN AND SUPPORT CORAL GABLES | |
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'Under the Cherry Blossom Sky'
- A Night at the Imperial Palace'
| Gala Celebrates Japan and Supports The City Beautiful | |
SAVE THE DATE for the city’s most anticipated gala when the Coral Gables Community Foundation presents “Under the Cherry Blossom Sky: A Gala at the Imperial Palace” on Friday, October 13 at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel benefitting the Foundation’s grant making and scholarship programs.
A time-honored tradition for “The City Beautiful,” the annual black-tie fundraiser benefits the Coral Gables Community Foundation’s Community Giving and Scholarship Programs while honoring several luminaries of the Coral Gables community. Patrons are known to dress up lively in theme, donning costumes in lieu of tuxedos and gowns.
CO-CHAIRS: Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, Gala Co-Chairwoman, who has overseen the annual black-tie event for the last nine years teams up this year with Coral Gables Community Foundation Board Member Dr. Sadia Raja Alfonso to co-chair the Foundation’s flagship event.
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Prompt, responsive donations by Elio's Kitchen Fund support South Florida children in medical need | |
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Elio’s Kitchen's mission is to provide emergency financial help to families with critically ill children.
Many families are faced with the horrible choice of either paying for crucial medical treatments for their children or their ongoing living expenses. Elio's provide the funds necessary to help increase the chances of survival for these children and young adults battling critical illness while relieving the ongoing stress of the families’ current financial needs, not being able to afford the essentials for living with children. They work with Jackson, Baptist, Nicklaus, South Miami and Mercy hospitals.
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Elio's Kitchen -- founded by Cristina Evensky and children Kiran, Nicholas and Autumn -- delivered car seats for newborns that needed a ride home after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit of Holtz Children's Hospital, at UM Jackson Medical Center. | |
Beaux Arts Artist Endowment Fund | Beaux Arts Miami is thrilled to be a part of the Coral Gables Community Foundation family as fund holders with its Artist Endowment Fund. For nearly 75 years, Beaux Arts Miami has been committed to bringing the arts to The City Beautiful and it was only fitting that this fund would be held by the Foundation which cherishes our community unlike any other. | |
Beaux Arts Miami President Cecilia Dubon Slesnick | | |
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The Foundation is thrilled to welcome new fundholders Sherri and Paul DiMarco and announce their Sharing Hope Children’s Therapy Fund. The Sharing Hope Children’s Therapy Fund provides scholarships to special needs children with global language delays to help cover the costs of pediatric therapy. The fund is also accepting applications (pdf) for 2023. | |
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The Juan Antonio
‘El Nene’ Mas, Jr. Fund
| The Juan Antonio “El Nene” Mas, Jr. Fund was established by his sisters, Christine Mas Palmason and Maria Mas Blet, to provide counseling and support to family members who tragically lose a loved one. In his seven years on earth, little Juan demonstrated such innocence and huge spirit, and that became their only solace in attempting to understand why he left this world. In starting this fund, it is the sisters' hope that others trying to make sense of a tragic loss will receive the needed words so important for healing and guiding their recovery. | |
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Butterflies Mosaic Donated by Ray Corral will inspire students to grow and learn | |
Artist Ray Corral, founder of Mosaicist, Inc., patron of the arts, and Foundation fundholder, designed, installed and donated a beautiful butterfly mural for everyone at G.W. Carver Elementary School in Coconut Grove.
The Foundation celebrated the unveiling and ribbon cutting alongside our elected officials, Mayor Vince Lago, School Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas, Principal Patricia Fairclough, and the assembled teachers and littlest learners.
Ray supports the arts in our community through his Donor Advised Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation. To learn more, please contact Foundation Director of Philanthropy Katherine Caskey about establishing a Fund that meets your own charitable and tax-planning goals.
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“We were giving in different areas in the community and we said,
well we’re going to channel it through the Foundation.
We win as a family that is giving funds to the Foundation, and
the Foundation wins because they can manage our funds.”
-- Marielena Villamil
The Foundation is privileged to administer the Villamil Family Endowment.
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MERRICK SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT | |
'Making the world a better place' motivates giving by this influential Gables couple | |
For this month’s Merrick Society Donor Spotlight, we’re privileged to feature a Coral Gables power couple who truly need no introduction: Ana Mari Ortega and Marc Schwarzberg.
Ana Mari is the Founder of Ana Mari Ortega, a jewelry collection, Director of the Ortega Family Foundation, Board Chair of City Year, and a Board Member of the Nu Deco Ensemble.
Marc Schwarzberg, along with his business partner, brother-in-law and Maven Real Estate co-owner Jose Ortega, is reshaping the culinary scene in the City Beautiful. They were integral in the transformation of Giralda Plaza in Coral Gables, turning it into a new restaurant row.
In addition to their contributions to the Foundation, Ana Mari and Marc are the proud parents of three.
When asked about her philosophy of philanthropy, Ana Mari replied, “When I was young, I thought to make the world a better place I had to work at the UN. Then I heard a phrase – pragmatic idealism – where you don’t have to change the world. You just have to help the zip code next to you.” Ana Mari and Marc’s commitment to the community is certainly evident in all they do!
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Compassion drives this Gables family to give their good fortune back to the community | |
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Ziyad "Zach" Mneimneh is the founder and CEO of Polaris Realty Capital, a Private Equity Real Estate firm, and both he and Chirine are Architects by degree and Philanthropists at heart.
The Mneimneh family moved to Coral Gables 20 years ago in search of the best possible care when their youngest son, Tarek, was diagnosed with Autism. By graciously giving and sharing their story, Zach and Chirine plant seeds of hope, encouraging others to support awareness, acceptance, and advocacy.
As Coral Gables residents, the Mneimneh family has made significant and lasting contributions to the Foundation, as well as Casa Familia, UM NSU CARD, and many others. Zach and Chirine are so deeply committed to creating opportunities and acceptance for adults with disabilities, they have started the Mneimneh Family Foundation.
“What we went through was difficult and we appreciate the wide community support that we received,” Chirine recalls. Zach adds, “It was a village who helped us. A whole village; different people in different organizations. We were lucky. Giving back is just a natural impulse. We are the lucky ones.”
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The Coral Gables Community Foundation established the Merrick Society so that visionary people can preserve key philanthropic activities in The City Beautiful. Your gift goes directly to support grants to local nonprofits and local student scholarships. To become a part of the Merrick Society, please contact Director of Philanthropy Katherine Caskey at 305.446.9670 or by email to katherine@gablesfoundation.org. | |
Thank you to our Merrick Society for making a difference! | |
Your Community. Your Philanthropy. Your Foundation. | |
The mission of the Coral Gables Community Foundation is to inspire impactful philanthropy through charitable funds and programs using local knowledge, expertise and trusted relationships. | The Coral Gables Community Foundation is a §501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll free within the State. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the State. The toll-free number is 1-800-435-7352. Registration No. CH216 | | | | |
