Nonprofits, donors seek to meet needs of at-risk in South Florida

Business Journals

23-05-2025

Across the country and here in South Florida, nonprofits and philanthropic foundations find themselves delivering on their promises to the community, even in unprecedented times. While funding ebbs and flows, the work goes on, often behind the scenes by organizations that companies and potential donors may know, but who may know little about their missions - or successes.
At a recent Corporate Philanthropy Roundtable discussion held at the newly built headquarters of Make-A-Wish South Florida in downtown Miami, leaders of area nonprofits and corporate donors gathered to discuss ways to elevate the region's ability to serve those in need. Moderated by David Hollander, a partner with BDO USA, and held in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, the discussion explored the state of the sector, and how leaders are navigating challenging headwinds. This conversation was made possible by SFBJ's annual Giving Guide sponsors Amazon, BDO, BankUnited, FPL and JM Family.
Like all businesses, nonprofits continually see the need to adapt and innovate in novel ways. Hollander asked the participants of this panel what new factors are contributing to this at a local level and what their impact has been. Some have seen a broader move to corporate philanthropy and legacy giving to boost that source of giving, while also keeping an eye on state and federal support, said Randy Colman, president and CEO of Goodman Jewish Family Services. The Davie-based organization provides psychological services, counseling, food, financial assistance, resources and referrals for individuals and families across all demographics and religions.
'We are actively pivoting, and while we're doing our annual giving and everything else that we normally do, we're also heavily emphasizing our legacy campaign,' he said. 'We want our donors to think not only about this year or next year, but 10 years down the road…We need to make sure that we have funding to take care of the next generation.'
It has become a process of continual evolution, said Eddie Gloria, CEO of Camillus House, which serves Miami's homeless population with meals, housing, education and skills training. Seeing the changes coming, the $40 million organization underwent a realignment to improve its systems and efficiency and redirect its efforts, he said.
'We were looking at ourselves and, and saying, 'how do we get back to our core mission?'' he said. 'There was a substantial expansion of shelter activity, but it's only a fraction of what we do. So we did a realignment inside….This year, we see a lot of changes. We have to continuously evolve.'
There's been a move afoot in the nonprofit sector to both improve business operations, and to convince the community that nonprofits must be run like a business. For Homestead-based Rural Neighborhoods, operating its affordable rental housing, childcare centers, a community health center, neighborhood retail/office space and a 10-acre park, must be done as any other company, said Steven Kirk, the nonprofit's president. The organization generates 95% of its revenue from its rentals. While others may rely on donations or grants, the operations are much the same.
'The charitable sector is truly businesslike. That's a critical thing for philanthropists to evaluate,' he said. 'It's a bit different than if we were simply a social service organization. But clearly we're trying to operate as lean as possible. And we found that that business philosophy and orientation puts us in a pretty good position.'
Norm Wedderburn, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish South Florida, believes the spirit of running a nonprofit like a business builds bridges with the community, as well as its board leadership. It's especially important as some question how donations are spent on operations, infrastructure and personnel. If someone questions 'overhead,' he calls it an 'investment.'
'I respond with the language that I choose to use to describe what we're doing,' he said. 'So I'm speaking the exact same language that they're speaking. It's really very interesting to see when you talk about investment, and you talk about human capital and you talk about what they're dealing with in the terms they use in their own business, the mindset changes.'
The future of South Florida philanthropy
The region's nonprofits are very much like its for-profit companies in one significant way. All are waging a war for qualified talent and the ability to provide salaries in a market with sharply rising costs. A short walk from Make-A-Wish's new downtown Miami offices are the luxury apartments along and around Brickell Avenue and the Miami River. Meanwhile, many in the nonprofit sector live miles from the workplace.
How can nonprofits attract, hire and pay qualified talent who cannot afford luxury apartment rents, they wondered. For those forced to commute, Wedderburn provides a transportation stipend, and the community is addressing housing affordability.
It's not just Miami facing price hikes; every metro market across South Florida and many around the county have seen rents spike. The influx of talent and capital has brought opportunities to the region. Yet they are bringing higher salaries than those paid in years past; some 87% of people in senior leadership positions hired across Make-A-Wish nationwide were hired at salaries greater than those of the people they replaced, Wedderburn said. This will soon impact succession planning as current leaders retire.
Gloria with Camillus House recounted a saying from a cleric: 'Because things are the way they are they cannot remain the way they are.' Nonprofit leaders must lean on board members who are equally committed to 'know, learn and tell the story the right way,' he said. It starts with the realization of what rank-and-file staff are facing. He shared with his board a year ago the idea that his staff sit with mentally ill, PTSD, hypertensive and malnourished people and tell them it's going to be OK, 'when it's not okay in their own lives when they're making $38,000 as a case manager.'
'If we don't change their situation, how can we ask them to help change anyone else's situation,' he asked. Trusting the board is a good starting point. 'There's simultaneous recruitment and education that can happen to help them. They know things are changing. They want to change it.'
Funders are sensing the changes as well. Nonprofits are approaching organizations such as Sunrise-based GL Homes for commitments much sooner than in years past, said Sarah Alsofrom, the homebuilder's community relations director. She's already getting approached about giving for 2026. Nonprofits 'are seeking that reliable funding source now,' she said. 'They're seeking reliability and certainty.'
Some funders are eager to be that consistent source of support, said Katrina Wright, senior VP, CRA / community development and outreach with BankUnited in Miami Lakes. The regional bank supports organizations in 13 Florida counties, as well as the communities it serves in New York and Texas. While it can't give large-dollar grants, nonprofits know the bank as a reliable partner, she said.
'We've been consistent,' Wright said. 'It's a smaller grant, but that's something that each year [that] you can really count on the dollars.'
Some companies have seen payroll contributions to nonprofits drop, yet volunteerism grow. At Florida Power & Light, employees are volunteering for missions, events and other company programs that get teams involved in the community, said Kate Cotner, the company's director of community engagement. The Juno-based utility that serves much of Florida and has operations nationwide is seeing employees offering to help various organizations throughout the regions it serves, Cotner said.
'I have employees raising their hands, saying 'what can I do? How can I be a part of the solution in the community?'' she said. 'But we also have nonprofits asking for board members.
The inbound migration is also bringing new faces to the business and nonprofit sectors. South Florida is experiencing a demographic shift from almost entirely entrepreneurial to a good number of new corporate entities in town, said David Landsberg, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Florida.
This is welcome news for South Florida leaders who have been waiting for the right set of circumstances to attract that sort of growth, he said.
'Existing and new companies are hearing from both their employees and customers about the expectation for them to engage with the community.'
Growth brings opportunity, especially for the market Goodwill services. Now in its 65th year, the organization recruits, trains and places people with disabilities. In South Florida, people with federal-level disabilities number 470,000 adults, or upward of 15% of the community. He called it 'the single largest unemployment problem in our nation amongst a large group. Their capabilities are lost on many employers, he said.
'Private industry doesn't understand that people with disabilities have a lot of great capabilities. We stand as an example of that,' said Landsberg, who operates six different businesses and employs 3,000, making Goodwill the region's 17th-largest employer. 'Our goal is to prepare and then turnover with people that come for vocational rehab. And our turnover is about 30% a year. So every year, even if we don't grow, we will be able to intake a new thousand people and teach them a trade.'
Have 'unconventional' conversations
How can nonprofits engage more deeply with tomorrow's generation, especially as senior leaders age and seek to stay engaged with the changing face of the donor base? Reach out to connect. Speak of the nonprofit's outcomes in the community - how people's lives have been changed. Crowdsource donations through social media or Kickstarter campaigns. Encourage sustainable, recurring donations, instead of a big give once a year.
'There's a structural change out there and if we're not on board with it, we miss a major opportunity,' said Landsberg, noting how successful the presidential campaign of Barack Obama embraced the crowdsource model of more, yet smaller, gifts. 'We have to be there, aside from all the traditional ways that we raise money. People giving in small increments can have big results'
Engaging younger, digital native audiences requires a change in thinking and approach, said Kirk with Rural Neighborhoods. It's especially challenging for smaller nonprofits like his, which hold less brand awareness than much larger organizations. Camillus House, Goodwill or Make-A-Wish have well-known brands strongly associated with their missions. Smaller nonprofits have to work to put themselves in front of Gen X or other younger generations to find a place in their giving plans.
'Engage that younger generation in volunteerism to get to know the organization,' Colman said. 'Because they might not be able to write a six-figure gift right now, but if they get to know you and you friendraise before you fundraise, three or five years from now, they're knocking it outta the park.'
Beyond connecting with what they're passionate about, nonprofits must present themselves not just as a charity, but as a partner bringing solutions that are important to the community, said Vanessa Benavides, VP of community impact with United Way Miami. These could be workforce issues, employee financial instability and solutions and services provided to staff.
'They're able to see in a very real way here's how we're helping your business,' she said.
Gloria recalled a conversation with a donor. He mentioned how Camillus House needed $400,000 to implement a new ERP solution to integrate its business processes to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and offer real-time insights across the organization. As part of his business case, Gloria recited a quote, 'You never rise to the level of your expectations. You fall to the level of your systems.'
The donor countered with a $1 million donation which could include ERP, a marketing campaign, or consultants - whatever's needed to elevate the brand. It's a sea-change in thinking by philanthropic leadership and the donors who support the cause.
'If we don't behave that way, then things won't change for us,' he said. 'We need to have those unconventional conversations, and say, 'I know you like the feeling of giving to causes. But we need an ERP. We need a marketing campaign. Please be comfortable giving to the things that you can't point to and put stats behind, because I can't show you that yet. But trust me, these investments are going to build sustainability to our system for years to come.''
LIGHTNING ROUND
We asked, what issue or challenge keeps you up at night?
Sarah Alsofrom, GL Homes
Unfortunately, there are more charities out there than corporations can actually help. So, sometimes it's a yes and sometimes it's a no. While we would like to help everybody, it's just not feasible to be able to do that. There is more need in terms of social services than we can reach out to on any given day.
Kate Cotner, FPL
The rising cost of everything. Whether that's your groceries, your insurance, the price of homes. We try very, very hard to keep our electric rates affordable. That is something that we give a lot of time and effort to every minute and every day.w
Katrina Wright, BankUnited
The current environment that we're in, the funding, the growing need, and how we can continue to support our nonprofit partners. How can we go deeper and provide even more, not only just the grants that we provide, how can we do more to see them thrive and what we can do for the next 10 or 20 years
Steve Kirk, Rural Neighborhoods
The price of housing for every resident of our community, particularly those who are blue collar workers trying to figure out how a rent that is 25% higher than it was pre-Covid. And how can they do the other things that they need to do in terms of feeding their family and providing opportunities for their children.
David Landsberg, Goodwill Industries of Miami
Way up there is funding. While we're very self-reliant, we're very big and there's a big chunk of what we have that depends on philanthropy for funding or grants or foundations. And of course, same thing as everybody, more money, more mission.
Anthony Reh, BDO
Talent. There's a big-time shortage.
Vanessa Benavides, United Way Miami
Normally, I don't let myself talk about this, but it's the next storm or disaster. Right now, the needs seem to be increasing. The infrastructure of services seems to be a bit weaker than it has been in the past. And we're struggling just to survive right now. I'm fearful of a storm or some other kind of disaster.
Randy Colman, Goodman Jewish Family Services
Obviously, it's having the resources we need to assist more clients in the community. The problems and issues that we deal with are systemic and worldwide problems - food, shelter, clothing, and they don't seem to be getting better. Obviously, we have some concerns as a not-for-profit of what's going to happen with federal funding, because that impacts both state and local funding. I always tell my board that we can help as many people as we have resources to be able to assist them.
Eddie Gloria, Camillus House
How we can transition now as the city is transitioning as well, right before our eyes. It feels like everybody in the world wants to be in Miami, or at least in South Florida, or in Florida for that matter. It feels like everything is coming here. But as these things change, then we also need to evolve and become better with more intelligent systems for meaningful impact.