Each year the Florida First Coast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) honors donors, volunteers, and professionals whose gifts of time, expertise and resources contribute significantly to the quality of life in our communities. This year, the AFP’s National Philanthropy Day Awards were celebrated for the first time virtually on Nov. 19. National Philanthropy Day acknowledges the entire spectrum of services that the nonprofit, civic, and service sectors provide. This annual event also serves as a fundraiser so that AFP can provide scholarships and educational opportunities to further individual members’ professional development.
Award Winners
Outstanding Champion of Diversity: Don’t Miss A Beat
Outstanding Corporation: Southeast Toyota Distributors and JM Family Enterprises, Inc.
Outstanding Foundation: Florida’s First Coast Relief Fund
Outstanding Pandemic Response: Ascension St. Vincent’s
Outstanding Philanthropists: Frank and Marisa Martire
Outstanding Small Business: Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt
Outstanding Champion of Diversity:
Don’t Miss A Beat
Nominated by: SULZBACHER CENTER
Blending music, art, academic achievement, and civic engagement, Don’t Miss a Beat, Inc. (DMAB) seeks to inspire youth in Jacksonville. Through artistic discovery, the nonprofit enriches underserved children through art, theater, music, and dance. Enhancing education through interactive participation and connecting communities through civic and environmental responsibility, DMAB nurtures self-reliant families through support and training. Sulzbacher’s school-aged children are included in DMAB’s summer camp program, an experience often unattainable to children experiencing homelessness and poverty. DMAB volunteers often visit Sulzbacher’s Crawford Early Learning Center. Sulzbacher children are also included in DMAB’s Creatively Young program that stimulates toddlers’ minds and its after-school tutoring program, enriched with yoga and dance. The nonprofit also serves latch-key youngsters in the surrounding community. By partnering with Waste Not Want Not, DMAB also provides families with food.
Outstanding Corporation:
Southeast Toyota Distributors and JM Family Enterprises, Inc.
Nominated by: CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY OF FLORIDA
Southeast Toyota Distributors of Jacksonville and its parent company, JM Family Enterprises, Inc. of Deerfield Beach (JM Family), sponsors Children’s Home Society’s annual Caring Chefs event and donates unrestricted funding to CHS’s Community Partnership School Program at Ed White High School. Over 10 years, JM Family has donated more than $75,000 to CHS and given $75,000 in gift-in-kind support to its holiday toy drive. During the COVID pandemic, JM Family helped fund the CHS Family Support Line. It also engages with several other nonprofit organizations including United Way of Northeast Florida, Sulzbacher, and Feeding Northeast Florida. Through The Jim Moran Foundation, JM Family financially supports The Arc Jacksonville, BEAM, Catholic Charities, Communities in Schools of Jacksonville, Goodwill Industries of North Florida, Hubbard House, and the Jacksonville Humane Society.
Outstanding Foundation:
Florida’s First Coast Relief Fund
Nominated by: ASCENSION ST. VINCENT’S FOUNDATION
A philanthropic partnership co-founded by The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, United Way of Northeast Florida, United Way of St. Johns County, and Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida, the fund helps nonprofit organizations serve individuals and families in need during a community crisis. The Relief Fund for COVID-19 provides much-needed resources to struggling families by supporting local organizations that deliver essential human services to residents disproportionately burdened by this public health crisis. In 2020, the fund raised $5,408,449 to support local nonprofits as they respond to the effects of COVID-19. As of July 22, grant awards totaling $4,992,675 have been distributed to 102 nonprofit agencies that are supporting residents with food, financial assistance, medical care, and shelter.
Outstanding Pandemic Response
Ascension St. Vincent’s
Nominated by: ASCENSION ST. VINCENT’S FOUNDATION
Ascension St. Vincent’s, a local nonprofit health system, has worked to ensure the First Coast was prepared to fight COVID-19. It has demonstrated flexibility, innovation, collaboration, and compassion for the patients, community, and each other in these challenging times. Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation established a new Mission PLUS Fund, raising $295,006 from 73 donors to provide safe, free healthcare, personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as support and recognition of its caregivers. The hospital cares not only for COVID-19 patients but also for the healthcare needs of most poor and vulnerable – including those who recently lost their jobs and health insurance. The hospital is committed to paying continuation and avoiding staff layoffs. A new fund was designed to help associates with financial emergencies.
Outstanding Philanthropists:
Frank and Marisa Martire
Nominated by: UNITED WAY OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA, CATHEDRAL ARTS PROJECT, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, AND WOLFSON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The Martires have gifted more than $2.2 million to United Way of Northeast Florida. In addition, the couple steadfastly support the Cathedral Arts Project (CAP), Catholic Charities, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health, Mayo Clinic’s Leadership Foundation Board, JAX Chamber and Jacksonville University. A CAP Board member for 10 years, Marisa joins her husband as chair of CAP’s Angels of the Arts campaign breaking fundraising records for three years. Committed as honorary campaign co-chairs for CAP’s first campaign, the couple individually has invested over $500,000 and has helped secure additional major gifts, recruit board members, motivate volunteers, and secure additional individual donations. The couple has donated over $200,000 to Catholic Charities and routinely donates to its Feed A Family appeal. As honorary chairs of this year’s virtual Catholic Charities Black & White event, they helped raise $175,000 for the food pantry. The couple is part of the Wolfson Children’s Hospital’s “DreamMaker Society” and has established The Marisa and Frank Martire Endowment in Pediatric Neurology. Frank serves on the Baptist Health System Board and the couple generously contributes to the COVID-19 Relief Fund/Compassion for Caregivers Campaign.
Outstanding Small Business:
Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt
Nominated by: CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY OF FLORIDA
Since 2017, Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt has supported Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS). John Phillips has been the main sponsor for the annual holiday toy drive, supporting 3,000 children and has brought in over $10,000 in gift-in-kind items to the drive annually. He also hosts tailgating for a cause at the Duuuval House sponsoring a local nonprofit each month. Over the past year, Phillips has helped St. Jude with their telethon (2019), The Arc Jacksonville (2019), Real Men Wear Pink (2019), Freed to Run for the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Benefit (2019). Since the pandemic, the Phillips and Hunt team has partnered with Carve to make hand sanitizer for the community and has worked to help end systemic racism.
