August Urbanek’s Endowed Philanthropy Supports Broward Flood Recovery

May 12, 2023

The August Urbanek Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward continues the legacy of August Urbanek, shown here with his wife Melba, to help local residents face unforeseen challenges.

August Urbanek knew the community he loved would face future emergencies he couldn’t predict – and he wanted to be able to help.

So “Augie,” as he was known to loved ones, partnered with the Community Foundation of Broward to create an endowed charitable fund dedicated to providing emergency local support during times of crisis.

Now, more than a decade after Augie passed, support made possible by his visionary, endowed gift to the Community Foundation is helping Broward residents recover from historic flash flooding.

The endowed August Urbanek Family Fund at the Community Foundation is providing $100,000 in critical support for recovery efforts from the April 12 storm, which flooded homes and businesses and disrupted so many lives in our community.

Augie’s support is part of nearly $1 million raised by Broward Cares – a collaboration between Community Foundation of Broward, Jewish Federation of Broward County and United Way of Broward County to deliver coordinated help where it’s needed most for flood recovery.

Thanks to Augie and other community partners stepping up to support flood recovery, Broward Cares is providing nearly $1 million for:

Housing for flood victims.
Food, clothing, furniture and other essentials for flood victims.
Restocking food pantries that serve residents affected by flooding.
Facility and equipment repairs for nonprofits serving residents affected by flooding.
Aid for nonprofit workers affected by flooding.

This isn’t the first time Augie’s partnership with the Community Foundation provided much-needed support to help Broward residents bounce back from a crisis. During the pandemic, his endowed fund provided $150,000 in support for emergency financial assistance, food and health care for residents in need.

During his lifetime Augie prioritized giving back to help the community where he had such business success as a developer. His local philanthropy fueled after-school tutoring, vocational training, counseling for families in crisis, help for the homeless and more.

To carry on his legacy of giving back, the Community Foundation is there to shepherd and grow Augie’s endowed fund. During times of crisis, our expert team makes sure that grants from his fund help address Broward’s most pressing needs. Through the power of endowment, the Community Foundation will always be there to ensure that Augie’s local impact never ends.