First, a flower-covered stilt walker – who looked like a tree cut loose from its roots – led more than 200 revelers toward a stage with flickering torches.
They took their seats at festively set tables, spread among the Museum of Discovery and Science’s exhibit hall, where everything from live turtles to the re-creation of a giant, prehistoric shark watched the party.
Then a team of Japanese-style drummers heralded the official start to a night of “wild” wonder and celebration.
On Nov. 7, the Community Foundation of Broward held a night at the museum, unlike any other, to celebrate our 2024 “Community Builders.”
Community Builders are philanthropists who transform our community by partnering with us to create endowed charitable funds of $1 million or more to support their charitable passions forever.
So, to celebrate our three new Community Builders, we transformed the museum into a take-walk-on-the-wild-side-themed celebration, honoring the visionaries whose endowed gifts are shaping a brighter future.
The 2024 Community Builder honorees include:
- Lesley Mitchell Jones – whose three endowed funds tackle pressing community challenges, help seniors in need and support organizations she cares about deeply.
- Burnadette Norris-Weeks and Aaron Weeks – whose endowed fund ensures permanent support for promoting racial justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Dixie Wheeler – whose estate gift launched an endowed scholarship fund that will empower generations of students to achieve success.
They are part of a fast-growing group of local philanthropists who team up with the Community Foundation to ensure their impact lasts forever, thanks to the power of endowment. Community Builders’ endowed funds invest in innovation and champion causes important to them.
We now have 60 Community Builders, whose combined $150 million+ in gifts account for about half of the Community Foundation’s assets – our grantmaking muscle.
“We are honored to partner with Dixie E. Wheeler, Lesley Mitchell Jones and Burnadette Norris-Weeks and Aaron Weeks to tackle Broward’s growing challenges and support the community for future generations,” said Community Foundation President/ CEO Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson, Ph.D. “These individuals have enlisted the Foundation, trusting that our expert team will shepherd and grow their funds to amplify their charitable impact for the community they love forever. We give them peace of mind and make their charitable giving easier and more strategic. We are proud to be part of their legacy and help them create a BOLD impact on the place we call home.”
Announcing Our ‘Nonprofit Community Builders’
In addition to celebrating the three newest Community Builders, the Community Foundation on Nov. 7 also announced a new category of Community Builders, honoring our Nonprofit Endowment Partners.
The “Nonprofit Community Builders” are nonprofit organizations that have created endowments at the Community Foundation that have grown to $1 million or more. By establishing endowed charitable funds at the Community Foundation, our Nonprofit Endowment Partners create a permanent, sustainable source of support for their important work in our community.
We are proud to manage and safeguard the endowments of more than 40 local nonprofits, eight of which have now seen their funds grow to $1 million or more. The Community Foundation’s first eight “Nonprofit Community Builders” announced at our Community Builder Celebration are:
- The Museum of Discovery and Science
- Nova Southeastern University Mailman Segal Center
- Women in Distress
- LifeNet4Families
- SOS Children’s Villages
- Youth Automotive Training Centers
- Camp Boggy Creek
- One nonprofit that choses to remain anonymous
“It is our great pleasure to recognize these eight nonprofit partners whose endowments at the Foundation have reached $1 million or more,” Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson said. “Achieving this milestone is a testament to their enduring dedication to Broward, their strength and stability as well as the powerful, resilient partnerships we share.”
Thank you to our event sponsors!
- Castle Group, GOLD Presenting Sponsor
- Northern Trust, SILVER Dinner Sponsor
- Holy Cross Health, SILVER Gift Sponsor
- Memorial Healthcare System, SILVER Valet Sponsor
- Pier Sixty-Six, BRONZE Program Sponsor
- SouthState Bank, BRONCE Entertainment Sponsor
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY BUILDERS.
To find out how you can partner with the Community Foundation of Broward to create a lasting impact, contact Vice President Kelly Marmol at kmarmol@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.
