Cathy and James Donnelly are high school sweethearts who met in Canada and have forged a life together in Fort Lauderdale based on family, hard work and giving back to the community they call home.
A real estate business venture brought Cathy, James and their three young sons to Florida. They made Broward their home after falling in love with the weather, vibrant region and family friendly neighborhoods. Here their business evolved from condominium sales to the launch of the Castle Group – a premier community association property management company that grew to more than 1,000 employees in Broward and beyond.
To say thank you to the community that embraced them, Cathy and James continue to work with nonprofit, business and community partners to enhance the lives of Broward’s most vulnerable residents. Their company prioritizes philanthropy and organizes volunteer opportunities for employees to join them in giving of their time. As Broward’s needs grow, Cathy and James see the advantage of partnering with the Community Foundation of Broward to help them navigate their personal giving process and BOLD impact in the community.
Collaborating with the Community Foundation provides Cathy and James a team of philanthropic experts to ensure their generosity fuels solutions where needed the most. They know that every dollar they give makes life better for people in Broward. Now the Foundation’s BE BOLD Leadership Campaign has inspired them to create the endowed Cathy and James Donnelly Charitable Fund, which they established with a pledge and will continue to grow over time.
Their Fund provides permanent resources to tackle food insecurity, mental health and other issues that matter most to them. Cathy and James can see the timely impact of their Fund today, helping Broward residents overcome repercussions of the pandemic. They like that their Fund gives their sons the opportunity to be involved with the family’s legacy of philanthropy, with the help of the Community Foundation’s expert team. Cathy and James have peace of mind knowing the Community Foundation’s stewardship of their endowed Fund ensures that their support will continue to shape and improve the community they love, forever.
“We raised our family here. Our business is here. The community has been so good to us. We want to be good back,” James Donnelly said. “We truly hope that our gift is an inspiration for others to do the same.”
“We have worked our whole lives supporting the community,” Cathy Donnelly said. “I love that I don’t have to worry about that. Our work will continue forever through the Community Foundation of Broward.”
More About Our Community Builders
Community Builders are BOLD leaders who establish endowed charitable Funds of $1 million or more at the Community Foundation to shape a brighter future for the community they love.
Through the power of endowment these individuals, families and local organizations with their gifts fuel innovation and tackle Broward’s Issues That Matter – today and forever.
Click here to learn more about all of our Community Builders.
How To Become A Community Builder
Thanks to the momentum of our BE BOLD Leadership Campaign, more visionary local philanthropists are stepping up to join the ranks of our Community Builders.
The BE BOLD Leadership Campaign sparks innovation, inspires new thinking and uses the power of endowment to create permanent resources that tackle Broward’s big challenges. With a one-time gift or a pledge to build your support over time, you can create an endowed charitable Fund and become a Community Builder who shapes a brighter future for Broward.
Click here to learn more about the BE BOLD Leadership Campaign.
To learn more about our Community Builders and the BE BOLD Leadership Campaign, contact Vice President of Philanthropic Services Nancy Thies at nthies@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.
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