Steve and Madelaine Halmos have lived the American Dream. They hope to give others the opportunity to live it, too.

Fort Lauderdale is where Steve and Madelaine have called home since 1972. Their roots go deep here. It’s where they raised their two children, Jeff and Stephanie. And for Steve, who as a young child escaped post-World War II Hungary with his family, Fort Lauderdale is where he has worked his entire career building businesses including SafeCard Services (which had 500 employees here and was NYSE listed), The Reunion Group, and Halmos Holdings.

Steve and Madelaine firmly believe that good fortune like theirs is built on a bedrock of a great education. So, through their private foundation as well as a charitable fund at the Community Foundation of Broward, they have long supported the creation of educational opportunities. For example, Harvard Business School (Steve’s alma mater), Nova Southeastern University, The Museum of Discovery and Science, and Pine Crest School, among others, have benefited from the time, effort, and generosity of the Halmoses.

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Perhaps more than anything, their support of the Jack & Jill Center over more than 25 years became a personal passion – first for Madelaine and then for Steve. The Jack & Jill Center’s preschool delivers exceptional educational programming as well as family support services that help in-need families and their children achieve independence. With help from the Halmoses, Jack & Jill in 2021 launched a new elementary school, the Madelaine Halmos Academy, so that Jack & Jill children can continue to receive the benefit of a state-of-the-art education all the way through fifth grade.

At the Academy’s opening, Steve and Madelaine surprised the students and their families by making this transformative announcement: The Halmoses have established The Jack & Jill Opportunity Scholarship program under which a college scholarship at any Florida state college or university is awaiting every student enrolled at the Madelaine Halmos Academy when he/she graduates from high school.

Now, Steve and Madelaine are partnering with the Community Foundation of Broward to establish an endowment fund for Jack & Jill, under which their support will forever help the children and families involved with the Madelaine Halmos Academy.

The new endowed Steve and Madelaine Halmos Children’s Opportunity Fund at the Community Foundation will provide in-perpetuity support for the ongoing Opportunity Scholarships program that the Halmoses initiated and support for the Helping Hands Fund that provides emergency aid to Jack & Jill Center families who have nowhere else to go for help.

As a former Community Foundation Board Member, Steve turned to the Community Foundation to establish the Halmoses’ fund after witnessing firsthand the Community Foundation’s stewardship of endowed funds, ensuring that donors’ funds are forever used as intended.

With the Community Foundation as their partner, Steve and Madelaine hope to give generations of children and their families the opportunity to live the American Dream.

“Madelaine and I have been incredibly fortunate. Nobody is more surprised about that than me! We were given opportunities that have allowed us to live the American Dream. We simply want to give children less fortunate than us an opportunity to live it, too. The Community Foundation enables us to do that – in perpetuity.” – Steve Halmos

More About Our Community Builders

Community Builders are BOLD leaders who partner with the Community Foundation to establish endowed charitable Funds of $1 million or more to shape a brighter future for the community they love.

Through the power of endowment, the gifts from these individuals, families and local organizations fuel innovation and tackle Broward’s biggest issues 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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