Education & Philanthropy
Latest coverage, analysis and business news from Tampa Bay Business and Wealth.
The Florida Board of Governors has approved a housing and student center complex for the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus, advancing USF’s bold plans to expand the campus and transform the college experience for students. USF will break ground on a multi-story, 100,000-square-foot housing and student center along Seagate Drive, just west of the … Read more
For the last 13 years, Kristen McCall has been a leader in health care philanthropy in the Tampa Bay area, starting with her work for All Children’s Hospital then her leadership at the American Heart Association Tampa Bay to her current role as regional vice president for the AdventHealth Foundation West Florida. Working in philanthropy … Read more
Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel and Metropolitan Ministries are partnering up to collect food donations on August 20. The Wesley Chapel Volkswagen location, led by Scott Fink, and Metropolitan Ministries, led by Tim Marks, have worked together to create “Miracles in Pasco,” which collects food and monetary donations to help get homeless Pasco County families off … Read more
Philanthropic gifts from the University of South Florida community exceeded $151 million in fiscal year 2021-22, the highest amount in the institution’s nearly 70-year history. “Our university has a history of setting ambitious goals and surpassing expectations,” said USF President Rhea Law, in a statement. “I want to convey my deep gratitude to the thousands … Read more
Lisa Suprenand, chief executive officer of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tampa Bay area, loves to stop by one of her company’s four houses for a casual visit. Out of her normal business suit, away from the paperwork of strategic planning, clad in jeans and sneakers, Suprenand relishes the chance to meet and … Read more
The 2022 Valspar Championship, Tampa Bay’s PGA TOUR event, generated charitable contributions of $1,750,364 for charity. The tournament’s charitable initiatives are sponsored through Copperhead Charities. “We are proud of raising this amount, up 7% from last year, while we also provided an outstanding tournament with increased amenities for our fans,” says Ronde Barber, general chair … Read more
Mariagrazia Lauricella had no intentions of establishing a nonprofit organization, but a trip to South America changed that. In 2012, she made a trip to Argentina that changed not just her life, but the life of many others. At the time, Lauricella had a business that sold artwork and a portion of her sales would … Read more
Operation Healing Forces is a special, nonprofit organization based in the Tampa Bay area, dedicated to supporting the United States Special Operation Forces, the behind-the-scenes, elite men and women from every branch of service, united under Special Operations Command and headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. We’ve all heard of the SOFs—the Navy … Read more
Matthew Hoffman is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and author of Kickass Husband: Winning at Life, Marriage and Sex. Hoffman’s parents, Marcia and Al Hoffman, were among the original founders of Ruth Eckerd Hall. A young Hoffman was on hand, at 13 years old, to break ground on the arts venue. Since that time, he followed in … Read more
The Tampa Museum of Art has received a $25 million donation from Dick Corbett as the lead donation to the Museum’s Centennial Capital Campaign for Renovation and Expansion, which began during its 100th anniversary celebration in 2020. “This gift from Dick Corbett makes history in Florida’s art community because it constitutes the single largest private … Read more
