USF Sarasota-Manatee to build new $6.5 million STEM facility

The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus plans to build a new $6.5 million STEM academic facility, a project that leaders say will expand access to high-quality lab instruction in chemistry, biology and physics for students across the university system. The 7,000-square-foot building will include modern labs, prep space, utilities, restrooms, site work, equipment and … Read more

AdventHealth Starlight Gala raises $2.4 million for women’s and children’s services (PHOTOS)

The AdventHealth Foundation West Florida’s annual Starlight Gala set a new fundraising record in 2025, bringing in $2.4 million to support women’s and children’s services across the health system’s hospitals. The event, themed Once Upon a Miracle, was chaired by Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, owner and co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and held at the … Read more

Former USF President Judy Genshaft gifts $200,000 to Tampa Bay EDC through foundation

Judy Genshaft, University of South Florida president emerita, gifted the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council $200,000 via the Genspiration Foundation, a family philanthropic initiative dedicated to education, health and community development. The gift is meant to fund a new internship program designed to train the next generation of economic development professionals. The inaugural cohort of … Read more

Raymond James’ Valor Network plans golf fundraiser at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course

The Raymond James Veterans Inclusion Network, known as Valor, will hold its seventh annual golf fundraiser on Nov. 1, at Innisbrook Golf Resort’s Copperhead Course, in Palm Harbor, with proceeds benefiting veterans, first responders and their families. Organizers expect more than 200 participants from the financial services industry and the military and first responder community. … Read more

Shumaker Advisors secures $3.5 million for Blue Angels Foundation

Shumaker Advisors has helped secure $3.5 million in state funding, over the past four years, for the Blue Angels Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting wounded veterans through transitional housing, mental health services, suicide prevention and post-traumatic stress treatment. The Blue Angels Foundation, led by former members of the U.S. Navy’s elite flight demonstration … Read more

A father’s love, a son’s legacy: Maj. Gen. James Hartsell joins Saint Leo board to honor late son

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James “Hammer” Hartsell has joined the Saint Leo University Board of Trustees, bringing with him not only a lifetime of military and public service, but also a deeply personal reason for doing so. Hartsell’s late son, Evin B. Hartsell, graduated from Saint Leo, in 2015, with a degree in … Read more

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa honored for cultural impact by tribal gaming community

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has received a Cultural Impact Award from Casinos.com, recognizing its charitable work, disaster response and ongoing support for the Tampa Bay community. Voted Florida’s top tribal casino, by residents across four U.S. states and three Canadian provinces, the resort was one of just seven properties in North America … Read more

USF sets new fundraising record with $184 million in donations from nearly 60,000 donors

University of South Florida entrance sign with USF bull logo and greenery in the background.

The University of South Florida raised a record-breaking $184.2 million in philanthropic support during the 2024–25 fiscal year. More than 59,700 donors contributed to the total, including nearly 15,000 first-time supporters. This marks the fourth consecutive year USF has surpassed $150 million in annual giving, with more than $660 million raised since 2021. “This record-breaking … Read more