Florida Philanthropic Network

Inside The Edythe

I had a remarkable experience a few months back that I wanted to share with you.

My teammates and I at the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation went on a “What’s Possible Tour” courtesy of the Philanthropic Services Team at Bank of America. We work closely with the team on all issues relating to philanthropy. They consult on governance, technology, best practices and any questions we might have about how to be good philanthropists. They are invaluable and we treasure their expertise and kindness.

They bring a national perspective to our “place-based” local philanthropy.

So, in the spirit of finding out ‘what’s possible’, we ventured to Central Florida to check in with the Dr. Phillips Foundation, the Edythe Bush Foundation, the Winter Park Health Foundation, Lift Orlando and the Central Florida Foundation. We also had an opportunity to visit the sensational Morse Museum on Park Avenue in Winter Park for a behind the scenes tour that served as a lesson in what culture can do for a community. The Morse is a local and national treasure. With our local arts scene threatened by funding cuts, we need to be vigilant and make sure we don’t lose what makes us special.

We came back from Central Florida brimming with ideas and filled with inspiration, excitement and motivation. We saw ‘what’s possible’ and we are determined to pursue transformation.

It’s a good lesson for all of us. Regardless of what you do for a living, it’s important to step back and explore what’s possible. For a small investment of time, we had an opportunity to refresh, recharge and change our thinking.

I think people crave inspiration. We want to be moved by a mission, we need to know our “why” and we long to find opportunities to pursue big ideas, ideas that will outlive us.

The best philanthropists, the leaders who matter, the entrepreneurs who make a dent in our world do so with posterity in mind. They understand that their highest calling is to plant seeds that others will benefit from. They plant trees knowing that others will enjoy the shade. In that spirit, here’s what we saw. I encourage you to design your own “What’s Possible Tour.”

Dr. Phillips Charities

We were blown away by the Dr. Phillips headquarters. Words cannot do justice to the building and the grounds…just a remarkable space and a statement that Dr. Phillips is here for the long haul.

It’s hard to overstate the influence Dr. Phillips and his family foundation have had on Orange and Osceola Counties. Phillips made his fortune in the citrus industry which shaped The Sunshine State. That fortune is now being used to enhance health, culture, education and the economic and social well-being of the region.

We turned to the leadership of the Dr. Phillips team when we were tasked with forming the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation and their guidance was invaluable in our start-up days.

To experience their work up close was breathtaking.

Dr. Phillips has significant real estate holdings, and they are busy turning those assets into places that will benefit the greater Orlando area.

Perhaps the most exciting project they have is the 202-acre “Packing District” which is being transformed into a vibrant mixed-use project.

One of the original citrus producers in the region, Dr. Phillips used the land that stretches along Orange Blossom Trail near College Park as the site of one of his multiple packing houses, creating a key place in the early economic ecosystem of Orlando. The site was the first industrial property in Central Florida and the crown jewel in Dr. Phillips’ real estate holdings. The plan includes 97 acres of mixed-use and residential development (1 million square feet or retail/office and 3,500 units) and a 105-acre regional park which will include a 40-acre urban farm which will focus on fixing a broken food system offering learning experiences and using sustainable practices from around the world to grow healthy food.

Our team was struck by Dr. Phillips long-term vision and the importance they place on being good stewards, which was a key principle of their founder.

Edythe Bush Foundation

Stewardship and legacy are the guiding values of the Edythe Bush Foundation, which also assisted us with key advice in our early days. The Edythe Bush Foundation’s visionary leader David Odahowski has been called the “dean of Florida philanthropy.” We wanted to borrow David’s brain and absorb his decades of wisdom. He was kind enough to cooperate.

The Edythe Bush Foundation has had a huge impact in Winter Park, which is somewhat reminiscent of Delray Beach in terms of scale and charm.

Mr. Odahowski reminded us that we probably won’t solve the many issues facing society, but we can move the needle and make a difference.

That’s good news for nonprofits, those of us who give to charity and those of us who aspire to move the needle in the right direction. Edythe Bush’s tagline is “providing a legacy of leadership” and they have done just that with a variety of investments that have helped make Winter Park, a jewel of a city. One of those newer investments is the foundation’s gleaming headquarters located downtown strategically near Rollins College.

We met inside their new building which is called “The Edythe.” It’s stunning. The Edythe welcomes the community with a variety of activities and offers meeting space to community groups. It’s designed like a theatre, which honors Mrs. Bush who was an actress and dancer. The family’s philanthropy was derived from the success of 3M, a Minnesota based conglomerate.

The foundation is unique because it has a local focus and serves as a convener. Over the past 50 years, Edythe Bush has served close to 900 nonprofit organizations and given over $114 million in grants to alleviate human suffering and help people help themselves, that is a concept that drove our founder, Carl DeSantis.

But what’s also interesting is that the foundation and its leader have served as beacons for the state of Florida. They were instrumental in founding the Florida Philanthropic Network, an organization that enables foundations to learn from each other and leverage their collective knowledge of challenges and opportunities facing Florida. The foundation also works closely with the Florida Chamber Foundation on future goals for the state. We have learned a lot from Edythe Bush and their talented staff.

Winter Park Health Foundation

Nearby is the headquarters of the Winter Park Health Foundation, which uses the proceeds from the sale of a hospital to offer programs that promote community health. The Winter Park Health Foundation has created a special space in a park-like setting where people of all ages come for classes, exercise, healthy food and solace from a busy world. I was especially taken by their “Nutrition Theatre” which serves as a learning kitchen where people can come to take classes. It reminded me of the work that Ali Kaufman is doing at the Community Classroom Kitchen in Delray Beach, which we are proud to support.

The Winter Park Health Foundation model is a little different from many other foundations in that they operate their own program. We saw the complexities of this model, but also its potential.

Central Florida Foundation

For 30 years, the Central Florida Foundation has been serving as the “community foundation” for their large and diverse region.

From these experts, we learned the importance of data analysis and the need to look at root causes of community challenges to ensure that philanthropic dollars are spent wisely.

The Foundation also serves as a convener and has found innovative ways to bring the community together around issues and opportunities. Currently, I’m bingeing their podcast “First You Talk” which covers issues including homelessness, housing and health.

What struck us the most was their “Thrive Central Florida” initiative which brings together the collective brainpower, funding and skills needed to address the most pressing challenges facing a region which is growing rapidly. The premise is simple: Central Florida leaders are smarter and more impactful when key players work together. A good lesson for other regions to emulate.

Armed with this information and passion for our mission, we are so excited about “What’s Possible.” I encourage you to ask and answer that simple, but profound question.

A session at the recent Florida Philanthropic Network conference in Orlando.

We attended our first Florida Philanthropic Network conference recently in Orlando.

It was an enlightening experience.

Several hundred of the state’s top philanthropic leaders got together for three days of education, fellowship and networking.

As the executive director of a relatively new foundation, the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation, I found the conference invaluable in terms of learning and meeting people with deep experience in the field.

I’m learning that there is a lot to the practice of philanthropy. There’s a lot of rules relative to giving, there’s also a lot of ways to measure impact, AI is beginning to influence the field and there is an emerging trend called venture philanthropy that’s fascinating.

When I tell people what I’m doing these days, they often say “wow, it must be fun to give money to good causes” and it is. It’s very gratifying but philanthropy is much more than writing checks to causes that touch your heart.

Yes, philanthropy is different from charity.

We don’t just write checks, although there is nothing wrong with that. As a philanthropy, we hope to make change.

As a result, we are making strategic investments in nonprofits that we believe can transform our areas of interest.

In our case, our “pillars” are health and nutrition, civic innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship and faith-based initiatives.

We created those areas of interest in concert with Mr. DeSantis to reflect his passions.

Our goal is to support people and organizations that have the potential to transform communities.

There is an art and science to the work we do. Philanthropy looks at data, financials and leadership capacity to determine whether it makes sense to make an investment.

Like venture capitalists and business investors, we seek a return on that investment in the form of change and results. But philanthropy exists to take risks as well. In fact, philanthropy takes risks and makes investments where others fear to tread. That’s what makes the sector so important. Philanthropy writes the checks that others won’t in order to invest in our collective future.

To date we have made 35 investments totaling $5.855 million. We’ve only just begun. Here’s a small sample of where we’re invested.

We are investing in entrepreneurs through 1909, a remarkable West Palm Beach based incubator/accelerator. We are giving our children a shot a future through nonprofits such as Bound for College, Take Stock in Children and the George Snow Scholarship Fund. We are partners with Her Second Chance giving women in recovery a new lease on life and we are proud of our work with 4Kids and the Achievement Center For Children and Families two organizations devoted to caring for children who need support.

We are working with the Mayo Clinic, FAU and Max Planck on research programs that we hope will uncover answers for Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders.

And there’s more.

We are by invitation only so we can be strategic and selective. But every investment we make has our founder’s ethos and spirit in mind. When I think back at how it all started for me, I just marvel at how fortunate I was to cross paths with such a remarkable man.

Twenty years ago, I walked across a ballroom at a charity event to introduce myself to Mr. DeSantis. We exchanged pleasantries for less than a minute and I didn’t hear from him for a few years until he asked to get together and talk about how I might help him with a new beverage he was excited about called Celsius.

Last week, that little brand Carl was talking about announced sales of over $1 billion. It all started in a small office on 4th Avenue in Delray Beach.

Carl was a believer back then. He saw the path, even when others thought we were crazy.

We were. But in Carl’s case there was genius, belief and courage too.

It paid off.

Last week, that little challenger brand which is now the number three energy drink in the land bought the number four brand Alani Nu for $1.8 billion.

Amazing. And somehow Mr. DeSantis knew. He knew.

Before he passed, Carl asked a colleague of mine and me to sit down and help him create a foundation that would give back to the community in perpetuity. We did. It’s the proudest work I’ve ever done. It not only brings me back full circle to community service it keeps me close to Carl and his terrific family.

I’m honored to do this work. Blessed too.

These thoughts ran through my head at the conference surrounded by people doing transformative work in a world that desperately needs healing.

I’m determined to learn as much as I can so we can make a difference knowing that somehow Carl is watching it all unfold.

What’s Possible

The Art, Beauty & Importance of Philanthropy