Treatment for that lucky ibis, and the scores of other animals given a second chance through PHSS is made possible largely due to donations, such as those made on annual Give Miami Day.
Now in its 14th year, Give Miami Day is back on Nov. 20, and it’s bigger than ever. Since it was launched by the Miami Foundation in 2012, it has channeled more than $190 million to nonprofit organizations through this annual day, a day that has grown into nearly a week of focused giving in support of the essential and life-enhancing programs the nonprofits deliver throughout the year. This is in addition to the $772 million the foundation has invested in the community from its establishment in 1967.
This year, Give Miami Day’s early giving period begins a day earlier, running from Nov. 15-19. It also marks the first-ever Give Miami 5K and Community Festival, which takes place on Nov. 16 in downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park. The race, called Miles That Matter, allows each participant’s registration fee to be directed to their chosen Give Miami Day issue area or organization.
(Courtesy of The Bricklayer Agency)
Miami Foundation's Jocelyn Noya Quintana (left), Enrique Santos, and Martha and Maritza Hernandez, a mother-daughter team who founded the nonprofit Amor y Fuerza, receiving a donation from Santos at last year's Give Miami Day.
“This relates to our long-term vision and hope for Give Miami Day,” said Jocelyn Noya Quintana, vice president of strategic communications with the Miami Foundation. “Outside of the need for nonprofits to get vital support to continue doing their work, there's also a secondary goal we have for Give Miami Day. We want to create a community where everyone who lives here feels a sense of belonging and feels proud to call this place home.”
Noya Quintana said there is a generous sponsor who has underwritten the new event, along with a few other sponsors, thus covering the myriad of expenses races typically handle through registration fees.
“When someone registers, they get to pick the nonprofit they want to give to, or if they don't have a favorite nonprofit, they can pick an issue area that they care about, and that entire registration fee goes directly to the nonprofit,” said Noya Quintana.
(Courtesy of Pelican Harbor Seabird Station)
Aerial view of Pelican Harbor Seabird Station’s new facility slated to open in 2026.
It's a perfect complement to the Foundation’s fundraising strategies. At Give Miami Day’s core are the donations people make to the more than 1,000 participating local organizations. Maximizing the donations even more are three other components: matched funds, whether through the Foundation or an organization’s own donor base, bonus pools for specific issue areas, and prizes to the organizations on the day itself. With the addition of the race, it all comes together to create a critical chain of fundraising.
RACE AND FESTIVAL
The race welcomes walkers too – and just about any form of movement is welcome.
“You can skip, you can dance the 5K, you can do any of those things,” said Noya Quintana. “This is about us being together as a community.”
(Courtesy of The Miami Foundation)
Jocelyn Noya Quintana, Vice President of Strategic Communications, The Miami Foundation
In this same vein, the festival after the race is free and open to everyone, a key community-building aspect.
“You do not have to run the race,” said Noy Quintana. “We hope people will show up just to be part of the festival. This is the space where people are going to get to discover the nonprofits. If you attend, outside of having fun, seeing music and entertainment — Locos Por Juana is coming to play — and dancing and food trucks, you get to walk away with a positive view of Miami and a better understanding of all the things nonprofits do to keep our community thriving.”
The Foundation worked closely with the nonprofits to create innovative ways to engage festival attendees.
“There are 10 issue areas for Give Miami Day and all the nonprofits fall within one,” said Noya Quintana. “Let's say for example animals. When someone goes to the animal issue area tent, they're going to discover two to three nonprofits and learn what they do, but then that nonprofit is planning an activity — something fun, so you have a great time, but also better understand the work they do. You could spend your whole time at the festival going from tent to tent getting to know those nonprofits and having fun while you do it.”
(Courtesy of Pelican Harbor Seabird Station)
A pelican being released back into the wild after receiving care and treatment at Pelican Harbor Seabird Station.
A BIRD’S EYE VIEW
A patient receiving care and treatment at Pelican Harbor Seabird Station.
PHSS is just one of the animal nonprofits participating in Give Miami Day.
“Pretty much every animal comes to us because of some sort of negative interaction caused by humans,” said Chloe Chelz, PHSS executive director.
Those negative interactions include getting hit by a car, birds hitting buildings, and hook-and-line injuries. In 1996 PHSS expanded to treat all native wildlife.
“You realize the breadth of wildlife that we coexist with in this urban environment of Miami,” said Pelz. “It's very eye-opening. It also gives a big opportunity to share that with the public, who many times don't even realize we're living in tandem with all these other animals.”
At top of mind for Chelz is PHSS’s new facility under construction at 399 NE 82nd Terrace in Miami’s Oakland Grove neighborhood on the Little River. The $17.5 million project has been five years in the making. Once completed in 2026, the nearly 8,000 sq. ft. space — a far cry from its current 950 sq. ft. — is going to further enhance the services and programs PHSS provides the community. The building and the ambassador animal area and lawn, will be open to the public. PHHS is still actively fundraising for the facility. Chelz said they’re looking to raise approximately $2 million to finish it. Along with its annual 10% increase in patients, this makes Give Miami Day, one of PHSS’s biggest fundraisers.
(Courtesy of Pelican Harbor Seabird Station)
Chloe Chelz, Executive Director, Pelican Harbor Seabird Station
“We will be able to treat not only more animals, but also animals of expanded species,” Chelz said. “Currently, we can't treat rabies vector species because we don't have the space to quarantine, but we will there, so that could include foxes or coyotes.”
AND THE ARTS TOO
This past summer, arts organizations in Miami-Dade County were under a proposed budget-cut threat. While avoided, at least to the degree expected, it underscored the need for organizations to receive community support through fundraising activities like Give Miami Day.
“Give Miami Day allows PAMM to continue delivering life-changing educational experiences to everyone in the community,” said Franklin Sirmans, Sandra and Tony Tamer Director at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) “Contributions from our generous Give Miami Day donors support PAMM’s art-focused learning opportunities for children, teens, families, and adults of all ages, expanding access to the arts and allowing thousands of individuals to engage with the museum every year, free of charge.”
Michael McKeever, co-founder and producing director at Zoetic Stage, echoed a similar sentiment.
“Give Miami Day has become a vital part of the cultural arts landscape of Miami,” said McKeever. “The funds that Zoetic Stage raise that day go directly toward the programming we put on stage. Not only is the day an important way for arts groups like ours to raise funds, but it's also an amazing way for the community to come together to celebrate local nonprofit organizations and all they bring to Miami.”
CREATING A COMMUNITY OF GIVING COMING
Give Miami Day demonstrates the effectiveness of uniting organizations and their supporters through collective fundraising efforts.
“Mass generosity is the heart of Give Miami Day,” said Noya Quintana. “It's not about how much you can give. It’s about the power of thousands of people standing together, what that looks like and enables us as a community to believe about ourselves, and what we're capable of doing together to make sure we build the community we want to live in. This is for everyone. This is not just for a select few. Mass generosity — that’s what we’re aiming for.”
GIVE MIAMI 5K AND COMMUNITY FESTIVAL
(Courtesy of The Miami Foundation)
The Miami Foundation kicks off Give Miami Day with its first-ever Give Miami 5K Race and Community Festival on Sun., Nov. 16, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Maurice A. Ferré Park, 1075 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Participants can direct 100% of their Miles That Matter race registration fee to the cause or nonprofit organization of their choice.
After the race, the festival begins, featuring live performances, to include Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated Locos Por Juana, prizes, issue-area discovery zones, family-friendly activities, food vendors, and a 305-meter Kids’ Dash.
Registration for the Give Miami 5K is $60 and $20 for the Kids’ Dash. The festival is free and open to everyone. Visit Give Miami 5K Registration to sign up. Follow the Miami Foundation on Instagram at @MiamiFoundation for updates on Give Miami Day and the Give Miami 5K + Community Festival. Find more information on Give Miami Day and its early giving period at GiveMiamiDay.org.