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At a time when non-profit organizations are struggling to maintain the important services they deliver throughout the community, the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation has opened a major funding opportunity for health and healthcare programs that help citizens in need across Miami-Dade County.
With grants up to $50,000 each, the foundation seeks to achieve community impact by selecting from among all qualified tax-exempt 501(c)3 organizations conducting grass-roots work that improves, preserves, or restores the health and healthcare of local residents. The grant application process extends through Apr. 15.
“The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation has been responding to identified community needs since 1992,” said Aldo C. Busot, chair of the Coral Gables-based nonprofit foundation.
“Looking back at our nearly 30 years as a giving institution, our board is so appreciative of the work that’s been done by past grant recipients throughout the community. It is truly inspiring, and we remain committed to sustaining our support in meeting the needs of our local community-based organizations.”
Busot is a senior vice president and financial advisor with Busot Group at Morgan Stanley in Coral Gables, and a graduate of the University of Miami.
From its earliest days, the foundation has served the immediate needs of both children and adults — and has successfully done so by awarding 487 grants to hundreds of community-based organizations over the years.
According to Charles Dunn, MD, a long-established family medicine practitioner in Coral Gables and chair of the Community Grants Committee, “The Community Grants program is the mainstay of the foundation. The local community partners that receive our funding are providing much-needed services and contribute to the well-being of our community.”
Legacy Grants
The Coral Gables Women’s Club is one of hundreds of local organizations qualified to receive foundation funding each year. As one of the foundation’s “Legacy Grant” recipients for more than 30 years, its Children’s Dental Clinic provides crucial dental care services for disadvantaged school-age children whose parents cannot afford costly dental care.
Legacy Grant recipients include: Good Hope Equestrian Training Center, Hearing Research Institute, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired, NOVA Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, Open Door Health Center, United Community Options of South Florida Affiliated with United Cerebral Palsy, and Wounded Veterans Relief Fund.
Additional Grant Recipients
Recent grant award recipients include: Caring for Miami, Children’s Bereavement Center, Epilepsy Florida, Iam ABLE, SSJ Health Foundation – St. John Bosco Clinic, Sundari Foundation/Lotus House Women’s Center, Whispering Manes Therapeutic Riding Center, among many others.
“I am excited about the growth potential that I see for our organization,” said Samuel Diller, executive director of Whispering Manes. “Above all, I’d like to thank the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation for its ongoing support and I look forward to growing our partnership in serving the community.”
Signature Initiatives
In addition to community grants, the foundation also has undertaken three “Signature” initiatives in conjunction with UM’s Miller School of Medicine. These are: Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation School Health Initiative with the Department of Pediatrics; Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, and Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute (BioNIUM).
According to John Edward Smith, the foundation’s managing director, “Since its inception as a grant-making institution, this foundation has invested some $50 million into our community. These grants serve as recognition of the commendable work that so many community-based organizations perform across the county to improve the quality of life for our citizens.”
Funding Priorities
The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation is accepting letters of inquiry for the 2021-22 grant cycle now through Apr. 15. Funding priorities include:
• Projects that target direct medical care;
• Health related projects that assist children and the economically disadvantaged, and
• Projects that promote health education and prevention, and early detection of disease.
Qualified organizations that propose to conduct projects or programs related to the health needs of the citizens of Miami-Dade County, and are seeking funding support, should first submit a letter of inquiry to the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation. Programs and projects are funded depending upon the budget, in the $5,000 to $50,000 range. Applications are available online at www.JTMacdonaldFDN.org.
About the Foundation
With a long legacy of service to the local community, Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables is the genesis of today’s Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation. The foundation grew from the sale of the hospital in 1992. Starting as a grant-making institution with an initial fund balance of $12 million, over the course of the past 30 years, the foundation’s fund balance has appreciably grown. Today, the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation continues funding and investing in the healthcare and medical needs of the local community.
The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation (DJTMF) is located at 1550 Madruga Ave., Suite 215, Coral Gables, FL 33146. For information, call 305-667-6017 or send an email to info@jtmacdonaldfdn.org.
