Health Foundation of South Florida

Address: 2 S. Biscayne Blvd, Suite 1710 Miami, FL 33131
Phone: 305.374.7200
Web: www.hfsf.org

Health Foundation of South Florida (HFSF) was established in 1993 through an endowment when the majority interest of Cedars Medical Center in Miami, Florida was sold to a for-profit hospital. Since then, HFSF has been one of the largest philanthropic organizations dedicated to health in South Florida.

The foundation’s mission is to invest in and be a catalyst for collaborations, policy, and systems change that improve the health of South Florida communities, with a focus on vulnerable, low and moderate-income populations. HFSF is entering a new era, with a bold new strategic plan and new leadership. Loreen Chant, the organization’s first female President & CEO, will replace Steven E. Marcus, who retired in December after having led the foundation for 20 years

South Florida is one of the most vibrant, diverse, and multicultural regions in the United States. HFSF serves Miami-Dade County, known as the “Gateway to the Americas” and home to generations of immigrants and refugees from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and other Latin American countries; Broward County, the second most populous county in the state, also diverse with a third of its residents being foreign-born; and Monroe County, home to the Florida Keys. South Florida grapples with several health, social and economic challenges, particularly among disadvantaged communities. In Miami-Dade, nearly 20 percent of residents live below the poverty line, and 33 percent of working adults do not have health insurance. In Broward County 14 percent of residents live in poverty and 19 percent of working adults are without health insurance. Over 33 percent of school-age children are uninsured in the Florida Keys. Across all three counties lack of affordable housing, access to health care, and lack of equitable opportunities for jobs and education lead to a prosperity gap where many residents struggle to afford basic needs. HFSF focuses on low and moderate-income and minority populations to ensure that all South Floridians have an equal opportunity to achieve optimal health and well-being.

Program Information:

Health Foundation of South Florida invests in programs, policies and system-change efforts focused on improving individual and community well-being among low-income and minority communities. To achieve this, the foundation has three main areas of focus and grantmaking goals: to improve health care access, availability, and utilization among the uninsured and underserved; to advance a system of health that integrates social needs and clinical care; and to foster a thriving community by improving the social and economic conditions that promote good health. It accomplishes these goals by leveraging financial resources; deploying social and human capital; using strategic communication efforts; and engaging in policy advocacy.

Financial Information:

Total Assets: $162.1 Million FY20
Grant Spend Dedicated to Health-Related Grants: $3.82 Million FY20

Special Initiatives and/or Representative Health and Human Services Grants

COVID-19 Health Disparities Initiative—A data-driven and strategic investment made to bring outreach, education, access to diagnostic testing, and linkages to resources in existing and potential Miami-Dade and Broward “hot spots,” where residents are at higher risk for infections and severe outcomes because of social and economic conditions. HFSF is providing grants between $35,000 and $160,000 to five organizations who will drive education and community outreach efforts, help identify barriers to care and coordinate the delivery of tests. In selecting the recipients, the foundation placed an emphasis on funding and partnering with trusted Black- and Hispanic-led groups already embedded in the communities. It is exploring broadening its efforts to additional partners and communities, as well as integrating vaccine education as part of the outreach efforts. ($1.5 million)

Monroe County Access to Care Collaborative—HFSF is establishing a health care collaborative among three trusted health care organizations resulting in a coordinated network of access points that will increase access to primary care and preventive services for low-income children and adults in the Upper, Middle, and Lower Florida Keys. ($991,254)

Medical Legal Partnership Miami-Dade Collaborative—HFSF is supporting a Medical-Legal Partnership Collaborative with Legal Services of Greater Miami, including piloting a medical-legal partnership with West Kendall Baptist Hospital and Healthy West Kendall, and engaging in medical-legal program planning with Jackson Health System, to improve the health of vulnerable patients by addressing their health-related social needs using legal advocacy. ($233,862)

Workforce Navigation Program—HFSF is leveraging opportunities with anchor institutions to connect individuals from vulnerable populations to living wage jobs and inform systems change for equitable workforce development efforts in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ($120,000)

SFAA Broward Workforce Development Grant—SFAA Workforce Development Project is dedicated to changing the lives of residents in the most vulnerable communities by creating access to critical soft and hard educational skills needed to secure high demand sustainable employment with Broward County’s Anchor organization. ($120,000)