The Knight Foundation is a private independent foundation that began with the Knight family’s value of education beliefs. Charles Landon Knight helped students that did not have enough money to pay for college. The Knight brothers’ began the Knight Memorial Education Fund in 1940 to honor their father’s memory to provide financial aid to college students. Today the Knight Foundation has more than a $2 Billion endowment and operates in three primary program areas such as Journalism, the Arts and Media Innovation and National Initiatives. Still guiding the Knight Foundations work is the philosophy that informed and engaged communities are the key to a healthy democracy. The goal of the Knight Foundation in Journalism and Media Innovation is to preserve the best aspects of journalism and use innovation to expand the impact of information in the digital age. Their projects include Data Toys, Turbo Vote and Spark Tracks. The Arts are an incentive for public dialogue and shared cultural experiences that contribute to a place of communal identity. They are also funding Tech for Engagement, Black Male Engagement and Knight Library Initiative which is helping libraries in 27 cities become true digital community centers.
The United Way of Miami-Dade focuses on the things everyone needs to have a good life being having a good education, getting a stable job and having enough income to support a family through retirement and good health. They bring organizations and people throughout the community together who share in their vision and have the expertise, resources, passion and energy to accomplish this. The things they do for the community are disaster preparation and respond to give the help people need as quickly and efficiently as possible after a disaster. They give helpful information for hurricane season such as how to prepare homes, businesses and getting help after the storm. They began the Community Cupboard in 2011 and stocked a food pantry to support the neediest families with non perishable food, personal and household items at no cost. Fundraising events are Vertiage Miami, the Mayor’s Ball, Women’s Leadership Breakfast and the UPS 5K Run/Walk.