George Corton named Vice President of Development and Innovation Philanthropy

George Corton, a fundraising professional with more than 18 years of experience, has been promoted to Vice President of Development and Innovation Philanthropy at Florida International University. Corton, an alumnus who received his bachelor’s and MBA degrees from FIU, has served the university for nearly 16 years, including as Chief Development Officer/ Senior Associate Vice […]

University breaks fundraising record on Give Miami Day 10th anniversary

The 10th anniversary of Give Miami Day was FIU’s most successful yet, with generous supporters making gifts to programs spanning the university the week of Nov. 18. The university received a record $215,043 from 352 donors over the course of Give Miami Day 2021, benefiting 50 projects at FIU ranging from scholarships for first-generation students […]

StartUP FIU, Bank of America and The Underline reveal the 10 winners of the inaugural Miami Small Business Bootcamp

Winners will showcase their products and services at The Underline Holiday Village during the second and third weekends of December StartUP FIU, in partnership with Bank of America and The Underline, announced today the 10 winners of the inaugural Miami Small Business Bootcamp during a ceremony at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts […]

Wells Fargo awards StartUP FIU Food grant to help local food entrepreneurs recover from pandemic

More than 1,000 small business owners will receive assistance Wells Fargo today awarded an Open for Business Fund grant to Florida International University (FIU) to launch a robust, virtual platform at StartUP FIU Food, a small business incubator that serves food and beverage micro-entrepreneurs in South Florida. The $750,000 grant is projected to offer online […]

Alumnus John McKibbon ’75 makes $5M gift to FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

–By Ivonne Amor John McKibbon and his wife Letitia have made a $5 million gift to the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management that will enhance alumni outreach, implement formal integration of technology and innovation into the curriculum, and create student scholarships at the top-10 U.S. public hospitality school from which he graduated. The McKibbon ’75 […]

Meet Gina C. Duarte-Romero, president of the FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors and Chair of the FIU Parent & Family Council

FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors President Gina C. Duarte-Romero ’91, M.Ed. ’08 taught briefly in Miami-Dade County Public Schools before purchasing a preschool and later The Biltmore School. She now runs The Biltmore School and is an adjunct professor in FIU’s School of Education and Human Development, teaching early childhood education courses. Gina also chairs the FIU Parent & Family Council, which connects students’ parents to FIU and raises funds […]

Committed to inclusive philanthropy, FIU Foundation is supporting institutional diversity, equity, inclusion efforts through its new Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy

When the university last summer announced an institutional effort to strengthen equity and inclusion at FIU, leadership proposed a plan of action, known as the Equity Action Initiative (EAI), to address the systemic issues identified.   Knowing philanthropy could accelerate and expand upon the university’s work, the FIU Foundation created its new Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy (FOIP). The […]

MacKenzie Scott makes a $40 million gift to FIU that will transform the student experience

Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott and husband Dan Jewett have announced a $40 million gift to FIU. The gift is unrestricted and will be used to support student success programs. “Higher education is a proven pathway to opportunity, so we looked for 2 and 4-year institutions successfully educating students who come from communities that have […]

Major gift highlights: Summer 2021

As the June 30 close of the fiscal year 2020-2021 approaches, the FIU Foundation is excited and grateful to announce it has already surpassed its fundraising goal of $79 million, bringing in $111.9 million in support for the university as of June 25, 2021. This achievement marks the third record-breaking fundraising year in a row […]

Mellon Foundation grants address inequities of vulnerable, marginalized communities

Vulnerable communities are often disproportionately impacted by disasters such as hurricanes, floods and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Often, these same communities’ voices have been silenced or marginalized when history is preserved.   Now, thanks to major grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Florida International University is addressing these inequities through two innovative programs that draw upon the talent and expertise of multiple academic areas […]