Family Giving

“For us, giving back isn’t just something we do; it’s who we are.” That’s how Nick Pérez, son of Jorge and Darlene Pérez, explains his family’s commitment to the South Florida community they call home. The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation is celebrating a monumental milestone: 10 years of impact totaling more than $135 million in funds to causes throughout the greater Miami area.

Their passion for helping their community stems from Jorge’s own story. After immigrating to South Florida as a teenager, he relied on the generosity of others to help establish his new life. Through charities and scholarships, Jorge completed his college education and entered the world of real estate.

PHOTOS BY: JORGE M. PÉREZ FAMILY FOUNDATION
Grantees of the Pérez CreARTE Grant Program displaying their talents.

A decade later, he founded The Related Group, now one of the region’s largest and most successful real estate development companies. The support he benefited from in those early days is one he’s sought to pay back for the entirety of his career and something he and his wife, Darlene, have instilled in each of their four children.

Nick and his siblings, Jon Paul, Cristina, and Felipe, all play integral roles in the foundation’s work, advocating for causes they are passionate about while working together to build a thriving South Florida. While Jorge’s passion for art is evident in much of the foundation’s work, the portfolio includes an array of programs and organizations focusing on health and well-being, education, the environment, and economic development.

“Our parents instilled in my siblings and me the belief that passion should drive everything we do, personally and professionally,” says Nick. “That principle has guided our commitment to philanthropy and shaped the foundation’s mission over the past decade. As we celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025, we’re reflecting on the lives we’ve touched and the transformative impact of our partners and grantees.”

PHOTOS BY: JORGE M. PÉREZ FAMILY FOUNDATION
Permanent collections and new exhibitions at the Pérez Art Museum focus on art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

AN IMPRESSIVE IMPACTA gift of $40 million to the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) in 2012 was just the start. That investment marked Jorge and Darlene’s entry into The Giving Pledge, a movement of the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their fortunes to charitable causes. First, as a couple, and now through the Family Foundation, Jorge and Darlene have been engaged stewards of that mission.

In 2019, The Pérez CreARTE Grants Program was established to help cultivate a more vibrant, connected, and stimulating arts ecosystem. Since its inception, the program has doled out $10 million across 45 Miami-Dade County organizations that have reached hundreds of thousands of individuals.

Ten years after their initial investment in PAMM, an additional $25 million donation was announced in 2023, helping to solidify the museum’s role as a hub for arts and culture in South Florida and ensuring its longevity.

One impactful gift that was a sentimental nod to Darlene’s career as a nurse was a donation to Florida International University’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences in 2023 to establish the Jorge M. Pérez and Darlene Boytell-Pérez 50th Anniversary of Nursing Scholarship Endowment.

PHOTOS BY: JORGE M. PÉREZ FAMILY FOUNDATION

A VIBRANT FUTURE

The Pérez name has become synonymous with generosity in South Florida. As they celebrate a decade of impact and look toward the future, their legacy continues to establish itself as an entity that will empower and impact for generations.

“This milestone isn’t just about looking back — it’s about the future,” says Nick. “Our family remains deeply committed to South Florida and leveraging our resources to cement its place as a world-class urban center. As the next generation, we’re honored to build on our father’s vision, championing equitable and inclusive communities.”

There’s one clear takeaway from the impression the Pérez family has made on the region in their first decade: This is just the beginning.