Philanthropy

Give Kids A Chance’s motto is ‘education is power.’ Their objective is to give that power to young people who aspire to further their education but don't have the financial means to do so. Give Kids A Chance was founded in 2004 by Brian J. McDonough, a shareholder and director at the law firm of Stearns Weaver Miller. While working in the affordable housing practice, Brian noticed that many families served by the affordable housing industry couldn’t afford to send their children to college. So he formed Give Kids A Chance to fund college scholarships for high school seniors from lower income families. The idea was to raise donations from business associates in the affordable housing industry, such as developers, lenders, professionals, and investors, who shared his desire to help less fortunate families.

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Since then, it has broadened its reach and now solicits applications from low-income households statewide by notifying guidance counselors in all public schools throughout Florida. To date, the fund has raised over $1.5 million and awarded over 420 scholarships.