Our Community Partners

provide funding for scholarships and program services that include mentor and student resources. Our community sponsors' multi-year support of Take Stock ensures their long term commitment to provide Florida's children with the opportunity to be successful in life and break the perpetual cycle of poverty that has plagued their families for generations.

Platinum Founding Member

Our Valued Sponsors

Anheuser-Busch Companies' partnership with Take Stock in Children have throughout the years been focused on the improvement and expansion of our mentoring services. Our mentoring program is recognized as one of the premier mentoring programs in the nation. Jerry Mullane, VP of Government Affairs, has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2003.





AT&T established a partnership with Take Stock in Children in 2009 with an award under The Ultimate Choice Project for High School Success, which helps transition low-income eighth grade students attending private schools into public schools. We accomplish this by developing a comprehensive plan of achievement that includes Take Stock in Children program services in order to finish High School and attain a college degree. We look forward to the outcomes of our joint effort in assisting these children achieve their educational goals.





AutoNation partnered with Take Stock in Children in 1997 when Wayne Huizenga, then chair of Republic Industries which became AutoNation joined the statewide Board of Directors. Currently, AutoNation's president and COO, Mike Maroone serves on Take Stock in Children's Board of Directors and is a Past Chairman of the Board. In 2005, AutoNation, under the direction of Mr. Maroone, moved Take Stock in Children's statewide headquarters office to South Florida in order to focus on the overwhelming majority of low-income children living across the southeast region of the state. AutoNation continues its exceptional support of Take Stock in Children.





Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant Certified Public Accountants & Consultants, is one of the largest public accounting firms in South Florida.
For nearly 30 years, the firm’s professionals have solved problems, provided knowledge and helped clients build their companies.

BDPB has been recognized as one of the top 100 firms in the US by both Accounting Today and Inside Public Accounting. The firm and its affiliates, Provenance Wealth Advisors and BayBridge Real Estate Group, are widely recognized for service to the community. Childhood education and mentoring are among the firm’s key philanthropic missions.

Managing Director Richard A. Berkowitz leads a team of firm employees from offices in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton in supporting Take Stock in Children. Their individual commitments include board participation, leadership of events and hand-on mentoring.




Blue Cross Blue Shield joined the Take Stock in Children Board of Directors under the leadership of Cyrus Jollivette, Group Vice President-Public Affairs. Their donations help improve the quality of Take Stock in Children's mentoring curriculum and training. Their support has allowed Take Stock in Children to provide, free of charge, the Mentor Toolkit to all active Take Stock in Children mentors. Today, more than 10,000 mentors across the state use this comprehensive Mentoring aid. Penny Shaffer, Market President- South Florida is currently on the state Board of Directors of Take Stock in Children, and has served as a Council member of the Local Advisory Council of Miami-Dade for Take Stock in Children.





As the world’s largest commercial real estate services company, CB Richard Ellis, is led by its dedicated professionals­ who impact the industry and the communities in which its employees live and work. This far-reaching positive influence is felt and furthered thanks to employees’ individual local efforts, and most importantly, the passion with which they champion them. Take Stock in Children appreciates the support it has received from Ted Carter, CB Richard Ellis Executive Managing Director who serves on the State Board of Directors of Take Stock in Children.




Comcast is the country’s largest provider of cable services and one of the world’s leading communications companies. Since 2006, Comcast has been a principal sponsor of Takes Stock in Children and has supported our public service announcement initiatives, our "Rally in Tally" events in Tallahassee, our Comcast Cares Golf Classic for Take Stock in Children and our Take Stock in Children First Annual 'Mentors are Magic Luncheon' where Comcast was chosen as the "Community Partner of the Year" in Broward County. Filemon Lopez, Regional Senior Vice President for Comcast serves on the State board of Directors of Take Stock in Children.





Since 1998, The Florida Lottery has been a strong supporter and key sponsor of Take Stock in Children. The Florida Lottery is recognized as the marketing and special event partner by local programs and a financial supporter of events and celebrations for Take Stock in Children. The Florida Lottery sponsors Take Stock in Children's annual Rally in Tally, an event that brings more than 1,000 students, mentors and supporters to Tallahassee to celebrate the success of the program. The Florida Lottery continues to be a committed sponsor and program partner of Take Stock in Children, reinforcing their commitment to higher education in our state.





Darden Restaurants, is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and is the world’s largest company-owned and operated restaurant company. Through its subsidiaries, the company employs approximately 180,000 employees and owns and operates more than 1,700 restaurants including Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.
Darden's priority is to become a key partner in the communities they serve through strategic philanthropy, targeted diversity outreach, and vibrant and focused volunteerism. Darden has sponsored and supported Take Stock in Children statewide events including the Rally in Tally and the Golf Classic at Isleworth. Dan Lyons, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, is a member of the State Board of Directors of Take Stock in Children.





The Take Stock in Children program would not be possible without the continuous support of the Florida Department of Education. They have partnered with Take Stock in Children to increase the proficiency of all Florida students within one seamless, efficient system, that provides students with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills through learning opportunities and research valued by students, parents, and communities, and to maintain an accountability system that measures student progress toward higher student achievement including college transition and attainment.





The Florida Prepaid College Foundation has been a principal partner since Take Stock in Children's inception in 1995. Our scholarships derive from Florida Prepaid and provide deserving Florida students with college tuition to cover the actual cost of attending any Florida public college or university, or they can transfer the value of the plan to technical schools and out-of-state colleges.





Through various elected officials, both past and present, the Florida Legislature has contributed to Take Stock in Children's growth by supporting our mission to enhance the quality of higher educational opportunities by providing access to effective higher education programs to minority and economically deprived individuals residing in Florida. They have also been instrumental in increasing the representation of minorities in faculty and administrative positions in higher education and providing a more highly educated minority leadership in business and professional enterprises in the state.






The Florman Family Foundation has partnered with Take Stock in Children to support our efforts in increasing educational and career successes among Miami-Dade County's academically promising, yet socio-economically disadvantaged youth. Our focus allows our scholars to achieve their postsecondary credentials which will prepare them to compete in an increasingly competitive global workforce.





Greenberg Traurig attorneys dedicate their time and talents to providing volunteer legal services to the indigent and working poor, as well as to numerous civic and charitable organizations dedicated to assisting them. This spirit of charity is exemplified through Greenberg Traurig's Chief Operating Officer for Global Practice Management, Sandy Grossman who serves on Take Stock in Children's State Board of Directors and Chairs the Leadership Council in Miami-Dade.





"We believe education changes lives, and we support middle school students and their commitment to achieve, promise to learn and plan to succeed all the way through college."

Helios Education Foundation is the largest nonprofit organization serving Arizona and Florida focused solely on education, and is dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals by creating opportunities for success in postsecondary education. Through their support to Take Stock in Children, we will be able to provide thousands of deserving children across our state the promise of a college scholarship and the guidance of a mentor through their high school and college careers. Vince Roig, the Chairman of the Helios Education Foundation serves on Take Stock in Children's State Board of Directors.




IBM believes that when businesses takes a systemic view of the world — when they see the economy, society and physical environment as a complex, global system — it opens up new ways of working with all your constituencies — communities, clients and individuals — in ways that matter. IBM's support of higher education through Take Stock in Children is demonstrated through the leadership provided to our Board of Directors by IBM's Vice President of Enterprise Initiatives, Michael G. Hill.





The Jason Taylor Foundation supports and creates programs that facilitate the personal growth and improvement of South Florida’s children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life. As a member of Take Stock in Children's State Board of Directors, Jason Taylor's unwavering support of our program has increased our visibility and our ability to serve even more deserving students throughout the South Florida region.





McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm committed to helping leaders make distinctive, lasting, and substantial improvements to the performance of their organizations by tackling their most difficult issues and serious challenges. As an active member of Take Stock in Children's State Board of Directors, Josh Leibowitz, a partner at McKinsey & Company, supports the lasting and substantial improvements our program makes in the lives of some of the most deserving youth in Florida.





John R. Padget, President of Padget Associates B.V and a past member of Take Stock in Children's State Board of Directors has continuously supported our efforts in providing Florida's most impoverished youth with the tools and opportunity necessary to break the cycle of poverty that has plagued their families for generations, through educational attainment. John also serves on the boards of the Monroe County Education Foundation and the Florida Keys Educational Foundation, as well as the Florida Board of Education.





Publix Supermarket Charities exemplifies the spirit of giving. George Jenkins founded Publix with the spirit of giving in mind and today this giving culture is alive and well in the philanthropy and community engagement of Publix. Howard M. Jenkins, Past Chairman of Take Stock in Children's State Board of Directors and a founding member of Take Stock in Children, continues to be a key advocate for Take Stock in Children through his leadership on our State Board of Directors.





From foundation grants to matching employee contributions, Wachovia stands behind their commitment to improve education, help strengthen neighborhoods, and encourage volunteer service by supporting initiatives that positively influence our communities. This commitment is demonstrated by the leadership provided our State Board of Directors through Michelle Braun, Wachovia's Community Development Manager for Florida.





South Florida Workforce helps individuals to access training and find employment, especially those that are disadvantaged and low-income. To that end, in April 2009 the South Florida Workforce Board of Directors awarded Take Stock in Children of Miami-Dade with a donation to continue providing scholarships, mentors and hope to Florida’s underprivileged youth. This unique partnership between Miami-Dade College, Miami-Dade Public Schools and Take Stock in Children has had a profound effect in the communities which they serve.





As Chairman of Zimmerman Advertising and a founding member on Take Stock in Children's State Board of Directors, Jordan Zimmerman continues to inspire over 800 members of his team to share his passion for hard work. Zimmerman has become one of the largest and most successful agencies in the country. It is this spirit of hard work and results-driven success that we strive to instill in our Take Stock in Children scholars.





Pollo Tropical(r) restaurants are known for their fresh, never frozen, open flame grilled chicken, marinated in a proprietary blend of tropical fruit juices and spices, as well as authentic "made from scratch" side dishes. The first Pollo Tropical restaurant opened in 1988 in Miami, Florida. Today, Pollo Tropical has more than 90 company-owned restaurants in Florida, New Jersey and now in Georgia. It also has three franchised locations at Florida universities and 27 franchised restaurants in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras, Venezuela and the Bahamas.
Pollo Tropical is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc., which is one of the largest restaurant companies in the United States. The Company operates three restaurant brands in the quick-casual and quick-service restaurant segments with 550 company-owned and operated restaurants in 16 states. Carrols Restaurant Group owns and operates two Hispanic Brand restaurants chains,
Pollo Tropical(r) and Taco Cabana(r). It is also the largest Burger King(r) franchisee, based on number of restaurants. Carrols announced plans earlier this year to spin-off its Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana brands as a stand-alone public company. The spin-off is anticipated to be completed later this year.
For more information on Pollo Tropical(r), including menu items and nutritional information, visit online at http://www.pollotropical.com.




Staples is the world's largest office products company and a trusted source for office solutions. We provide products, services and expertise in the categories of office supplies, technology, furniture, Copy & Print, and cleaning and breakroom. Staples was founded in 1986, and today has annual sales of $25 billion, ranking second in the world in eCommerce sales. With 90,000 associates worldwide, Staples has a presence in more than 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia - bringing easy to offices and consumers everywhere.
Staples headquarters is located outside of Boston, Massachusetts. More information about Staples is available at http://www.staples.com/media.