The Related Group foundation makes $1 million naming gift to FIU's Metropolitan Center

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Jun 24, 2019, 09:33 ET

MIAMI, June 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida International University's (FIU) Metropolitan Center announced a $1 million endowment gift from the Related Philanthropic Foundation. The gift will help bolster the center's world-renowned applied research and job-training initiatives, as well as its ongoing efforts to provide policy solutions to organizations throughout South Florida. In recognition of this generous donation, which will support FIU's Next Horizon campaign, the university will rename the center as The Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center.

Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO for Related

Among the first uses of the gift will be to provide financial support to doctoral students who are currently researching policy solutions that lead to a more economically and environmentally resilient South Florida. Funding will be targeted to students in underserved communities.

"It's an honor to support and partner with The Metropolitan Center, especially after it's been such an incredible resource for countless Miami businesses and organizations over the years. We share the center's goal of serving and empowering residents across the demographic spectrum. We're excited about the future growth opportunities we will help generate for the community at large," said Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO for Related.

The Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center will continue to be an integral part of FIU's Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. The $1 million donation marks a significant milestone in the Related Philanthropic Foundation's mission of empowering and supporting organizations driving positive impact in the areas of economic development, education, health and well-being, the environment, and arts and culture.

"This initiative and Mr. Pérez's support will greatly enhance the Green School's visibility in the community and throughout the state and reinforce FIU's already excellent reputation as an engaged public research university," said Howard A. Frank, director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center.

Since its founding, the Metropolitan Center has a 22-year record of training graduate students in policy sciences, spearheading cutting-edge research on economic development and affordable housing to local governments and nonprofit organizations throughout the tri-county area. This latest research effort will build upon the Metropolitan Center's recently published studies, Miami-Dade County Prosperity Study and Liberty City Economic Opportunities Report.

"Miami is changing at an unprecedented pace, making research into areas such as affordable housing, resilience and economic growth critical for the city's future," said Jon Paul Pérez, Jorge M. Pérez's son, who is the vice president of Related. "The center already has an incredible legacy, and I'm certain that together, we can help build a stronger, more inclusive Miami."

In addition to research and technical assistance, the center offers cost-effective, customized training and organizational development solutions to nonprofits and local governments throughout South Florida, and has attained national and international reach most recently through the Mandela Washington Fellows Program.

"We thank Mr. Pérez and The Related Group for their support of our FIU," said Howard Lipman, CEO of the FIU Foundation, Inc. "With these funds, the Metropolitan Center can continue with its mission of supporting our community with policy solutions."

About the Related Philanthropic Foundation at The Miami Foundation:
The Related Philanthropic Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The corporate foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment and economic development.

-FIU-

About the Next Horizon campaign:
FIU's Next Horizon campaign is a landmark effort to support key areas of need and opportunity that focuses on the pillars of student success and research excellence. The $750 million campaign aims to attract support to: increase scholarships and student support; optimize 21st-century teaching; advance a vibrant, healthy Miami; accelerate research and discoveries; and escalate discovery to enterprise. For more information, visit nexthorizon.fiu.edu.

About the FIU Foundation, Inc.:
Established in 1969, the Florida International University Foundation, Inc. (FIU Foundation) is registered by the State of Florida as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. As defined in Florida Statute section 1004.28, the FIU Foundation has also been certified as a Direct Support Organization (DSO) of Florida International University. Governed by a board of directors, the FIU Foundation serves to encourage, solicit, receive, and ethically administer gifts for scientific, educational, and charitable purposes for the advancement of FIU. Through philanthropy, the FIU Foundation provides the margin of excellence that makes FIU a Worlds Ahead institution. For more information, visit give.fiu.edu.

About FIU:
Florida International University is Miami's public research university and in less than five decades has become a top 100 public university, according to U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges. FIU is focused on student success and research excellence, with nearly $200 million in annual research expenditures. The Next Horizon fundraising campaign is furthering FIU's commitment to providing students Worlds Ahead opportunities. Today FIU has two campuses and multiple centers, including sites in Qingdao and Tianjin, China, and supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA, with more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. The university has awarded more than 330,000 degrees to many leaders in South Florida and beyond. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.