Why sign a check for charity when you could sign away your luxury Miami Beach condo?
Miami philanthropist couple Jorge and Darlene Pérez donated their One Ocean Avenue condominium to the Miami Foundation, a charitable nonprofit that benefits local community organizations, the foundation announced Monday.
The Miami Foundation sold the condo on June 25 to an undisclosed buyer for $10 million with the help of luxury real estate team The Jills Zeder Group. All proceeds will go toward local arts, culture and economic development causes, the organization said.
The donation comes at a crucial time for Miami nonprofits following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto of $32 million in grant funding for arts and cultural organizations.
“We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this gift, and to continuing our work with the individuals who dedicate their time to changing lives across our community,” said Jorge Pérez, the real estate mogul and art collector. “We hope to inspire others to take action and leverage their resources for the greater good.”
This is the second time Pérez has donated a property to the Miami Foundation. In 2021, Pérez donated a record-breaking $33 million from the sale of his Coconut Grove residence. It was the largest donation the Miami Foundation had ever received and was among the largest philanthropic gifts in the city’s history.
According to Zillow, the Miami Beach condo was a 4 bedroom, 6 bath unit on the seventh floor of the luxury building with 3,339 square feet of living space. The property was listed for sale in 2020 for a month before it was taken down. It was listed again 2022 for $13,900,000 but taken down again in Sept. 2023. It was back up for sale soon after with a list price of $11,900,000. The property went under contract in April 2024.
The Pérez family has worked with the Miami Foundation for over a decade, dedicating over $135 million to the foundation, said Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, the Miami Foundation president and CEO. The Pérez Family Foundation operates under the Miami Foundation umbrella.
Fishman Lipsey applauded the Pérez family for their generosity. While Jorge Pérez has committed to The Giving Pledge, an agreement among some of the wealthiest people in the world (including George Lucas, Bill Gates and a Saudi Arabian prince) to dedicate the majority of their assets to charity, Fishman Lipsey said Pérez wants to make an impact in his lifetime.
“A lot of people wait until they die to give away their assets,” she said. “This is a really different way of living to give in your lifetime and give the majority of your assets back to the community.”
The foundation hopes the news of Pérez’s condo donation will encourage folks to contribute to charity in creative ways, Fishman Lipsey said. The Miami Foundation accepts donations of what it calls “untraditional assets,” like real estate property, boats, art and stock.
The most unique donation the Miami Foundation has ever received was partial rights to the classic song “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” Fishman Lipsey said. That means the Miami Foundation gets a monetary donation anytime people stream the song.
“We love it when donors are creative and find big bold ways to give back with the resources they have,” she said. “I love the message that it sends to people in our community. There are so many ways to give back with your resources and we’re here as partners to help people do it.”
This story was produced with financial support from individuals and Berkowitz Contemporary Arts in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.