Florida's deep pockets give generously, elsewhere

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© St. Petersburg Times
published March 17, 2003

When it comes to the biggest of the big-buck philanthropists in Florida, the donors were united in where they placed their charitable gazillions last year.

Elsewhere.

Ted Turner, who only recently decided to declare himself a Floridian for the tax advantages, sent more than $90-million to the United Nations Foundation and other international groups. Bill Bindley of Naples pledged $54-million to Purdue University in Indiana and to winter sports organizations. Sidney Kimmel of Palm Beach is sending most of his $52-million commitment to Philadelphia's National Museum of American Jewish History.

In Fort Myers, Gordon and Chessie Crosby sent $10-million to the University of Missouri, while Jay and Patty Baker of Naples pledged a like amount to the University of Pennsylvania.

That's about $216-million pledged or spent last year on no doubt admirable educational and cultural institutions.

And not one of the recipients is in Florida.

That's not a good trend. It's a sore reminder that Florida is the adopted state for a vast proportion of its population -- including the older megawealthy drawn here by sun, golf, the lack of a state income tax and the beachfront mansion social scene. Their true loyalties, however, still lie outside the Sunshine State, back with their alma mater, family, business and memories.

If Floridians can give any thanks, it is to two unusual sources of charitable giving: pizza and rental cars. More on that later.

Turner, Bindley, Kimmel, Crosby and Baker were the five givers from Florida among the nation's top 60 philanthropists in 2002, according to the third annual survey of the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The survey confirms the tough economic climate. The struggling economy, wheezing stock market and threat of war combined to slow giving by the nation's biggest donors. Payments and pledges by the 60 largest givers nationwide in 2002 totaled $4.6-billion, down a stunning 64 percent from the $12.7-billion contributed in 2001.

Another onerous trend, the Chronicle says, is the growing tendency for donors to make long-term pledges rather than gifts of hard cash. Some donors who pledged, and now obviously are hurt by the weak economy, already are behind on their payments. Others simply are not making the same depth of financial commitment seen a few years ago.

That's bad news because a lot of good things in this country that depend on generous philanthropy must be cut back to reflect sharply smaller contributions.

Sometimes, the best philanthropy starts from afar in unexpected places.

Last year, Florida gave thanks to a Detroit donor known for pizza and a St. Louis contributor known for rental cars. Behind each of these two tales of unusual philanthropy is an individual's passion.

Thomas S. Monaghan -- founder of Domino's Pizza, a former owner of the Detroit Tigers and a devout Catholic -- is dedicating $220-million of his money to building Ave Maria University from scratch on a 750-acre site 25 miles east of Naples in Collier County near the Everglades.

The university has formed a partnership with the Barron Collier Cos., a major landowner with holdings in several real estate, development and agricultural businesses. Barron Collier donated the 750 acres for Ave Maria's main campus, which will be developed in phases. The university will be built with its own adjoining town, to be called the Town of Ave Maria, with housing for faculty, students, staff and employees as well as shops, a hotel, restaurants and other businesses.

Monaghan sold Domino's five years ago for $1-billion and renounced much of his millionaire lifestyle. Now he wants to create a university of national status. Already a potential nickname is emerging: Notre Dame of the South. But Ave Maria would be even more focused on Catholic education and, as Monaghan has said, be run more as a "spiritual military academy."

Says the former pizza magnate: "Our goal is to have the finest Catholic university we can possibly build."

With his $220-million pledge to Ave Maria last year, Monaghan, who remains a Michigan resident, ranked No. 3 in the size of charitable contributions in the 2002 Chronicle of Philanthropy survey.

Monaghan was outspent last year by, at No. 1, publishing tycoon Walter Annenberg. The creator of Seventeen magazine and TV Guide died late last year. His $1.38-billion bequest included his renowned art collection, donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, while the bulk of his estate went to the Annenberg Foundation in St. Davids, Pa.

At No. 2, Ruth Lilly, heir to the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical fortune, pledged $520-million last year to Americans for Art, the Lilly Endowment and, in a highly publicized contribution, a $100-million gift to Poetry, a literary journal with a circulation of less than 10,000.

Other than Monaghan's huge investment outside Naples, one other Florida organization was a beneficiary of a major philanthropic donation last year. In Pensacola, the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation received $10-million to help open and run a new school called the National Flight Academy. The sum was donated by Jack C. Taylor, who founded the successful Enterprise Rent-A-Car business in St. Louis.

Why a flight school? Taylor says he acquired a sense of teamwork and discipline while flying F6F Hellcat fighters off the deck of the USS Essex and USS Enterprise (for which Enterprise Rent-A-Car is named) during World War II. Those core values, Taylor says, helped him throughout his life, and now he wants to show his appreciation to the Navy.

In addition to his $10-million gift in Pensacola, Taylor donated $37-million last year to several St. Louis institutions: a park and botanical garden, the local symphony and Washington University.

And what of the Tampa Bay area's wealthy? Are there any potential megagivers out there?

The last big-buck contribution from this area came in 2000 from John and Susan Sykes. Their donation of $28-million to the University of Tampa followed their 1997 gift of $10-million to the school's college of business, now called the John H. Sykes School of Business. Sykes founded and runs Tampa's Sykes Enterprises, which operates customer support and help desks for corporate clients.

Since then, thanks to the rough economy, the Tampa Bay area remains lean on big philanthropy.

But as a pizza guy from Detroit and a rent-a-car fellow from St. Louis amply show, you never know where the next gazillion dollars will be found.

-- Robert Trigaux can be reached at trigaux@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8405.

Florida's megagivers

In 2002, five Floridians ranked among the nation's 60 biggest multimillion-dollar donors:

Ted Turner, Tallahassee. Wealth from CNN sale, AOL-Time Warner stock. Ranked 12th last year with $91.1-million paid to the United Nations Foundation, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Better World Fund and other groups.

William E. Bindley, Naples. Wealth from family and finance, former owner of Indiana Pacers. Ranked 16th with $54-million pledged ($9-million paid) to Purdue University and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation.

Sidney Kimmel, Palm Beach. Wealth from founding of Jones Apparel Group Inc., part owner of the Miami Heat pro basketball franchise. Ranked 18th with $52-million pledged ($22-million paid) to the National Museum of American Jewish History and another group.

Gordon Crosby Jr. and Serena (Chessie) Crosby, Fort Myers. Wealth from insurance, running USLife Corp., later sold to American General. Ranked 59th with $10-million pledged ($1-million paid) to the University of Missouri.

Jay H. and Patty Baker, Naples. Wealth from retailing with positions at Kohl's, BATUS and Saks. Ranked 59th (tied) with $10-million pledged to the University of Pennsylvania.

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

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