Otis Smith Kids Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Otis F. Smith Foundation (and later, the Otis Smith Kids Foundation) was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that partnered with targeted Jacksonville, Florida
elementary schools to provide programs and services to disadvantaged children in the areas of education, personal development and recreation. It was one of the first “celebrity” charitable foundations in the First Coast
region that supported initiatives to help at-risk youth and was active for almost two decades.
was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida and played sports at the local Boy’s Club while growing up. Since his college days at Jacksonville University
, he was involved with Volunteers for Youth, Big Brothers Big Sisters
, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and conducted informal basketball clinics during summers. When Smith returned to Florida in 1989 to play professional basketball for the Orlando Magic
, he founded the Otis F. Smith Foundation which began hosting summer basketball clinics for kids.
The charity, with an annual budget of about $400,000 and four full-time employees, never received government funds. A good measure of a charity’s effectiveness is the percentage of donations actually spent of programs. A well run organization should keep that percentage above 75%. In a review of local foundations connected to professional athletes, the Otis Smith Kids Foundation rated highly, with 78.6% for 2005.
. Over the years, the profitability of the Florida Sports Awards show was reduced as production costs increased. Andy Jacobs, president of First Coast Sports Awards, Inc. and driving force behind the event retired from the Florida Sports Awards in September of 2002.
and Chicago
's Cows on Parade, these fiberglass manatee
s were part of a 2004-2005 fund-raising effort for the foundation. A total of 43 colorfully decorated, life-like fiberglass manatees took up residence throughout the city, beginning in September, 2004--in time for Super Bowl XXXIX
--and remained until the end of February, 2005. They were cleaned up and prepared for the Great Sea Cow Roundup and Auction, held April 2nd at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds.
After the Roundup & Auction concluded, the winning bidders loaded them up and moved their new artwork to back yards and business locations.
More than 400 people attended Jammies & Jeans: The Cats Pajamas Party on July 10, 2007 where 41 of the 53 big cats were auctioned off to their FURever homes (the other 12 cats were adopted by their SPOTsors prior to the auction). Vincent Van Jaguar sold at the auction for $12,000, but the average price was $2,900. The project was a FURnomenal success, raising more than $220,000.
Board members cited the current economic environment, in addition to increased competition for corporate and private donations, as dominant factors in the decision-making process.
was the recipient of an endowment from the OSKF.
to establish an endowed scholarship fund in support of the Florida First Generation Scholarship Program for students who are the first in their families to attend college.
The state of Florida will match the gift with $2,300 annually, funding two scholarships each year.
athletics department to establish and endow the Otis Smith Scholarship to a deserving local student-athlete. The donation was announced during halftime of a basketball game designated as "Otis Smith Night" on November 28, 2007. The honoree was unable to attend, but left a pre-recorded video. In a surprise to athletic officials, Smith stated that he was personally matching the $50,000 donation by the Otis Smith Kids Foundation, for a total gift of $100,000.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
elementary schools to provide programs and services to disadvantaged children in the areas of education, personal development and recreation. It was one of the first “celebrity” charitable foundations in the First Coast
First Coast
The First Coast is a region of Florida, in the United States. It extends along the Atlantic, or eastern, coast of the state, from the Georgia border, past the southern end of Anastasia Island, to Marineland....
region that supported initiatives to help at-risk youth and was active for almost two decades.
The beginning
Otis SmithOtis Smith (basketball)
Otis Fitzgerald Smith is a retired American professional basketball player and current general manager of the NBA's Orlando Magic...
was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida and played sports at the local Boy’s Club while growing up. Since his college days at Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
, he was involved with Volunteers for Youth, Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501 non-profit organization whose mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that try to have a measurable impact on youth....
, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and conducted informal basketball clinics during summers. When Smith returned to Florida in 1989 to play professional basketball for the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, he founded the Otis F. Smith Foundation which began hosting summer basketball clinics for kids.
Mission
The mission of the Otis Smith Kids Foundation (OSKF) was to improve the quality of life and outlook for the future for Northeast Florida children between the ages of 6 and 12 by providing quality programs and services in the areas of education, recreation, personal growth and development.Programs
The foundation's activities were expanded into neighborhoods and elementary schools considered economically and academically challenged. Their programs included free summer day camps, after-school tutoring and enrichment programs during the school year such as holiday parties and field trips to sporting events, cultural institutions & local attractions. Health screenings were one of the last services provided. Throughout the 1990’s the organization expanded and programs flourished.The charity, with an annual budget of about $400,000 and four full-time employees, never received government funds. A good measure of a charity’s effectiveness is the percentage of donations actually spent of programs. A well run organization should keep that percentage above 75%. In a review of local foundations connected to professional athletes, the Otis Smith Kids Foundation rated highly, with 78.6% for 2005.
Fundraising
The annual Jaspers Celebrity Golf Classic in the spring, and in later years, the Florida Sports Awards show, were responsible for generating about 70 percent of the foundation's funding during the first ten years of operation.Golf Classic
The golf function was the first cash cow for the foundation and was a good money-maker throughout the 1990s. That success encouraged other groups to emulate the activity, and the increased competition from literally dozens of charity golf tournaments resulted in lower participation and fewer sponsorships, to the point where in 2005, the tournament was just breaking even. In 2005, at least 15 sports star charities operated in the Jacksonville area and most, if not all of them, held a charity golf tournament.Awards show
Since its first appearance on live television in 1996 as the event that benefited the Otis F. Smith Foundation charity, the Florida Sports Awards had grown to the point of being recognized as a local version of the ESPYsESPY Awards
An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
. Over the years, the profitability of the Florida Sports Awards show was reduced as production costs increased. Andy Jacobs, president of First Coast Sports Awards, Inc. and driving force behind the event retired from the Florida Sports Awards in September of 2002.
New name
Competition for charity dollars since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 became more intense. Corporations reduced their support because business conditions became more difficult. In November, 2002, the Otis F. Smith Foundation was renamed the Otis Smith Kids Foundation in an attempt to emphasize that kids were the focus. Two of the most visible projects in recent years involved life-sized statues.Sea Cows for Kids
Just like Cincinnati's Big Pig GigBig Pig Gig
The Big Pig Gig was a public art exhibit displayed in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, from May 14 to October 31, 2000. In the large-scale event, local artists and schools decorated fiberglass pig statues and installed them throughout the downtown area....
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Cows on Parade, these fiberglass manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
s were part of a 2004-2005 fund-raising effort for the foundation. A total of 43 colorfully decorated, life-like fiberglass manatees took up residence throughout the city, beginning in September, 2004--in time for Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
--and remained until the end of February, 2005. They were cleaned up and prepared for the Great Sea Cow Roundup and Auction, held April 2nd at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds.
After the Roundup & Auction concluded, the winning bidders loaded them up and moved their new artwork to back yards and business locations.
Big Cats for Kids
Using the same formula as the successful Sea Cows for Kids program, Big Cats for Kids was kicked off in 2006. A total of 53 entities paid $5000 each to sponsor the Cat of their choice. The theme-decorated Big Cats were displayed in locations all over Jacksonville for almost a year before being sold.More than 400 people attended Jammies & Jeans: The Cats Pajamas Party on July 10, 2007 where 41 of the 53 big cats were auctioned off to their FURever homes (the other 12 cats were adopted by their SPOTsors prior to the auction). Vincent Van Jaguar sold at the auction for $12,000, but the average price was $2,900. The project was a FURnomenal success, raising more than $220,000.
The foundation’s demise
After 18 years, and with the reliable financial support activities gone, the Otis Smith Kids Foundation closed its doors at the end of 2007. Smith announced its demise in a news release on August 29, 2007.
"With successful programs and services being provided by folks like Mal WashingtonMaliVai WashingtonMaliVai "Mal" Washington is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He is best remembered for reaching the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1996.-Family:...
, Tony BoselliTony BoselliDon Anthony "Tony" Boselli, Jr. is a former American football offensive tackle. He spent nearly all of his professional career playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League ....
, Mike PetersonMike PetersonPorter Michael "Mike" Peterson is an American professional football player who has been a linebacker in the National Football League for thirteen seasons...
and others," Smith said in the release, "we're confident that the deserving children of Jacksonville are in great hands, and we are honored to have had the opportunity to make an impact on this community over the years."
Board members cited the current economic environment, in addition to increased competition for corporate and private donations, as dominant factors in the decision-making process.
FCCJ
The scholarship program at Florida Community College at JacksonvilleFlorida Community College at Jacksonville
Florida State College at Jacksonville is a state college in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., and part of the Florida College System. It is one of several institutions in the Florida College System designated a "state college", as it offers a greater number of four-year bachelor's degrees than...
was the recipient of an endowment from the OSKF.
UNF
The OSKF donated $56,000 to the University of North FloridaUniversity of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
to establish an endowed scholarship fund in support of the Florida First Generation Scholarship Program for students who are the first in their families to attend college.
The state of Florida will match the gift with $2,300 annually, funding two scholarships each year.
JU
The OSKF donated $50,000 to the Jacksonville UniversityJacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
athletics department to establish and endow the Otis Smith Scholarship to a deserving local student-athlete. The donation was announced during halftime of a basketball game designated as "Otis Smith Night" on November 28, 2007. The honoree was unable to attend, but left a pre-recorded video. In a surprise to athletic officials, Smith stated that he was personally matching the $50,000 donation by the Otis Smith Kids Foundation, for a total gift of $100,000.