Miller Foundation Inc.

Miller Foundation Inc. is the private family foundation of the Miller family, prominently linked to Lennar Corporation — the nation's largest homebuilder, co-founded by the late Leonard Miller in Miami. Stuart Miller, Lennar's long-time chief executive and now Executive Chairman, serves as the foundation's President alongside family members Jeffrey Miller and Director Leslie Saiontz. Established in 1985 and funded in part through the Leonard Miller Testamentary Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, the foundation has accumulated $53.2 million in assets as of 2023.

A critical orientation note for researchers: some public databases have misattributed a canine cancer research website (miller-foundation.org, a separate organization founded in 2024) to this foundation. The actual Miller Foundation Inc. is unambiguously a Miami-focused philanthropic vehicle — its 68 grants totaling $13.1 million over its documented history consistently support arts and culture, K-12 and higher education, Jewish community organizations, and civic infrastructure across Miami-Dade County.

The foundation operates on a strictly invitation-only basis. There is no application portal, no published RFP calendar, and no public grant deadline. Grantees are selected proactively by foundation leadership based on personal relationships and long-standing alignment with the family's values. Organizations that have received multi-year support — United Way of Miami-Dade, Adrienne Arsht Center, Greater Miami Jewish Foundation, Ransom Everglades School, and Temple Beth Sholom — are deeply embedded in the Millers' civic and social circles.

For prospective grantees, this is a relationship-first opportunity with a long runway. The path to consideration runs through Miami's overlapping networks: the Jewish philanthropic community, elite private K-12 education, performing arts institutions, and Miami-Dade civic anchors. Any board member or senior leader with authentic connections to these spaces has a meaningful advantage over organizations approaching cold.

Organizations should also calibrate timing carefully. Annual giving has declined from $4.0 million in 2018 to $290,000 in 2024, while assets have grown to $53.2 million. This divergence suggests a strategic accumulation phase — when distributions resume at historically higher levels, well-positioned organizations with maintained relationships will be first in consideration.

The Miller Foundation Inc.'s grantmaking record reveals a concentrated, relationship-driven portfolio. Across 68 total grants totaling $13,057,448, the median grant size is $100,000, the average is $192,021, and the full range spans from $20,000 to $745,185.

The giving record breaks into three distinct tiers. At the top, anchor institutions receive cumulative multi-year commitments that dwarf all others. United Way of Miami-Dade leads with $3,000,592 across four grants. The Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation ($1,633,652, 4 grants), Greater Miami Jewish Foundation ($1,600,000, 6 grants), Ransom Everglades School ($1,527,528, 4 grants), The Miami Foundation ($1,200,000, 6 grants), and Temple Beth Sholom ($1,195,676, 4 grants) complete the top tier. Museum of Science Inc. ($1,000,000, 4 grants) and Breakthrough Miami ($800,000, 4 grants) anchor the upper-middle range.

Mid-range recipients typically receive $100,000 to $400,000: Yale University's Chief Executive Leadership Institute ($400,000, reflecting interest in leadership development), University of Miami ($100,000), University of Miami Hillel ($100,000), Institute of Contemporary Art ($100,000), Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida ($150,000), and Frost School of Music ($150,000). Smaller recipients include Seeds of Peace ($50,000) and Clinton Foundation ($50,000).

By geography, Florida dominates: approximately 88% of all grants (60 of 68) went to Florida organizations, the vast majority in Miami-Dade County. Four grants each went to Connecticut and New York recipients.

Annual giving has contracted sharply from its peak. From $4,011,705 in 2018 and $3,091,839 in 2019 through $3,118,223 in 2020, distributions fell dramatically to $433,565 (2021), $281,948 (2022), and approximately $290,000 (2024). Total assets, meanwhile, grew from $10.4 million (2018) to $53.2 million (2023). This divergence — assets nearly quintupling while annual giving fell 93% from peak — suggests the foundation entered a strategic pause or is restructuring its distribution model. Organizations should monitor 990 filings for a return toward historical giving norms.

The table below compares Miller Foundation Inc. to peer Miami-area funders across key dimensions.

Miller Foundation Inc. is distinguished by a significant gap between its asset base ($53.2 million) and recent grant volume ($290,000 in 2024) — an asset-to-giving ratio far below the 5% annual distribution standard for private foundations. The Knight Foundation and The Miami Foundation both substantially exceed the Miller Foundation in giving volume and accept open applications, making them far more accessible to most applicants. The related Lennar Foundation channels much of the family's large-scale institutional giving ($50 million to University of Miami, $50 million to City of Hope) — suggesting Miller Foundation Inc. serves as the more intimate, relationship-driven arm of a broader philanthropic ecosystem. Organizations aligned with the Miller family's priorities should consider parallel engagement across all three related entities.

No press releases, program announcements, or leadership changes specific to Miller Foundation Inc. were publicly indexed in 2025 or 2026, consistent with the foundation's characteristically low public profile. All recent grant data derives from IRS Form 990 filings rather than proactive communications.

The most recently documented grant activity (fiscal year 2024) includes four grants totaling $290,000: a $200,000 unrestricted gift to Miami Foundation for Mental Health and $25,000 to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida represent two of the identified recipients. This continues the post-2020 reduction in annual distributions, down from a 2018 peak of $4.0 million.

Foundation leadership — Stuart Miller (President), Jeffrey Miller (Director), and Leslie Saiontz (Director) — has remained stable with no publicly documented changes. Stuart Miller continues his role as Lennar Corporation's Executive Chairman.

The broader Miller philanthropic ecosystem remains active at a larger scale. Lennar Foundation has awarded $50 million to the University of Miami for an outpatient medical center and a separate $50 million to City of Hope in California. The Miller family also anchored a $100 million Jackson Health Foundation campaign supporting Miami-Dade's public health infrastructure.

The $200,000 gift to Miami Foundation for Mental Health (2024) is notable as the first clearly mental-health-focused grant in the documented grantee record, potentially signaling a modest expansion of the portfolio's health and wellness component. Organizations in mental health, behavioral health, or community wellness spaces should take note of this signal.

Miller Foundation Inc. does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications — this is the foundational fact every prospective grantee must internalize before investing any resources in pursuit of this funder. The entire grantmaking process is proactive and relationship-driven. The following strategies reflect what the actual grantee record reveals about effective positioning.

Build relationships before asking. The foundation's top recipients — United Way of Miami-Dade, Adrienne Arsht Center, Greater Miami Jewish Foundation, Ransom Everglades School, Temple Beth Sholom — share defining traits: deep Miami-Dade roots, institutional prominence, and long-standing personal relationships with the Miller family. New entrants must earn their way into this circle through sustained civic engagement, not grant applications.

Prioritize Jewish community alignment. Four of the top six cumulative recipients have explicit Jewish community ties (Greater Miami Jewish Foundation, Temple Beth Sholom, University of Miami Hillel, Seeds of Peace). For organizations within the Jewish philanthropic ecosystem, emphasize community cohesion, legacy giving, and shared values around education.

Leverage Lennar and Miami civic networks. Stuart Miller's prominence in Miami's real estate, healthcare, and civic world means that connections through Lennar's leadership network, Jackson Health System, University of Miami administration, or the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce can surface an organization for foundation consideration.

Keep education pitches Miami-specific. While Yale University received $400,000 (likely through direct personal connection), the preponderance of education giving concentrates on Miami-Dade institutions: Ransom Everglades ($1.5M), Breakthrough Miami ($800K), University of Miami ($100K). Frame impact in terms of Miami-Dade's specific student population and community needs.

Watch the asset-to-giving gap. With $53.2M in assets and only $290K distributed in 2024, the foundation is distributing well below the IRS minimum (5% = approximately $2.6M/year). Track annual 990 filings at ProPublica (EIN 59-2474323) for signs of distribution acceleration, which may signal the right moment to deepen a relationship.

Calibrate your initial ask. Realistic entry-level grants range from $20,000 to $100,000. The large anchor grants reflect decades of relationship capital — manage expectations for first-time engagements.