By Rafael Hernandez

When Mauricio Vivero talks about the Coral Gables Community Foundation, he reaches for a comparison that’s deliberately down-to-earth.

“In essence, we’re like a bank,” he said. “Families bring us resources they want to dedicate to philanthropy, and we help distribute that money over one year, five years, or even a lifetime.”

A practical model for giving

Vivero, who stepped into the role of president last June, leads a nonprofit that stands at the center of fundraising in The City Beautiful. 

The foundation helps families and businesses establish charitable giving accounts, endowments, and scholarship funds, then ensures those dollars reach organizations doing work across Miami-Dade County.

“We’re both a service-providing entity and a community-building institution,” Vivero said.

From local donors to countywide impact

Last year, the foundation distributed more than $6 million in grants, largely to local organizations, and awarded over $3 million in college scholarships to students across Miami-Dade County’s public high schools.

“Our impact touches the entire county,” Vivero said. “It’s through direct grants to charities and through scholarships, all made possible by families in Coral Gables who want to give back.”

Vivero’s job now, he said, is less about reinvention and more about expansion.

Experience brought home

Born in Cuba and raised in New York, Vivero is a lawyer by training with nearly two decades of experience in philanthropy. 

He previously ran a similar community foundation in Seattle for ten years and worked inside family offices in New York managing large-scale charitable efforts, distributing more than $200 million in grants, experience he now brings to a smaller but locally focused institution.

Miami, however, is familiar territory.

“I went to FIU. I went to Miami Dade College. My family moved here in 1980,” he said. “Coming back feels like coming home, but with the benefit of experience from outside Miami.”

Continuity after long-time leadership

He succeeds longtime foundation leader Mary Snow, who now remains involved as a board member. Rather than charting a bold new direction, Vivero is more concerned with staying the course.

“There really is no shift in the programs or the goals,” he said. “Our job is to support more families and create more impact.”

A tougher climate for nonprofits

Vivero is taking the helm during a moment when nonprofits are facing mounting pressure from funding cuts, tighter government budgets, and the end of pandemic-era programs that have rippled through the sector.

“The nonprofit world is going through a very stressful time,” Vivero said. “There’s less funding and more turbulence in funding streams. Everyone is adapting the best they can.”

The foundation as connector

The foundation’s response has been to lean harder into its role as connector and advisor. 

Recently, it published a 2026 giving guide highlighting 18 local charities it believes are doing standout work.

“It’s about awareness,” Vivero said. “It’s about matchmaking. And it’s about giving people low-stress ways to learn about issues and hopefully feel inspired to give.”

While Coral Gables itself contains pockets of wealth disparity, Vivero emphasized that the foundation is not a direct service provider. 

Instead, it supports organizations addressing those needs throughout the county, such as tutoring programs and education initiatives serving vulnerable students.

“Our role is to promote the charities that are doing that work,” he said.

Looking ahead: Scale and visibility

Vivero is working with the board on a three-to-five-year strategic plan. While specifics are still being finalized, the goal is to distribute even more wealth to those who require it.

“If we’re distributing $6 million now, a reasonable goal is that in a couple of years we’re doing more than $10 million in impact,” he said.

In the immediate future, the foundation is preparing for one of its most visible traditions—the Tour of Kitchens, which draws hundreds of attendees into Coral Gables homes while raising funds for scholarships and grants. 

This year also marks the foundation’s 35th anniversary, with celebrations planned throughout the year. But even with decades of history behind the Foundation, Vivero sees one lingering challenge on the horizon.

“A lot of people know us for our events,” he said. “But they don’t always know our core function—promoting philanthropy. That’s the story we’re continuing to tell.”