Philanthropy is promoted through annual festival in downtown Miami

There’s no age restriction on becoming passionate about a cause. At least that’s what PhilanthroFest promotes.

The one-day annual festival invites South Florida residents to enjoy a free day of carnival-themed events from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Museum Park, located between PAMM and the AmericanAirlines Arena.

PhilanthroFest aims at connecting potential volunteers, donors and supporters to various causes and non-profits.

Organizations will be categorized by City and Environment, People and Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Health and Wellness.

“PhilanthroFest was started as a response to a question my friends and I were constantly getting around town: How can I get involved?” said Estrellita S. Sibila, the event’s executive director and co-founder. “Before PhilanthroFest, there was no centralized event where people could make meaningful matches with causes they are passionate about.”

For families, the festival offers various “zones” aimed at engaging kids in philanthropy. Among those is the Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science’s “Science Treehouse,” which will offer sun-gazing telescopes, a wind tunnel and a rocket launcher.

“Philanthropy and giving back is something that is important to start when you’re young,” said Joseph Quiñones, marketing manager for the museum. “I think it’s important to see that you can get involved in organizations whether you’re interested in animals, the environment or science.”

In addition to the festival, PhilanthroFest hosts quarterly “digital institutes” to educate its many non-profit partners on ways that they can maximize their reach and results.

This story was originally published April 9, 2015 at 5:33 PM with the headline "Philanthropy is promoted through annual festival in downtown Miami."