The 2023 Tocqueville Award celebrates the Wolfsons’ contribution to improving the lives of Miami residents for over 100 years.
For over 100 years, four generations of the Wolfson family’s philanthropy have improved the lives of families and individuals in Miami. As a result, United Way of Miami has recognized the family’s dedication to supporting education, healthcare, affordable housing, and the arts by presenting them with the prestigious 2023 Tocqueville Award for Outstanding Philanthropy. This accolade is United Way’s highest honor and acknowledges the crucial role the Wolfsons have played in making Miami-Dade County a better place in which to live, work and play.
“It is our job to educate the future generations to get involved with philanthropy through volunteering of time or charitable giving or both,” said Louis Wolfson III, a founding partner of Pinnacle, one of Florida’s largest developers of affordable housing communities. “If our community has helped us achieve the American Dream, then we must pass it onto future generations so they too can grow up and thrive in one of the most culturally diverse, economically thriving, and awesome cities on the planet.”
Led by Colonel Mitchell Wolfson, the family has become one of Miami-Dade College’s greatest benefactors since its founding in 1960. More than three decades later, Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson Jr., an avid collector, donated his collection of over 200,000 objects to Florida International University, creating the basis for the state-of-the-art Wolfsonian Museum-FIU, a research center and museum located in Miami Beach.
Mr. Wolfson III continues the family’s legacy of giving back to the community by building affordable, workforce and market-rate housing throughout Florida. His passion for affordable housing development, art in public spaces and community relations has helped propel Pinnacle into one of the nation’s most high-profile developers in that space.
“Workforce housing and education are two of the major building blocks to build people and to grow communities,” Mr. Wolfson III said “All boats rise together. A rising tide really does change lives.”
The award is named after French political thinker and historian Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote extensively about the importance of civil society in the United States. The award recognizes the commitment and generosity of those who strive to improve the lives of others and create a lasting impact in their communities.
About Pinnacle
Miami-based Pinnacle is a full-service real estate development and construction company with over a century of collective experience in designing and operating high-quality multi-family communities in Florida. Long-standing relationships with local governments, financial institutions, and other stakeholders enable Pinnacle to secure the necessary resources to successfully develop market-rate and workforce housing. Pinnacle has completed over 10,000 units of multi-family housing and Pinnacle’s communities serve as the benchmark for “best-in-class” residential living.
