The Network is proud to spotlight the PowerNET 2026 Program Impact Award Winner: Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS): The Advocacy Collective.
Each year, this award recognizes a best-practice program at a Network member agency that stands out for its impact and innovation in strengthening communities.
Below, we are pleased to highlight this year’s honoree and the extraordinary work that earned this recognition.
The Program Impact Award will be presented at the PowerNET 2026 Network Lunch: Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation on May 6 in Toronto.
Want to show your support?: Make a tribute donation in their honor
In July 2025, Miami-Dade County proposed eliminating $16.577 million in funding historically allocated to dozens of legacy community-based organizations (CBOs), placing life-sustaining services, including housing stability, food security, mental health care, disability services, and homelessness prevention, at immediate risk for both the Jewish and broader Miami-Dade community. Recognizing the severity of this threat to the county’s social safety net, Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS) convened 63 nonprofit organizations to form The Advocacy Collective, a countywide coalition focused on restoring the proposed cuts. Under the leadership of JCS President & CEO, Miriam Singer, the Collective built unprecedented partnerships and collaboration across sectors by unifying agencies around a shared strategy and message, coordinating a joint letter signed by all 63 organizations, and directly engaging all 13 County Commissioners, the Mayor’s Office, and state legislators.
Despite having no dedicated advocacy budget, the Collective executed a highly effective grassroots campaign using coordinated messaging, op-eds, press conferences, and earned media, resulting in more than 50 media placements and 112 million impressions countywide. Evaluation of the initiative was outcome-driven, measured by policymaker engagement, public awareness, media reach, and, ultimately, budget outcomes. Following two revised budgets and a unanimous vote by the Board of County Commissioners, the full $16.577 million was restored. This effort not only preserved Miami-Dade’s essential service infrastructure but also demonstrated the power of coordinated, community-centered advocacy, reinforcing the value of cross-organizational collaboration, shared leadership, and elevating lived experience as a catalyst for systems-level change.
Building on the success of the initial campaign, The Advocacy Collective is continuing its work in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and the Board of County Commissioners to pursue a permanent, sustainable funding solution for Miami-Dade’s legacy community-based organizations.