Otis Smith Kids Foundation
The Otis Smith Kids Foundation was a Jacksonville charitable organization that supported disadvantaged elementary-school children through education, personal-development, recreation, and scholarship programs.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Otis Smith Kids Foundation was a Jacksonville, Florida, nonprofit organization established by professional basketball player and executive Otis Smith. Originally called the Otis F. Smith Foundation, it grew from Smith's long-standing involvement with youth organizations and informal basketball clinics. Smith had been raised in Jacksonville and participated in local Boys' Club activities; during his college years at Jacksonville University, he was involved with Volunteers for Youth, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. After returning to Florida in 1989 to play for the Orlando Magic, he formalized his youth work through the foundation, initially concentrating on summer basketball clinics. The organization later moved beyond sports instruction and worked with selected Jacksonville elementary schools and neighborhoods regarded as economically and academically challenged. Its programs combined practical academic support with supervised recreation and personal development. Activities included free summer day camps, after-school tutoring, holiday events, field trips to sporting events and cultural institutions, visits to local attractions, and, near the end of its operation, health screenings. The foundation's model was built around sustained contact with children in communities where families faced limited educational and recreational resources rather than around a single annual donation. During the 1990s, the foundation expanded its services and developed a profile unusual for the First Coast region at the time: it was among the area's early charitable organizations associated with a professional sports celebrity. It maintained a relatively small operating structure, with four full-time employees, and was reported to have an annual budget of approximately $400,000. The organization did not receive government funding. A 2005 review of local foundations associated with professional athletes gave the foundation a favorable rating of 78.6 percent, reflecting its reported program and administrative performance. Fundraising was central to the foundation's ability to maintain its programs. The Florida Sports Awards became a prominent fundraising vehicle after its first televised appearance in 1996. The event eventually acquired a local awards-show profile comparable to the ESPYs, although rising production costs reduced its profitability. The foundation also used large public art campaigns to combine civic visibility, sponsorships, and charitable fundraising. Sea Cows for Kids placed 43 decorated fiberglass manatees around Jacksonville from September 2004 through February 2005, followed by a public auction. Big Cats for Kids, launched in 2006, used 53 sponsored, themed cat sculptures displayed around the city for nearly a year. Its 2007 auction sold 41 cats, while the remaining 12 had already been adopted by sponsors; the project raised more than $220,000. In November 2002, the organization adopted the name Otis Smith Kids Foundation to make its child-centered mission more explicit. It also supported higher-education access through endowed scholarships. Gifts were made to Florida Community College at Jacksonville and the University of North Florida, where a $56,000 contribution supported the Florida First Generation Scholarship Program. A separate $50,000 gift established the Otis Smith Scholarship in Jacksonville University's athletics department; during the November 28, 2007, announcement, Smith said he would personally match the foundation's contribution, making the total stated gift $100,000. After approximately 18 years of activity, the foundation closed at the end of 2007. Smith announced the decision in a release dated August 29, 2007. Board members identified the economic environment and increased competition for corporate and private donations as major factors, while the foundation's dependable fundraising mechanisms had weakened. Smith stated that other Jacksonville charitable programs serving children were well positioned to continue the community's youth-support work. Although defunct, the foundation's legacy included school-based services, public fundraising projects, and endowed scholarship support for local students.
History
Otis Smith established the Otis F. Smith Foundation in 1989 after returning to Florida to play professional basketball for the Orlando Magic. His commitment to youth activities predated the foundation: he had grown up in Jacksonville, participated in Boys' Club programs, and worked with youth organizations and basketball clinics during and after college. The foundation initially organized summer basketball clinics, but its remit broadened during the 1990s as it began partnering with Jacksonville elementary schools and neighborhoods experiencing economic and academic disadvantage. The foundation's expanded programming addressed several aspects of childhood development. It provided free summer day camps, after-school tutoring, school-year enrichment, holiday celebrations, and excursions to sports events, cultural institutions, and other local attractions. Health screenings were among the final services added to its portfolio. The organization became one of the First Coast's early celebrity-associated charitable foundations with a sustained local presence. It operated with four full-time employees and an annual budget reported at approximately $400,000, without government funding. A 2005 review of foundations linked to professional athletes rated it at 78.6 percent. Fundraising included the Florida Sports Awards, which first appeared on live television in 1996 as an event benefiting the foundation. The awards show grew into a prominent local sports presentation, but increasing production costs reduced its profitability. The retirement of Andy Jacobs, president of First Coast Sports Awards, Inc. and a major force behind the event, in September 2002 was another important change in the fundraising environment. In November 2002, the Otis F. Smith Foundation was renamed the Otis Smith Kids Foundation to clarify that children were the organization's primary beneficiaries. Later public-art campaigns became major sources of visibility and revenue. Sea Cows for Kids displayed 43 decorated fiberglass manatees across Jacksonville from September 2004 to February 2005, followed by a public auction on April 2. Big Cats for Kids began in 2006, with 53 sponsors each paying $5,000 to support a themed cat sculpture. The cats were displayed throughout Jacksonville for almost a year. At the July 10, 2007, Jammies & Jeans: The Cats Pajamas Party, 41 cats were auctioned; 12 had already been adopted by sponsors. The campaign raised more than $220,000, with one sculpture selling for $12,000 and the average sale price reported at approximately $2,900. The foundation also created a longer-term educational legacy through scholarships. It endowed support at Florida Community College at Jacksonville, contributed $56,000 to the University of North Florida's Florida First Generation Scholarship Program, and donated $50,000 to Jacksonville University's athletics department for the Otis Smith Scholarship. The Jacksonville University gift was announced on November 28, 2007; Smith said he would match it personally, bringing the stated total to $100,000. By 2007, the foundation's dependable fundraising activities were no longer sufficient to sustain operations amid difficult economic conditions and intensified competition for corporate and private charitable contributions. Smith announced the closure in a release on August 29, 2007, and the organization shut down at the end of the year after roughly 18 years. Its closing statement pointed to the presence of other Jacksonville charities serving children, while its scholarship endowments and earlier school programs formed the principal elements of its continuing community legacy.
- 2007
Big Cats for Kids auction completed
[1]The campaign's July auction sold 41 sculptures, with the remainder already adopted by sponsors, and raised more than $220,000.
- 2007
Foundation closes
[1]After about 18 years, the organization closed at the end of 2007 because of economic pressures and increased competition for donations.
- 2006
Big Cats for Kids launched
[1]The foundation began a sponsored public-art campaign featuring 53 decorated cat sculptures displayed across Jacksonville.
- 2004
Sea Cows for Kids launched
[1]A public-art fundraising campaign placed 43 decorated fiberglass manatees around Jacksonville before a subsequent auction.
- 2002
Organization renamed
[1]The foundation adopted the Otis Smith Kids Foundation name in November to emphasize its focus on children.
- 1996
Florida Sports Awards becomes a televised fundraiser
[1]The Florida Sports Awards first appeared on live television as a fundraising event benefiting the foundation.
- 1989
Foundation established
[1]Otis Smith founded the Otis F. Smith Foundation after returning to Florida to play for the Orlando Magic. Its early work centered on summer basketball clinics for children.
Products and positioning
A locally focused, athlete-founded youth charity combining education, recreation, personal development, and community fundraising for disadvantaged children in Jacksonville.
Education and youth development
Youth education and enrichment programs
The foundation partnered with selected Jacksonville elementary schools and communities to provide after-school tutoring, school-year enrichment, holiday activities, and personal-development support for children facing economic or academic disadvantage.
Recreation and youth sports · 1989
Summer day camps and basketball clinics
Free summer day camps and basketball clinics formed the foundation's original service model. The activities used sport and supervised recreation as entry points for mentoring, physical activity, and broader youth development.
Higher education support
Scholarship programs
The organization supported endowed scholarships at Florida Community College at Jacksonville, the University of North Florida, and Jacksonville University. The University of North Florida gift focused on first-generation college students, while the Jacksonville University scholarship supported a local student-athlete.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Big Cats for Kids
Jacksonville, Florida
Fifty-three sponsors paid $5,000 each to support themed cat sculptures displayed around Jacksonville for almost a year. The project used public art, sponsorship, and a final auction to raise money for children's programs.
Outcome. At the July 10, 2007, Jammies & Jeans: The Cats Pajamas Party, 41 of the 53 cats were auctioned and 12 had already been adopted by sponsors. The campaign raised more than $220,000.
- 2004Sea Cows for Kids
Jacksonville, Florida
Forty-three fiberglass manatees were decorated and displayed at locations across Jacksonville from September 2004 through February 2005. The sculptures were later prepared for a public auction held at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds.
Outcome. The campaign concluded with the Great Sea Cow Roundup and Auction on April 2, after which winning bidders moved the sculptures to homes and businesses.
- 1996Florida Sports Awards
Jacksonville, Florida
The Florida Sports Awards became a televised fundraising event for the foundation and developed into a high-profile local sports awards show. Its financial effectiveness later declined as production expenses rose.
Outcome. The event provided a major fundraising platform, but its profitability was reduced over time by increasing production costs.
Brand decisions
2007
Close the foundation after approximately 18 yearsOtherBackground
The organization faced a difficult economic environment, stronger competition for corporate and private donations, and the loss or weakening of reliable fundraising activities.
Action taken
Otis Smith announced the foundation's closure in a release dated August 29, 2007; operations ended at the close of the year.
Aftermath
The foundation directed attention to other Jacksonville organizations serving children, while its scholarship endowments remained part of its community legacy.
2002
Rename the organization to emphasize childrenStrategyBackground
The original Otis F. Smith Foundation name foregrounded its founder, while the organization increasingly focused on school-based services and disadvantaged children.
Action taken
In November 2002, the organization adopted the Otis Smith Kids Foundation name.
Aftermath
The new name made the child-centered mission more explicit while the foundation continued its education, recreation, and fundraising programs.
Sources1 sources
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