In mid-November, the leaders of 41 Southwest Florida nonprofits received an email from the executive director of the Golisano Foundation inviting them to attend a special announcement the following Tuesday by entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Golisano. More than 150 representatives from organizations across five categories — health, education, intellectual and developmental disabilities, community and animal welfare — showed up at Artis—Naples on Nov. 19, still in the dark as to the nature of the announcement. Golisano didn’t keep them waiting for long, taking the podium to announce that he would be presenting $85 million in unrestricted gifts to the organizations represented, eliciting a collective gasp and loud applause from those assembled. Golisano, who founded Paychex, the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses, said at the event that he has been impressed with the dedication and innovation of the organizations that he has had the opportunity to work with in Florida. The distribution brought Golisano’s philanthropy this year to $500 million and his lifelong philanthropy to $860 million, according to Golisano Foundation officials. “I know raising money is not easy for a nonprofit, and it’s been extremely rewarding to see what’s been accomplished by organizations that I’ve provided financial support,” he said. “I know you guys have a tough job raising money. I’ve said it many times, and lately more than ever: The only wealth you get to keep is that which you give away. “And since I applied for immortality and was denied, I’m here today to give some away,” he told the enthused crowd. He said he hoped the “unexpected funding” would help the organizations “broaden their impact and strengthen their organizations so they can expand their services and those they serve.” The largest awards, $10 million each, went to Golisano Children’s Hospital and Ave Maria University in the fields of healthcare and education. Naples Comprehensive Health received $5 million (after another recent gift of $5 million from the Golisano Foundation), and the Guadalupe Center received $3 million. Other organizations receiving $5 million include Easterseals Southwest Florida, Family Initiative, Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, LARC, Inc. and STARability Foundation. The gifts, which will be paid out over four to five years, were all unrestricted, meaning the organizations can use the funds for the needs they designate instead of being limited to one area. Jonathan Foerster, CEO of the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, which received $4 million, said the unrestricted aspect of the gift means the donor is leaving it up to the organization to determine the best use for the funds. “It’s amazing, in a time when many donors want to very much specify [the use], that Mr. Golisano is trusting these organizations,” Foerster said after the check presentation. “He’s believing in us that we’re going to know what best to do with that mo...