The Tibor & Sheila Hollo Charitable Foundation was founded to support causes close to their hearts, especially those related to healthcare, education, and the arts. All the way up to his passing in May 2024, Tibor Hollo was fully involved in and dedicated to the mission of the foundation that he and his wife, Sheila, created.

For six consecutive years, the Foundation has donated $75,000 to bring the unique HealthCorps program to another Miami-Dade County High School. HealthCorps is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz to help educate local high school students on nutrition, fitness, and mental resilience. So far, donations through the Foundation have benefitted Booker T. Washington, Coral Gables, Coral Park (twice), Hialeah, and Hallandale Senior High Schools.

“I am committed to making a difference in the health and well-being of children in South Florida,” said Mr. Hollo. If we empower the next generation to choose healthier options, then they will adopt healthier lifestyle habits for the future, which reduces the risk of developing disease and incurring serious healthcare costs.”

In 2012, the Tibor & Sheila Hollo Foundation partnered with Florida International University (FIU) to create the Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate in the College of Business. “We are honored that through the establishment of the Hollo School, Mr. and Mrs. Hollo have made this important commitment to the expansion of FIU’s real estate education,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. “We look forward to a relationship that benefits our university, our community, and the next generation of Miami’s business leaders.”

“Real estate is a dynamic profession, one that challenges our best minds to explore how to use our limited resources to finance and create useful, exciting places to live and work,” Mr. Hollo said. “I am grateful that Florida International University embraces this challenge in its real estate program, and I am proud of our new association. I look forward to the ongoing progress in the study of real estate, guided by the outstanding scholars at FIU.”

Further, with his sensitivity to the environment and seeing a need for open spaces in our community amongst the skyscrapers, Mr. Hollo recognized that there were no parks on Brickell Avenue. Thus, he took it upon himself to acquire a site located at 1814 Brickell, demolish the existing building on the property, and donate the land to the City of Miami for the development of a brand-new family park that is now being enjoyed by Brickell area residents. 1814 Brickell Park (now known as Hollo Park) features lushly landscaped areas, an elevated central grass court, a fenced-in children’s play area, and a memorial created from one of the last remaining steel beams unearthed from the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Hollo also have graciously donated their time and money to many wonderful charities and organizations, including the Alonzo Mourning Charities and the Overtown Youth Center, Building for Tomorrow, Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Camillus House, Friends of Lubavitch, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Hazon Yeshaya Humanitarian Network, Israel Bonds, Israel Endowment Funds, Israeli Defense Forces, Jewish Leadership Institute, Miami Children’s Museum, Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Miami-Dade College, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Myelin Project, Panim El Panim, Shul of Downtown Miami, Special Olympics, Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach, United Way Miami, and YMCA of Greater Miami.

Moreover, although Mr. Hollo’s business activities were largely devoted to commercial and residential developments and management, he also was an active participant in over 40 civic, fraternal, and religious organizations and has earned numerous awards and accolades over the years.

The U.S. Congress recognized and honored Mr. Hollo as an Outstanding Floridian in 1981 and again in 2005. The Simon Wiesenthal Center also honored Mr. Hollo and his wife, Sheila, in 2005. He was the first recipient of the prestigious City of Miami Visionary Award in 1990, as well.

In 2006, Catholic Charities Legal Services and the Archdiocese of Miami presented Mr. Hollo with the New American Award, which recognizes individual immigrants’ contributions to society. Under his leadership, FECR was honored by South Florida CEO Magazine as the Best Condo Developer for 2006.

In 2007, Mr. Hollo was honored by the House of Representatives for his contribution to Miami’s growth. At the request of The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, a flag was flown over the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. in his honor.

Mr. Hollo was selected by the City of Miami and the Greater Miami Host Committee as the Global Citizen of the Year for 2009 and was honored by Business Leader Media as the Business Leader of the Year in the real estate category.

In 2010, Mr. Hollo received the coveted life achievement award by the Urban Land Institute and then, in 2011, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce presented Mr. Hollo with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2012, the South Florida Business Journal named Mr. Hollo as one of the 100 Power Leaders, as well as a Miami Ultimate CEO. Florida International University (FIU) honored Mr. Hollo with the South Florida Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2012 Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Awards.

More recently, Mr. Hollo received the Distinguished Citizen Award from Scouting America (South Florida Council) in 2015, the Jay Malina Award from the Miami-Dade Beacon Council (Annual Beacon Awards) in 2016, the Leonard “DOC” Baker Lifetime Achievement Award from the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce in 2017, and the Henry M. Flagler Award from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce in 2019. He was also selected as a Real Estate Visionary by the Miami Herald (South Florida Visionary Awards) in 2016 and a Living Legend by Florida Trend (Florida 500) in 2018. Additionally, Mr. Hollo was honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from Miami Today (Gold Medal Awards) in 2018, United HomeCare (Claude Pepper Awards) in 2019, South Florida Business & Wealth (Apogee Awards) in 2021, and FIU’s Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate (REact Real Estate Conference) in 2022.

Mr. Hollo was a member of the Society of Founders of Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Miami. He served on Florida’s Task Force on Housing and Community Affairs and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Factory Built Housing, as well as the Downtown Advisory Committee and the Committee on Ecology and Beautification. He served on the Executive Board as Trustee of Barry University, the Board of Directors of the Latin Builders Association, and the City of Miami Beach’s ad hoc committee for Economic Adjustment Strategy. He also was on the County’s Performing Arts Center Strategic Planning Committee and had served on the Board of Directors of both the Florida Grand Opera and the Opera Society. He was a Past President and Advisory Board member for Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach, as well.