Beginning in 2015 and recurring every four years, The Economic Club of Tampa hosts the Mayoral Inaugural Ball, a black tie formal event following the official swearing in ceremony. The Ball, taking place Wednesday, May 8th 2019, has become one of the city’s premiere social events celebrating the newly elected Mayor of Tampa and honoring current and previous city leaders. Net proceeds from the fund are given to Hillsborough Education Foundation, a tax exempt 501(c)3 not for profit organization, to purchase Florida Prepaid College Scholarships for low income at risk students who are demonstrating hard work and academic success. The foundation obtains matching contributions dollar for dollar for scholarships from the State of Florida.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation Take Stock in Children program helps to assure student success by interviewing and screening applicants, signing scholars to a written contract, recruiting and developing volunteer mentors for each recipient, and assigned a college success coach. All of these services combined with the promise of a college scholarship substantially increase graduation rates of these underserved students from 60% to 98%.