It was another banner year for the Naples Winter Wine Festival. Live and online auctions held at the twenty-fifth annual festival raised more than $34 million dollars, beating out the previous year’s record total.
The founding organization of the wine festival, the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), supports local nonprofit organizations that focus on underprivileged and at-risk children living in Collier County. Since inception, the festival has raised more than $336 million. Through annual grants and collaborative strategic initiatives, 90 nonprofit agencies and 350,000 children have benefited.
This year’s investment includes funding traditional grants of $6.7 million, $16.5 million for strategic initiatives that fill gaps in local children’s services, and $2.9 million for future projects.
And new this year, $8 million will be invested in an Early Learning Enrichment and Expansion Program, an initiative seeking to ensure more children in the community have access to high-quality education.
NCEF commissioned the Florida Chamber Foundation, a charitable organization that focuses on research and initiatives and works with state business leaders to promote the Florida economy, to conduct a study identifying critical needs, strategic recommendations, and best practices. Guided by this data, funds will support infrastructure improvements, staff salaries, and program enhancements.
Stephanie Pezeshkan, the 2024-25 NCEF grant committee chair, remarks that festival supporters once again showed an incredible amount of generosity, allowing for a profound and sustaining impact on children in the community. “By investing in the most effective organizations, we ensure that our dollars drive meaningful change, improving lives and strengthening communities for the long term,” she says.
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