The collective impact grows exponentially—here are some of the many reasons to bid more boldly and generously than ever as NWWF celebrates 25 years on January 25.
1- 100% of your bid goes to the kids—operational costs are covered through private donations, so NWWF’s fundraising focus stays on the children.
2- NCEF’s founding trustees are savvy community leaders who, from the onset, helped establish a sustainable model for long-lasting change.
3- With the hundreds of NWWF volunteers involved, you’ll have a big network of new friends!
4- You’ll always know where your contribution is going. During NWWF’s Meet the Kids Day, patrons connect with the children NCEF reaches, keeping the mission front and center.
5- Dollar marker: $100 provides 10 children with needed behavioral health services.
6- NCEF’s giving is strategic—the foundation addresses the diverse needs of local children through seven research-backed initiatives: Early Learning, Healthcare, Hunger, Mental Health, Oral Health, Out-of-School Time and Vision.
7- The foundation conducts impact studies about every five years to identify evolving needs and ensure effective distribution of funds.
8- Dollar marker: $1,000 provides 15 children with dental sealants to prevent tooth decay.
9- Your bid benefits multitudes! NCEF partners with close to 60 local organizations, directing funds through targeted grants.
10-12- NCEF ensures every child can access quality care, no matter their location or circumstances, with a multi-pronged approach.
Mobile Services: Roving units for things like dental care and environmental literacy allow NCEF to reach underserved communities. The latest is the Bascom Palmer Vision Van, launched in 2024 to provide comprehensive examinations in schools and healthcare deserts.
Satellite Programs: When access is lacking, the foundation helps create it, like with the new Healthcare Network clinic at Manatee Middle School, where there are no family doctors’ offices within a 15-mile radius.
Upskilling Caregivers: NCEF addresses root causes and critical needs. A prime example: ABLE Academy’s S.T.A.R. (Specialized Therapeutic Analysis Resources) program, recipient of nearly $1 million in NCEF funding since 2014. To reduce expulsion rates among preschoolers, S.T.A.R. trains teachers and parents to identify learning difficulties and address behavioral issues before they escalate to serious problems.
13- The results are measured and tangible: More than 45,000 pairs of glasses have been distributed to children through the Vision initiative since 2012.

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14- Dollar marker: $50,000 gives 180 at-risk high school students resources to help them graduate on time.
15- Mental health support remains a priority as children’s depression and suicide rates climb. After learning pediatricians are still struggling to fill the critical and growing needs in mental health care, NCEF partnered with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to integrate emotional and behavioral services directly into pediatric practices. The foundation helped fund the team of three (psychologist, counselor and operations coordinator) that launched this month, serving NCH Pediatrics and Lighthouse Pediatrics of Naples.
16-20- NCEF forges transformative programs among nonprofits. Here are five collaborative initiatives to watch.
One of NCEF’s primary functions: identifying existing resources among the many stellar Collier County children’s nonprofits and supercharging them to meet critical needs.
In 2004, NCEF partnered with Florida Gulf Coast University to establish the Early Literacy & Learning Model (ELLM), which helps teachers instruct at-risk children to meet attainable learning objectives. Then last year, NCEF reopened its Early Childhood Development Center to better serve the county’s at-risk children. In other academic tutoring news, when St. Matthew’s House faced funding cuts for tutoring services, they turned to NCEF for help. NCEF connected their staff with Fostering Success, tapping into a broad network of tutors. This new partnership ensures that children at St. Matthew’s House receive high-quality, one-on-one tutoring both during their stay and after they leave.
In Immokalee, the nonprofit gave $500,000 to help fund Florida State University’s (FSU) SSTRIDE medical pipeline program, investing in kids’ dreams and forging providers who may stay and work in the area. Part of the FSU College of Medicine’s efforts to diversify its student body and develop a sustainable pipeline of local medical talent in underserved areas, the healthcare careers program provides Immokalee students with academic support, including tutoring and assistance with college applications.
The foundation is also working with the city to reach children and parents and keep them safe and informed. In 2023, NCEF partnered with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office to fund the Laced & Lethal program, which educates parents, children and after-school program coordinators on the dangers of fentanyl. And, a champion for long-term, holistic care, NCEF partnered with Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in 2014 to launch the Autism Navigator program, which supports children during the transition after their autism diagnosis. In doing so, NCEF is helping tackle the larger shortage of developmental-behavioral care in Collier County.
21- Dollar marker: $100,000 provides 20,000 children with nutritious food to take home on Fridays, ensuring they don’t go hungry over the weekend. More than 41 million meals have been distributed to kids and families in need since 2011 through the Hunger initiative.
22- There is no tax-based support in Collier County for many of the services NCEF supports. If they didn’t fund these efforts—essential healthcare, education and healthy nutrition—they’d cease to exist.
23- Dollar marker: $1 million provides a year of after-school programs for 1,000 children. That’s just $4 an hour for a child to have access to a hot meal and homework assistance.
24- NCEF tackles hidden barriers for kids. Since 2020, the group has supported FSU’s Immokalee CARACOL program, screening for chronic stress and generational trauma and providing early interventions to prevent lifelong impacts.
25- Since its inception in 2001, the NWWF has raised nearly $302 million—ALL for the Kids!

Photography by Brian Tietz