Elizabeth Star begins every morning with a cup of coffee, her planner and a mantra to be her best self. Whether she’s off to host a Youth Haven luncheon for fellow patrons summering up north or addressing a crowd for her Women Lifting Women (WLW) platform, she’s prepared for anything. Before heading out the door, she gives her polished look a final once-over. “When I feel together, I am together,” she says.
The Port Royal doyenne has been a philanthropic force since moving to Naples with her husband, and their son nearly 30 years ago. She started by participating in Community School of Naples’ Angel Ball. From there, she was frequently called upon to chair events for David Lawrence Centers (where she sat on the foundation board for six years), the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross, always inspiring radical generosity through emotional touchstones that connect guests with the cause.
She continues to push issues close to her and Stanley’s hearts locally and nationwide, like in North Carolina, where they have supported scholarships and entrepreneurial programs at Duke University.
In all her endeavors, Elizabeth takes a targeted approach to giving, identifying key issues and joining power players to stoke change.
In 2022, when she heard about the nearly 100 unhoused senior women living in Collier County, Elizabeth was aghast. “Being a woman in your 80s is difficult enough, right? Just imagine not having a home,” she says.
She took the helm at Women Lifting Women, an initiative from Women’s Foundation of Collier County (WFCC) that provides financial support and wraparound resources to unhoused senior women (Pillar 1), mentorship and career development opportunities for young women and girls (Pillar 2) and an endowment to fund the programs long-term (Pillar 3). The year before she joined the cause, WFCC raised $55,000; the next year, with Women Lifting Women and Elizabeth at the helm, the nonprofit brought in $1 million.
It’s no wonder Youth Haven recently courted the dynamo to chair their big capital campaign to replace the campus’ Telford building. The vital-but-outdated, 50-year-old facility serves as the central hub for the organization’s displaced kids.
This month, Collier Community Foundation bestows Elizabeth with the Robert C. Cosgrove Award for philanthropic service, reflecting her dedication to creating a brighter future, one dollar, one meeting, one cause at a time. “If my name is associated with a certain goal, I’m going to make sure we achieve it.” —Addison Pezoldt