The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), has invested more than $9.2 million this year in close to 40 nonprofit organizations helping underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County. The investment comes from the proceeds of the 2021 NWWF and includes traditional funding grants of $5.9 million, plus $3.2 million for three strategic initiatives – early learning, out-of-school time and vision – that fill fundamental gaps in children’s services. An additional $75,000 is being allocated for Collier CARES (Community Application for Resources and Emergency Services), a free, bilingual mobile and web application designed for the purpose of connecting people in need with the essential resources and services available in Collier County. This year, the number of beneficiaries receiving annual grants totaled 32, plus six other agencies that help fill needs in the community by taking part in NCEF’s multi-partner strategic initiatives focusing on the wellbeing of the whole child. The 2021 Festival raised approximately $7.4 million, bringing the total amount raised by the NWWF to nearly $220 million since its inception in 2001.
Originally shared in Gulfshore Business Daily