The Naples Children Foundation (NCF), the founding organization of the world-renowned Naples Winter Wine Festival, today is proud to announce that it has invested more than $30.6 million in approximately 50 local nonprofit organizations to help fund essential resources and services benefitting the most vulnerable children in Collier County.
Each year, NCF supports dozens of nonprofits through the proceeds of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. This year’s investment in future generations includes $7.6 million in traditional grants and $15.3 million for NCF multi-year strategic initiatives that fill fundamental gaps in local children’s services, plus an additional $7.7 million in future projects and strategic initiatives.
“Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our supporters, we are able to invest in proven programs that transform the lives of vulnerable children in Collier County,” said Sue Bieker, 2026 NCF Grant Committee Chair. “We are incredibly proud that every dollar raised under the tent of our live auction goes right back into the local community.”
This year, a total of 33 nonprofits received traditional funding grants, plus 10 additional agencies that help fill critical needs in the community by taking part in NCF’s multi-partner, multi-year strategic initiatives focusing specifically on hunger, oral health and vision. NCF also funded six special projects/out-of-cycle grants focused on early learning, healthcare and mental health.
NCF’s unique approach, which emphasizes collaboration between organizations and bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community, one issue at a time. Each NCF beneficiary is fully vetted and many utilize that process as a “Good Housekeeping Stamp of Approval.” The Blueprint Partner program builds upon that process.
“Our Blueprint Partner program is an endorsement of those strategic initiative partners who are able to have the greatest impact by leveraging resources, creating systems, aligning protocols and eliminating duplication of services,” said NCF Chief Executive Officer Maria Jimenez-Lara.
The following is a list of NCF 2026-2027 traditional beneficiaries and dollar amounts awarded:
| Organization | Award |
| ABLE Academy | $ 190,000 |
| Avow Kids | $ 182,500 |
| Better Together | $ 200,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast | $ 110,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Collier County | $ 690,000 |
| Brighter Bites | $ 100,000 |
| Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation | $ 75,000 |
| Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice | $ 295,000 |
| Champions for Learning | $ 225,000 |
| Children’s Advocacy Center of Collier County | $ 1,079,000 |
| Conservancy of Southwest Florida | $ 50,000 |
| First Tee – Naples/Collier | $ 75,000 |
| Fostering Success | $ 415,000 |
| Fun Time Early Childhood Academy | $ 490,000 |
| Grace Place for Children and Families | $ 410,000 |
| Legal Aid Service of Collier County | $ 600,000 |
| Literacy Collier | $ 75,000 |
| MusicScores Violin | $ 55,000 |
| Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) – Bilingual Perinatal Community Educator | $ 85,000 |
| Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) – Pediatric & Special Needs Specialist | $ 44,000 |
| Naples Therapeutic Riding Center | $ 175,000 |
| NCH Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition | $ 50,000 |
| Pace Center for Girls | $ 100,000 |
| Project BUILD | $ 50,000 |
| Special Olympics Florida | $ 127,500 |
| St. Matthew’s House | $ 100,000 |
| STARability Foundation | $ 80,000 |
| The Salvation Army of Collier County | $ 210,000 |
| The Shelter for Abused Women & Children | $ 150,000 |
| United Arts Collier | $ 85,000 |
| Valerie’s House | $ 200,000 |
| YMCA of Collier County | $ 375,000 |
| Youth Haven | $ 500,000 |
| Total Traditional Funding | $ 7,648,000 |
| NCF Initiative Organizations and Blueprint Partners | ||
| Initiative | Organization | Award |
| Hunger | Feeding Dreams Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest FloridaMeals of HopeMidwest Food BankOur Daily Bread Food Pantry | |
| Total 2026-2028 Funding | $ 2,988,000 | |
| Oral Health | Healthcare NetworkUniversity of Florida College of Dentistry | |
| Total 2026-2029 Funding | $ 5,700,000 | |
| Vision | Bascom Palmer Eye InstituteFlorida Lions Eye ClinicLighthouse of Collier | |
| Total 2026–2029 Funding | $ 2,791,200 | |
| NCF Special Projects/Out-of-Cycle Grants | Early Learning Coalition of SWFL – Early Learning Subsidies | $ 200,000 |
| Florida Gulf Coast University – NCF Early Childhood Development Center | $ 600,000 | |
| Healthcare Network – Manatee Middle School Based Programming (2026-2028) | $ 640,000 | |
| Healthcare Network – Van Domelen Community Health Center | $ 123,100 | |
| University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Pediatric – UF Pediatric Diabetes Prevention and Screening in Collier County | $ 250,000 | |
| Capacity Building – Mental Health Registered Interns | $ 2,000,000 | |
| Total Special Projects/Out-of-Cycle Grants Funding | $ 3,813,100 | |
| 2026-2027 Traditional Grants | $ 7,648,000.00 |
| Multi-Year Strategic Initiatives | $ 15,292,300.00 |
| Future Projects & Strategic Initiatives | $ 7,666,350.00 |
| Total 2026-2027 Funding | $ 30,606,650.00 |