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About Us
Naples Children & Education Foundation
The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) was established in 2001 with the vision of making a profound and sustaining difference in the lives of children in Collier County. The founders created the Naples Winter Wine Festival in order to meet NCEF’s mission statement to support programs that improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged and at risk children.In 2005, the trustees of NCEF commissioned The Study of Child Well-Being, an assessment of the needs of children in Collier County. The study found several significant gaps in basic services that included pediatric oral health, early childhood education, social welfare, pediatric medical services and out of school services. In 2010, a follow up study was conducted identifying additional gaps including childhood hunger which is now an area of focus for the NCEF.
Since inception, the festival has raised over $110 million which through annual grants and collaborative strategic initiatives have impacted over thirty-five non-profit agencies and the lives of over 150,000 children.