Naples Children and Education Foundation gets new HQ building

A new resource in Southwest Florida is helping nonprofit organizations reach their community.

The Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF), the same foundation that raises tens of millions of dollars every year for children’s charities through the Naples Winter Wine Festival, dedicated a new space to continue their mission.

The new building at 2590 Goodlette-Frank Road will help underprivileged kids physically, emotionally, and scholastically.

Valerie Boyd is a founding trustee of NCEF and said, “There are literally hundreds of thousands of [kids in need].”

It’s a tall task.

Collier County is different from most counties as they have no government-funded social services for children.

It’s a task to meet those needs that the NCEF takes on every year. And soon, they’ll do so in new headquarters.

“It’s been 22 years coming because we remember when we first all got together and created the Naples Children and Education Foundation, and there were 12 couples, and we had no home at all,” Boyd said.

The money the foundation receives is given out as grants to many organizations.

“It’s a very rigorous process, and it’s a very good process, matter of fact,” Boyd explained. “It symbolizes a commitment of the entire community to its kids.”

This year, the foundation handed out more than $9 million, and the foundation makes sure every penny is well spent.

“So, if you said to me, I have $10 to invest in Naples. I am going to give it to the NCEF because I know 100%, not 99% or 90% or 80% is going to go right back to the children,” Boyd added.

Now that NCEF has a new facility, the foundation said it will be able to offer children’s programming and education seminars for the many organizations it helps.