Annual Report 2018

Thoughts

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Friends,

It is a pleasure to present to you our annual report for 2018. This past year was one of success, new challenges, and an ever-evolving community that has made charitable giving a cornerstone of life on the Emerald Coast.

After a number of years of successfully partnering with the Seaside Community Development Corporation to produce the Seeing Red Wine Festival, we moved our fall wine event to the beautiful community of WaterColor. The Harvest Wine & Food Festival inaugural production was extremely well received, and we are grateful for the support of the WaterColor community.

Fall also brought devastating wildfires to Napa and Sonoma with significant impact to so many who support our mission. For the first time in our history, we offered an auction lot that did not benefit the children of Northwest Florida. As a result of generous donations from DCWAF supporters, we raised $48,000 for the communities and people affected by the fires on the west coast.

2018 marked our 13th year of successfully producing one of the nation’s top charity wine auctions, and we were honored to received notification from Wine Spectator Magazine that, for the second year in a row, we were the third most successful charity wine auction in the country in 2017.

Our 2018 auction was highlighted by the stunning amount of money raised at the patron dinners the night before the live auction. Thanks to the commitment of our patron dinner hosts and their ability to create a platform for giving, we raised $884,000 at the patron dinners. This number represents an incredible increase of $380,000 over the previous year.

We do this and more for just one simple reason, to make a difference in the lives of the children of our community. As our work is far from complete, we ask you to stay in the fight and help us do even more in the coming years. A child is just a child for a few short years, and we have so many more to help.

Sincerely,

John Russell
President
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation

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FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Dear Friends,

Having been involved with the Destin Charity Wine Auction since 2006, I am amazed at how it has grown to become the third largest charitable wine auction in the country. As my husband reminds me, it is not important where we end up on the Wine Spectator list of the Top 10 Charitable Wine Auctions, but how much money we raise for children in need. We are so proud that the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation will give away $2.7 million to our 15 children’s charities this year making a true difference in the lives of children in need.

Founded in 2005, the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation has donated around $18 million to Northwest Florida charities serving at risk children. Through this time, it is estimated that we have impacted the lives of over 90,000 youth, including those afflicted by health issues, homelessness, and abuse.

To borrow a phrase, it takes a village to make this level of impact in our area. In 2018, our dedicated staff worked hard to fulfill our mission of connecting wine enthusiasts to raise money benefiting children in need in Northwest Florida. Our talented board of directors has never worked more diligently at both a committee and board level. We could not accomplish these results without our charities, trustees. sponsors, patrons, and volunteers which are too numerous to name. I personally want to thank each and every one of you for your efforts to serve our at risk youth. We are giving these kids the hope and resources they need for a brighter future.

Another great achievement of the Destin Charity Wine Auction in 2018 was the creation of the Legacy Society. Once you build a thriving nonprofit, you must ensure the Foundation’s sustainability allowing it to help children in need for decades to come. All of us are dependent upon the next generation’s ability to be healthy and productive members of society, and we believe creating a legacy for children along the Emerald Coast is critical to solidify a better tomorrow. We invite you to consider leaving your mark on the next generation by joining our Legacy Society.

It has been a true privilege to serve as the 2018 Chair of the Destin Charity Wine Auction. Together, we can make the 2019 wine auction the best ever!

Humbly,

Joan Carter
Chairman of the Board
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation

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BENEFICIARY Charities Of 2018

changing the lives of children

Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation donated
$2,700,000 to 15 Northwest Florida children’s charities on August 21 at WaterColor LakeHouse, marking the Foundation’s largest charitable distribution to date. Celebrating its 13 year anniversary, DCWAF has now donated more than $18 million to non-profit organizations serving children in Northwest Florida. In addition to funding the 15 local charities, DCWAF also broke from tradition and donated $48,000 to those effected by the wild fires in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Beginning next year, Westwood Ranch will join the DCWAF family and become the Foundation’s 16th benefiting charity.

“We see in the Westonwood Ranch team the same passion and drive to make a difference in the lives of children in need as exists in all of the DCWAF supported charities. Westonwood Ranch is the next step in providing support to families and individuals as they face the challenge of autism.” – John Russell, DCWAF President

AMIKids Emerald Coast

AMIkids Emerald Coast received $145,000 to fund a variety of behavioral modification programs, academic supplies, employee development, and student transportation.

$145,000