Naples children's foundation report shows results

Collier County’s premier charitable organization that raises millions annually for impoverished children can take some of the credit for improving graduation rates, decreasing school suspensions and improving overall child well-being, according to a new report.

Millions of dollars in grants to more than 40 children’s programs from Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) has dramatically narrowed gaps in health care and the educational and social well-being of thousands of needy children, according to a 2016 report the group released Thursday.

NCEF and its signature fundraiser, the Naples Winter Wine Festival, launched in 2001.

“We have a piece of it but we cannot take all of the credit,” Maria Jimenez-Lara, chief executive officer of NCEF, said.  “But we don’t take all of the credit. No agency can do that.”

The wine festival raised $135 million since its inception through 2015, and $11 million in 2016. More than 200,000 children have been served.

Click here to read the NCEF Impact Study »

Some of the significant findings over the last five years show a 42 percent improvement in the number of children entering kindergarten and prepared to learn on grade level, and a 65 percent decrease in school suspension rate. The results are from 2010 to 2015.

In addition, fewer children are getting in trouble with the law, thanks in part to after school and summer programs that NCEF has funded. The juvenile arrest rate is down 62 percent, and graduation rates have improved 20 percent.

Jimenez-Lara said the report looks at data collected by the Collier County School District, from agencies that track children’s access to insurance and medical care, and other data, not just what its grant recipients report.

The findings are being used to measure performance of children’s services that receive grants from NCEF and the impact they are having, but the findings also will be used to retool the grant application process and evaluation, she said

Going forward, charities will have to address how they are having an impact directly and indirectly with a behind-the-scenes analysis, she said.

“We are transitioning our grants to results-based grants,” she said. “It will ultimately mean charities will build their own capacity. I think we are challenging the organizations we fund to beyond what they are already doing. The needs are not stopping.”

Charities will be expected to achieve milestones that are go beyond milestones based on activities they have been engaged in and notch it up to the next level, she said.

The 2016 report was done by the Rensselaerville Institute, a New York-based organization which helps foundations set targets, measure results and achieve goals, and Impact Lab out of Chicago, she said.

Prior studies were done by an institute affiliated with the University of Florida in Gainesville, she said. It is good for organizations to change consulting groups for a fresh perspective and objectivity, she added.

NCEF has served 47,000 children with advocacy needs, such as shelter care, crisis counseling, mentors and basic essentials, according to the 2016 report.

For early education, nearly 37,000 children have been placed in early learning programs so they don’t fall behind, and 68,000 children have been enrolled in after-school and summer camp programs, according to the findings.

To help children stay healthy, 37,000 children have received a variety of health care services.

In addition to annual grants to groups like the Boys & Girls Club, the Greater Naples YMCA, Catholic Charities and many more, NCEF has spearheaded seven long-term strategic initiatives, where each focuses around a broad category, like mental health, where multiple agencies work together over several years in a multi-faceted approach.

“We take our role seriously as the largest funder of social services in Collier County,” Susie McCurry, the grants committee chairwoman for 2017, said. “When given the right tools, children have a remarkable ability to overcome difficult odds. We will continue working to ensure that every child gets the opportunities they deserve to succeed in life.”

The first two strategic initiatives began in 2006 and focused on medical care and oral health needs of children, which were dire at the time. Before the initiative, children in Immokalee were having to travel to Naples or Fort Myers for some basic medical care and specialty care. Most had gone without dental cleanings. Cavities and other issues, including tooth pain, were not being addressed.

Since then, local children have completed nearly 108,000 pediatric visits and 94,000 dental visits to the NCEF Pediatric Dental Center, according to the report.

A mental health initiative began in 2007, and $6.5 million has been allocated to address a huge gap. Mental health screenings are integrated into primary-care visits, a strategy that has been lauded in broader mental health circles for gaining access to children and reducing stigma.

Another initiative that debuted in 2011 focuses on child hunger, with $3.3 million allocated to the Harry Chapin Food Bank and Meals of Hope to address food insecurity and to distribute fresh vegetables and fruits to needy families at accessible sites in Collier and  nutritious pre-packaged meals.