Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation

Charting a course to a better community…

Message from the Board Chair — First Half of 2026 Dear Venice Yacht Club Members,
It is hard to believe we are already halfway through our fiscal year! As always, we are deeply grateful for the incredible generosity of the VYC membership, their friends, and their families. The Foundation has had a remarkable start to 2026, and I am proud to share some of the highlights with you.

Our Impact So Far in 2026

$150,000 2026 Grant Budget

30+ Organizations Served Annually

19 Nonprofits Funded in First Cycle

$1,500,000+ Granted Since Inception

About the Foundation
The Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation (VYCCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the greater Venice, Florida community. Supported by the generous members of the Venice Yacht Club and their families, the Foundation conducts two competitive grant cycles each year, awarding funding to approximately 30 local charitable organizations.

2026 First Grant Cycle — Update
This year, the Foundation set a grant budget of $150,000. In the first grant cycle, we received applications from over 20 local organizations and approved $86,500 in grants to 19 nonprofits. We were especially pleased to welcome three new organizations applying for the first time: Sleep in Heavenly Peace, The Venice Historical Society, and The Englewood Community Center.

Through the end of March, $35,000 has been distributed to seven organizations, with the remaining grants scheduled for disbursement in April and May 2026.

First Cycle Grant Recipients Include:

The Haven
Laurel Civic Association
Good Samaritan Health
Senior Friendship Center
Venice Area Historical Society
Venice Area Pregnancy Care Center
Mote Marine Aquarium (new — first visit to their new facility!)

2026 Second Grant Cycle — In Progress
The second grant cycle is well underway! We have already received approximately 28 grant applications, with a few more days remaining before the grant window closes. During April, the Outreach Committee will vote on these applications, and in May we will announce the recipients for the second cycle. We look forward to continuing to serve our community through this second round of funding.

Event Highlights

9th Annual Bike/Walk Ride for a Better Community — February 2026 ✔ Completed
What a success! Over 250 participants joined us for a perfect morning, and we surpassed our fundraising goal by raising $130,000! Three $5,000 grant checks were awarded at the event. Special thanks to Director Dave Slaman and co-chairs Steve Bieglecki and Steve Selbo, as well as the Venice Police Department and VHS JR ROTC cadets. Heartfelt thanks also go to our dedicated volunteers and the entire Yacht Club team.

Mote Marine Laboratory — April 9, 2026
On April 9, a group of committee members presented a $5,000 grant check at the new Mote Marine Aquarium. The grant was for a youth education science program, including learning about coral restoration, in their state-of-the-art STEM labs.

Jazz Under the Stars — April 23, 2026
Join us for an elegant evening of live jazz, delicious food, and wonderful company under the night sky. This year we are thrilled to welcome back The Savannah Brady Trio. Our dynamic Event Chair and co-chair, Karla Olsen and Joi Nemke, have even more fun planned for this year! This event is typically a sell-out — reserve your table early!

Looking Ahead
The second half of 2026 promises to be equally exciting. Our beloved Parrot-Head Party returns by popular demand on Saturday, October 17, 2026 — a night of Jimmy Buffett- themed music, dancing, great food, special surprises, fun games, and one-of-a-kind Jimmy Buffett memorabilia auction. This event will sell out, so book early!

Other Ways to Support the Foundation
Have you considered donating through Zelle? This free, bank-to-bank encrypted digital payment service makes giving simple and secure. If your bank uses Zelle, all you need is our registered email address: Treasurer@vyccf.com — funds are transferred directly with no account numbers exchanged.

For a 501(c)(3) like VYCCF, Zelle offers key advantages:

No transaction fees
Instant access to funds
Secure and direct transfers
Simple for donors

Please be sure to include your name and email with your donation so we can send you a thank-you letter and tax receipt.

Thank You
None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our members, volunteers, and the broader Venice Yacht Club community. You are the reason we can chart a course for a better community.

"Mobilize the collective goodwill of our community to improve the lives of our neighbors, including those who are most vulnerable."
— VYCCF Mission Statement

Respectfully Submitted,
Sylvia Hollister
2026 VYCCF Board Chair

Together we are Charting a Course for a Better Community

Calendar of Events
Coming Soon...

VYCCF Mission:

Our mission is to “mobilize the collective goodwill of our community, to improve the lives of our neighbors, including those who are most vulnerable”.

Dear Fellow Club Members:
Thanks to all who sponsored and/or came out for our “Jazz Under the Stars” event a couple of weeks ago. Also, heartfelt thanks to Karla Olson, the event Chair, and her co-chair, Joi Nemke, for their tireless efforts to ensure that a good time was had by all! No detail is overlooked by this dynamic duo. At press time, this fundraiser garnered more than $10,000 to help support the many deserving organizations the Foundation supports.

One of the new groups the VYCCF is supporting this year is the Englewood Community Care Center (ECCC). This 501(c) 3 nonprofit medical clinic provides no cost medical services to the under-served residents of Englewood and surrounding communities here in SW Florida, explains Beth Morrison who has been with the center since its inception in 2011.

“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” Morrison says. ECCC operates as a walk-in clinic on Monday and Thursday evenings, providing “concierge-like medical services aimed primarily at diagnosing and controlling hypertension and diabetes,” she says. With in-house lab capability and over 50 volunteer medical and admin providers, the organization served 134 residents (ages 18-64) in March 2026, up from 64 patients in 2025! The VYCCF’s grant of $3,000 will go toward diabetic testing supplies. For more information, visit their website at: EnglewoodClinic.org

Be on the watch for more details on our October 22 Parrot-head Party! But meanwhile, enjoy this wonderful spring and Happy Trails, wherever they might take you.

Some of the Englewood Community Care Center’s 50+ dedicated volunteers

The organization targets diagnosing and treating diabetes and hypertension in those without Medicare, Medicaid or insurance, 18-64, residing in Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

With appreciation,
Barbi Richardson, VYCCF Currents Editor

Please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VeniceYachctClubCharitableFoundation/

updated: May 2026 Currents

Dear Fellow Club Members:
April 23 is the date for the Charitable Foundation’s Jazz Under the Stars. Make sure you have reserved! And it’s not too late to consider becoming a sponsor to help us continue expanding our grants to worthy (and local) organizations. The evening’s dinner -- from hors-d’oeuvres to bite-sized desserts -- will be arranged in the popular “stations” configuration to keep those dreaded “buffet lines” at bay. This year will once again feature the Victor Vargus Trio. Hope to see you there!

The final tally is in from our annual Ride/Stride event in February: 251 participants, their sponsors and our 45 event sponsors raised a record-setting $130,000 and the event was covered by ABC of Sarasota! Thanks to ALL!

The VYCCF is about to start its second grant cycle, and we hope to soon have many applications in for evaluation. So, stay tuned during the coming months for status updates on this important process.

Meanwhile, we would like to highlight Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a new “grantee” this year; and in fact, the group will receive their check at Jazz Under the Stars! This local organization is dedicated to making sure every child in need has their own bed! The beds are patented and each comes complete with a mattress and bedding, explains Cheryl Kross, president of the Sarasota chapter. The cost for one bed is $300 and the organization looks for sponsors to fund a “build.” These builds are based on the assembly-line method with various stations for lumber, staining, quality control, etc. The group has 20-25 dedicated volunteers who fully assemble 20 beds in 4 hours! “We are always in search for more volunteers,” Kross says, noting that the group offers on-the-job training to their volunteers and they can also use volunteers with a pick-up trucks as all beds are hand delivered. For more information, visit their website at: https://shpbeds.org –or even better, come say hello to her at Jazz Under the Stars!!

Appreciatively,
Barbi Richardson, VYCCF Currents Editor

Please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VeniceYachctClubCharitableFoundation/

updated: April 2026 Currents

Documents

VYCCF Donor Card