The Business of Fundraising

In 2005, a group of friends, united by a passion for fine wine and a philanthropic spirit, decided to host a silent auction to benefit children in need in Northwest Florida.

To their delight, the event raised around $80,000 and laid the groundwork for what would become the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF). As of last year, the organization had distributed $32 million in donations to children’s charities in Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties and benefitted an estimated 100,000 youths.

With a staff of four, a board of directors, trustees and partnerships with 17 different charities, DCWAF’s mission is the same as it was in the first place: better the lives of abused, infirm and disadvantaged children through special, wine-related events. 

Activities conducted by the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation include its Harvest Festival, seminars and a Galentine’s gathering. In 2023, the auction, itself, raised $3.4 million for children’s charities. Photo by Kiara Watson

For DCWAF president Karah Fridley-Young, there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.

“I’ve been with DCWAF for about 11 years now, and as soon as I graduated college, I sought out this job,” said Fridley-Young, a Destin native. “Even if I won the lottery, I’d be right here in this position, giving back to the community that raised me.” 

At this writing, Fridley-Young and her team were gearing up for DCWAF’s signature wine auction weekend, a two-day event featuring private patron dinners curated by local chefs and celebrity vintners; a wine tasting and silent auction; and a live auction, where attendees bid on exceptional wines, getaways and other highly prized items.

For a decade, Wine Spectator Magazine has ranked the experience as one of the top charity wine auctions in the United States. 

“That success is accomplished through collaboration,” Fridley-Young said of the event, which raised $3.4 million in 2023. “It is our board. It is our sponsors and our vintners, chefs and volunteers.” 

“It is hard work to fundraise,” added DCWAF director of marketing and communications Kate MacMillan. “It speaks to the caliber of our supporters and what they’re willing to invest in our community and us.”

MacMillan said DCWAF’s fundraising efforts take place year-round. According to its financial report for 2022–23, DCWAF raised $175,000 at its sixth annual Harvest Wine & Food Festival in Sandestin and $75,600 at its second annual Galentine’s event. 

Fridley-Young and MacMillan reflected on the success of the 2024 Galentine’s gathering, which raised over $100,000 for girls served by eight charities. Dozens of ladies, dressed in pink, of course, came together to celebrate women in business in Northwest Florida, exchange stories and indulge in a little vino.

Pinks and reds dominated attire at the DCWAF’s Galentine’s gathering, an event that
raised $100,000. Photo by Kiara Watson

“It was a beautiful and cathartic afternoon,” Fridley-Young recalled. “It was a room full of all women, sharing some very personal experiences and moments that shaped their lives and engaging in conversations that wouldn’t happen if there was a single man in the room.”

“One of the causes we supported was providing supplies for period poverty,” MacMillan said. “Point Washington Medical Clinic and one of our newest partners, Caring & Sharing of South Walton, applied for a grant with us that would help supply female hygiene products to girls, along with education on how to use those products safely.”

DCWAF also supports the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC). Sadly, there are times when girls who have been sexually assaulted arrive at the center and must turn their clothing over to investigators as evidence. DCWAF helps provide these children with new attire, as well as a gift card to purchase an item of their choice to help them regain a sense of control and comfort.

Photo courtesy of Destin Charity Wine Auction

ECCAC chief executive officer Julie Porterfield said DCWAF has given the advocacy center $2,740,500 since 2009. Those funds have mightily aided efforts to “restore lost innocence” through advocacy, therapy and safe havens for children who have been neglected and abused.

“Last year, we were able to open an office in Fort Walton Beach to focus on children in neglectful situations through our CARES program, which works with children and their families to either keep them out of the system or get them out of the system very quickly,” Porterfield said. “As we develop new programs, DCWAF’s funding has helped support us. Right now, we’re seeing about 1,200 children a year, and DCWAF has impacted every one we serve. They are helping grow a healthy place for children to thrive in our community.”

DCWAF will mark its 20th anniversary next year, and Fridley-Young said they are already looking toward the next 20 years. 

Photos by Kiara Watson

“Going forward, our biggest goals are to continue the trust within our donors to make sure their dollars have the biggest impact they can,” she said. “We want to continue to raise the bar each year, reach more children than we have before and ultimately help end the issues plaguing the children of our community.”

DCWAF has begun to solicit legacy gifts and plans to continue building awareness through small wine education events while adding more nonprofit partners.

“The concept of being able to get to a place where every dollar cuts through operational costs and just goes straight to the kids is, for us, very meaningful,” MacMillan said. “Figuring out how to get to that place is something we will continue to explore.”