In the past, individuals and small groups of Worthington residents assumed responsibility, liability and/or costs to raise money or support for specific entities or organizations. The Worthington Country Club Charitable Foundation relieves them of these burdens.

Some country clubs do sponsor charitable events and activities, and this is likely due to their legal designation and/or the difference between the requirements for a bundled vs. equity community. Because Worthington Country Club is a not-for-profit (defined as “existing for the purpose of fulfilling owners’ organizational objectives”), and the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (defined as “existing explicitly to benefit the public good”), the Club itself is not allowed to have a separate legal entity.

The Foundation’s simple yet powerful mission to Make a Difference in the Lives of Others is a call to action that drives all the Foundation’s initiatives, actions and decisions. Board Members uphold these commitments with unwavering dedication.

In most instances, events and activities are sponsored on behalf of a specific recipient. Recent examples include Folds of Honor (scholarships to support the families of American heroes), Eagles FORE FGCU (mentoring, travel, lab space, therapeutic events, etc.), Bonita Springs Elementary School (school supplies), Café of Life, etc.

In other instances, recipients have not yet been identified, allowing us to choose charities spontaneously when urgent/important needs arise.

To view a list of organizations the Foundation supports, please visit our CHARITIES page (click here).

The Foundation’s mission is to make a difference in the lives of others. Its purpose is to sponsor, host, promote and participate in events/activities that fund the Foundation by carefully determining events/activities that align with WCC’s values and culture. Then, it conscientiously identifies individuals and organizations based on need and that Worthington members are proud to support. While board members work hard to identify charities that all members are proud to support, we welcome for review recommendations for other SWFL charities.

Since its creation in 2022, the Foundation has donated over $111,000. For specific amounts to charities we support, we invite you to visit our DONATIONS pages for (2023) and (2024).

Currently, most donations are from Worthington Country Club members who participate in sponsored events and activities and who also donate financially. The Foundation also receives financial gifts, gift cards, and auction items such as gift certificates for products and services from local businesses and organizations. We are grateful when other individuals and organizations see fit to support our mission through donations of all types.

To donate, you may do so in the following ways:

• Anyone may write a check to the Worthington Country Club Charitable Foundation and place a note on the Memo line designating what the donation is for (e.g., the name of the event, the name of the charity OR general)
• Others may choose to “recommend” a check from their charitable funds that is written to the Foundation. Some charitable funds already list Worthington Country Club Charitable Foundation as a beneficiary. If yours does not, please contact Foundation Chair Gayle Landen Greene at landengreenewcc@gmail.com.
• WCC members may also contact Lori Walker-Hughes at lwalker-hughes@worthingtoncc.net to have one-time or recurring charges to their member numbers.

The Worthington Country Club Charitable Foundation received its 501(c)(3) determination letter effective May 13, 2024 which means the Foundation is exempt from Federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3).

Individuals and Organizations that donate will receive a summary letter of tax-deductible contributions for donations above $250 at the end of each calendar year. CAROLYN?

Any individual who wins an annual total of $600 or more from WCC Charitable Foundation’s fundraising activities will receive a 1099.

Like any other charitable foundation, the Worthington Country Club Charitable Foundation must pay for reasonable expenses such as licensing, annual reporting, professional services, equipment/supplies, marketing materials, postage, and administrative support. During 2023, there were a number of expenses specifically related to start-up.

Going forward, Board Members (who receive no compensation for work performed on behalf of the Foundation) expect operational expenses to be about 5% of receipts, far less than typical charitable foundations, so that close to all non-specified donations go to worthy charities when the need arises.

Most people love and support favorite charities and are encouraged to continue. Even so, many SWFL residents also like to support local SWFL charities. Donating to the Foundation eliminates the burden of researching and determining reputable charities you would be proud to support. The Foundation does this for you, thus making impactful giving easy, timely and meaningful.

The Foundation’s mission is to make a difference in the lives of others. Its purpose is to sponsor, host, promote and participate in events/activities that fund the Foundation by carefully determining events/activities that align with WCC’s values and culture. Then, it conscientiously identifies individuals and organizations based on need and that Worthington members are proud to support. While board members work hard to identify charities that all members are proud to support, we welcome recommendations for other SWFL charities.

Board Members rely on a variety of information to determine the charities to which it donates. We examine financial health, review the percentage of donations that serve its recipients, check for accountability and transparency, and investigate results.

The Foundation’s meetings are generally held monthly both live and via Zoom. Dates, locations and Zoom link and phone numbers are posted in advance on the Worthington Country Club website and the Foundation’s website.

Yes! You may find the Foundation’s Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Nonprofit Organization Certification, 501(c)(3) Designation, and Meeting Minutes on the DOCUMENTS page (click here).

The Foundation is always delighted to review applications for volunteers (click here for application) and Board Members (click here for application). Anyone may serve as volunteer; however, pursuant to the Foundation’s bylaws, only Worthington Country Club residents may serve as a Board Member.

The Foundation holds its annual meeting during March.

It also holds monthly Bingo and bi-weekly Queen of Hearts drawings during “season” (i.e., November, December, January, February, March and April).

Events to support specific charities also happen throughout the year (e.g., a golf tournament in April to support Eagles FORE FGCU, a school supply drive in July and August to support Bonita Springs Elementary School, Toys for Tots in December and two golf events co-sponsored with the Worthington Ladies Golf Association to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Café of Life.