The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle awards $53,000 in grants to support local organizations
The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle, with a growing membership of nearly 100 women, provides monetary grants and volunteer service to local nonprofit organizations that support women, children, and families. Through the Giving Circle, members have an opportunity to look beyond their daily lives and actively give back to the community.
“I think that sometimes when we live in a place like the Lake Club, it's like living in a bubble,” says Nancy Lepain, Chair of the Grants Committee and a member since 2015. “It's hard to imagine that less than two miles from where we live are children who don't have enough to eat and kids who are being brought up by grandparents who don't have the resources to take care of them. It's absolutely amazing the things you learn when you get involved in the community.”
In 2025, the Giving Circle awarded $53,000 in support of various nonprofits, the largest amount awarded in the history of the organization. “We gave out 25 grants in our last grant cycle, with each and every organization being as worthy as the next. We are very proud that it's the most money we have ever granted out and the largest number of organizations that we have ever helped,” shares Nancy. “We're dedicated to supporting organizations that address the needs of women, children and families, and before any of these organizations get a grant, we vet them intensely because we want the monies to go strictly to the population that the charity serves.”
A few of the programs awarded grants this year include the Blue Butterfly Program affiliated with Tidewell Hospice which helps children and families as they grieve the loss of a loved one; the School Attendance Support program that supplies hygiene products for children to ensure they don’t miss school because of lack of personal supplies; and Take Stock in Children, a program that works with kids in 6th-12 grades who come from high-risk families and pairs them with mentors.
The grant funds are raised through member fees, donations, and partnerships with places such as the Exchange in Sarasota. “Anything that we bring to them or that is donated to them on our behalf, we get 50% of what they sell it for,” says Cinda Krouk, Chair of the Outreach Committee and a member since 2023. “That allows us to expand our purse a bit and offer more grant money.”
In addition to providing monetary grants, ladies of the organization volunteer in various capacities and conduct supply drives throughout the year. “If there's a call for help or a need, we spring into action,” explains Cinda. “When the School Attendance Support program called and said they needed rain gear and sanitary supplies for students, we hosted a supply drive. For TWIG, a program that helps foster children, we provided 500 pairs of shoes for kids to wear on their first day of school. We’ve made blankets and pillows, worked at food banks, and volunteered at thrift shops. We do a lot of volunteer work with the organizations we support.”
For a full list of grant recipients, information on applying for the grants, and to find out how to get involved, visit tlcwomensgivingcircle.org and follow the Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle on Facebook and Instagram.
"It's absolutely amazing the things you learn when you get involved in the community.”