Napa Valley Vintners' mission for its annual community fundraiser, Auction Napa Valley, is to utilize the worldwide reputation of the Napa Valley wines to enhance the well-being of Napa County community. Since 1981 NVV has granted nearly $110 million to local non-profit organizations in the areas of healthcare, youth development and affordable housing.

With the proceeds of Auction Napa Valley 2012, NVV refined its giving model to focus on two long-term strategic priority areas: Community Health and Children's Education. The goal is to invest deeply, rather than broadly to affect the greatest impact on our community. Our nonprofit partners serve residents in Napa County from American Canyon to Calistoga with programs as varied as Adult Day Services for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, to programs using the latest technology to prepare English Language Learners for Kindergarten.

May 2013
Stories of Impact: 2012 Auction Napa Valley Annual Report of Giving

Behind the sparkle and the glamour of Auction Napa Valley is an even more gratifying piece of news. For the past 32 years, the Napa Valley Vintners' annual community fundraising event has given more than $110 million to help fund local nonprofit organizations and strengthen the Napa County community. Learn more about the inspiring stories in the 2012 Auction Napa Valley Annual Report of Giving, "Stories of Impact."

View the 2012 Annual Report

5/1/2013
Napa Valley Vintners Invests $3 Million to Close the Academic Achievement Gap

Napa Valley, CA--The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), a nonprofit trade association with 450 member wineries, today announced it is investing $1 million per year for at least three years in an initiative aimed at closing the academic achievement gap between English-learning and English-fluent children and those of differing socioeconomic status in Napa County.

This new initiative tackles the academic achievement gap—a national priority noted by U.S. leadership—in Napa County by organizing existing local community organizations to fund programs which create high-quality preschools and parental support services in school neighborhoods with the highest need.

View the full press release

2/28/2013
Napa Valley Vintners Invests $840,000 in Local Organizations that Address Immediate, Critical Needs

St. Helena, CA--The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) today announced its investment of $840,000 in community services that offer a safety net to meet the most critical and basic needs--food and shelter--for those living at or below the poverty level.

"It's nearly impossible to be a productive member of your family or community if you don't know where your next meal will come from or have to worry about having a roof over your head," said Napa Valley Vintners Executive Director Linda Reiff. "These funds will help solve the most immediate problems affecting those living at or below the poverty level--or at risk of doing so--to help them be able to get back on their feet."

View the full press release

1/15/2013
Napa Valley Vintners Invests $772,000 in Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, and Issues Related to Aging

Napa Valley, CA: The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) today announced its investment of $772,000 in community services to help three populations: those at risk or affected by substance abuse, mental illness, and health issues related to aging. This is the fourth category of giving from the proceeds of the 2012 Auction Napa Valley fundraiser, and is part of its $7 million commitment to two strategic priorities: community health and children's education.

"While they are not necessarily directly related, these three populations have an increased risk of isolation preventing them from seeking help, or from being aware of the acuity of their needs," said NVV Executive Director Linda Reiff. "The NVV is investing in local programs that focus on reaching out to these populations with prevention resources and treatment; increasing community awareness of these issues and the resources available; and collaborating with other organizations to build a safety net to help some of the most vulnerable in our community."

Six organizations received funding to expand their programs and outreach: Aldea Children & Family Services; Area Agency on Aging; Family Service of Napa Valley; Gunilda Rianda Senior Center; Napa Valley Hospice & Adult Day Services; and Wolfe Center.

View the full press release

View the list of six beneficiaries

12/17/2012
Napa Valley Vintners Invests $1.275 Million in Resources, Education and Services for School-Age Children

Napa Valley, CA: In keeping with the spirit of giving this holiday season, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) today announced its investment of $1.275 million in community services to help Napa County children--from preschool to college--succeed in school and beyond. This is the third category of giving announced from the proceeds of the 2012 Auction Napa Valley fundraiser, and is part of its $7 million commitment to two strategic priorities: community health and children's education.

Research shows that it is far more effective--in terms of outcomes, cost and benefit to the community--to ensure that children are prepared for entering school and have access to constructive after-school and mentoring programs to keep them in school, than it is to intervene after issues have arisen.

In Napa County, one of every five youth is considered to be socioeconomically disadvantaged, and research shows that youth from low-income communities are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to life success: economic self-sufficiency, full civic participation, and becoming leaders.

"Skills for success--in school and life--are accumulated over time and built on each other, and we want to ensure that all children, from toddlers to young adults, have the opportunities at each age to develop those skills," said NVV executive director Linda Reiff. "The NVV is investing in local programs that prepare students for entering school, empower parents to be involved in their children's education, help students develop critical thinking skills, and guide them in learning how to make good decisions as they grow."

Eight organizations received funding to expand their programs and outreach: Boys and Girls Clubs of Napa Valley in Napa and American Canyon; Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Helena and Calistoga; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Summer Search; On the Move; NapaLearns; Child Start Inc.; and Napa Valley Adult Education's First Step.

View the full press release

View the list of eight beneficiaries

11/15/2012
Napa Vintners Invest $1.14 Million to Resources, Education and Services for At-Risk Families

Second of NVV's six categories of giving to support the health and well-being of Napa County

St Helena, CA--The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) today announced its second category of giving from the proceeds of the 2012 Auction Napa Valley fundraiser: $1.14 million for resources, education, and services for at-risk families, as part of its $7 million commitment to two strategic priorities--community health and children's education.

According to research conducted by Nobel Prize-winning University of Chicago Economic Professor James Heckman, a difficult family environment--especially adverse parenting--is a major predictor of cognitive and social issues with children. Many of the biggest socioeconomic problems--crime, obesity and chronic diseases, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, school dropout rates, and domestic violence, to name a few--can be traced back in large part to this one common denominator: the early family environment.

"Early intervention to prevent these issues produces great returns not only to individuals--in the form of better educational, health, economic and social outcomes," explained Linda Reiff, NVV executive director,"but to society, by saving taxpayers money and increasing economic productivity."

This second round of community investment by the NVV is designated for early-intervention programs that help families with income, education, health and other barriers become self-sufficient and provide safe environments for all family members.

A total of 11 local, community-based programs will receive grants: Children's Health Initiative; COPE Family Center; Family Centers of St. Helena, Calistoga and American Canyon; Healthy Moms & Babies; Napa Emergency Women's Services; Napa CASA; ParentsCAN; Planned Parenthood; and Puertas Abiertas Community Resource Center.

View the full press release

View the recipients of the community-based grants

10/16/2012
Napa Valley Vintners Invest Deeply in the Health and Well-Being of Napa County

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announced its first set of grants from the proceeds of the Auction Napa Valley 2012. Beginning with these grants, the NVV will invest $7 million over the coming months primarily on two strategic priorities: community health and children's education.

The first awards total more than $1.9 million and are for direct medical and dental services. The NVV will announce details for the other categories of funding and beneficiaries over the next five months.

Community Health Clinic Ole is a Federally Qualified Health Center and the only not-for-profit community clinic in Napa County, providing health care to 25,000 patients annually. It provides primary and preventive medical and behavioral health care, charging for services on a sliding-fee scale based on federal poverty guidelines. In addition to the main clinic in the Napa Valley Vintners Community Health Center in Napa, it operates clinics in St. Helena and Calistoga, provides weekly clinics at Napa's two homeless shelters and oversees a clinic for students at Napa Valley College.

Queen of the Valley Medical Center is a 174-bed full-service non-profit hospital. Its CARE Network program is designed to manage disease to reduce the acute medical, psychosocial and economic self-sufficiency needs of referred patients to treat the acutely ill before they have a crisis that requires treatment in the ER or hospital. In 2011, patients in the CARE Network experienced a 77 percent decrease in ER visits and a 40 percent decrease in hospitalizations compared to 12 months prior to enrollment in the program. Program success is in part due to building and strengthening a broad network of community partners.

St. Helena Hospital is a 181-bed full-service non-profit hospital. It employs multi-faceted approaches to prevention and early intervention for patients and the community, offering programs designed to help patients adopt and sustain a healthy lifestyle; promoting and offering screenings for early detection of disease and illness; and providing appropriate interventions. It also offers community education on a number of health-related topics.

View the full press release

Auction Napa Valley Fund-a-Need

View our short video highlighting a few of the many who benefit from Auction Napa Valley's Fund-a-Need for children's health and well being