Boca Cares Sponsors
Neal Communities donates $10,000 to Boca Cares
Neal Communities joins with Boca Cares to support the local community
Boca Cares sincerely thanks Neal Communities for its ongoing support of the greater Englewood community. Since 2018, Neal Communities has been a steadfast partner in our mission to help local charities meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.
As the charitable organization of Boca Royale, Boca Cares is grateful for Neal Communities' dedication to making a meaningful local impact.
With Pat Neal expanding his footprint in Boca Royale and Wellen Park, we are thrilled that Neal Communities continues to recognize the importance of giving back. Their commitment to Boca Cares reflects our shared vision of building a stronger, more vibrant community for all.
BOCA CARES MAKES A BIG IMPACT LOCALLY
Our Mission
We are a community of neighbors united by compassion, generosity, and a shared commitment to improving the lives of others. Through charitable giving, and thoughtful stewardship of our resources, we strive to provide hope, support, and opportunity for individuals and families facing hardship.
Our mission is to make a meaningful difference by funding programs and initiatives that address essential needs, promote dignity, and strengthen our broader Englewood/Charlotte County community. Together, we believe that even small acts of kindness can create lasting positive changes.
A Snapshot of Your Dollars at Work
Gift cards for youth living below the poverty line for necessary expenses including food, clothing and school supplies.
- Several local summer camp programs
- Hygiene packs for K-12 children
- Blood pressure monitors; Glucose Monitors at local Care Clinic
- Several local food banks pantry stocking and equipment
- Addiction Services
- Emergency expenses and rent assistance for families in need
- Summer reading and feeding programs
- Meals on Wheels in Venice and Englewood
We are pleased to share with you that since our formation in late 2018, thanks to the generous support of residents within the Boca Royale Community, we were able to fund over $505,000 in grant requests for local charities.
BOCA Cares Board Members:
Chair: Jim Epifano
Members: Bryan Domain, Kristina Watts, Donna Sheldrake, Julie Sikorski, Barb Ryan, Mary Ann Knoeckel, Susan Aceto and Maureen Wood
Time to Act
With your help and support, we can fund additional initiatives and programs which improve the lives of our neighbors here in the greater Englewood community. Annually, several fundraising events are held. These include, but are not limited to, “Play It Forward” a community-based sporting event and an annual “Masters Golf Tournament”.
While you are able to donate directly, we recently partnered with Grapevine to enhance your donation experience. “Grapevine,” is an innovative, free, online platform, created to simplify community giving. By having a community “Giving Circle” on Grapevine, we have a collective way for the BOCA community to come together and collaborate in making charitable donations. Through our Grapevine “Giving Circle” we can easily donate, pool, and focus our donations to better support our productive local non-profits.
For those not familiar with “Grapevine,” here is a brief description:
“Grapevine is the only platform dedicated to Giving Circles – where everyday people come together to connect, pool their donations and support local charities. “
Grapevine was born during Covid when so many businesses were shut down or operating remotely and individuals were often isolated and looking for a sense of connection with others, a sense of community and a way to give to those in need. The creation of Grapevine allowed the formation of online giving circles rooted in the local community, which allowed people to come together and pool donations.
By joining the Boca Cares Giving Circle, you are easily able to make recurring or one-time donations online at your convenience; there is no minimum donation, no platform fee, and you are helping the Englewood Community.
Joining and Donating is Easy
Boca Cares is pleased to offer an ONLINE PAYMENT SYSTEM, run by Grapevine and supported by the Grapevine Giving Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.
BY USING GRAPEVINE, YOU WILL:
- Never have to remember to send a check.
- Receive a tax receipt when funds are distributed to our recipient.
We encourage you to join us….CONVENIENT, EFFICIENT, TRANSPARENT!
Each funding cycle we will direct Grapevine to disburse grant funds to the selected nonprofits. This way the nonprofit receives one grant rather than many smaller ones. Grapevine does NOT share your personal information with any of the recipients or any other organization.
Donations through Grapevine can be made using either a credit card or a bank account transfer.
With either option you can choose:
- A reoccurring subscription which automatically charges your card or bank account at selected times, or
- To pay for each donation separately by logging in to your Grapevine account to authorize payment.
We hope many of our members will opt for the reoccurring subscription due to the convenience. And if you change your mind, you can cancel the subscription at any time.
For tax purposes, you will receive a receipt from Grapevine Giving Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity each time our donation distributed need to make sure this is accurate, but the selected nonprofit will not receive any of your personal information.
As with any online processor, there are fees.
- Credit Card Processing Fee: Grapevines charges a fee of $2.56 ($3.50 for American Express) for each credit card transaction. You can elect to pay this fee in addition to your set donation or have it taken out of your donation.
- Bank Account Transfer Fee: Grapevine charges a fee of $0.81 for each bank account transfer. As with the credit card processing fee, you can elect to pay this fee in addition to your set donation or have it taken out of your donation.
- Grapevine does NOT charge a fee for their services, but they do provide you with the opportunity to give them an OPTIONAL tip which helps them cover their staffing and administrative costs.
- Keep in mind that the credit card/bank transfer fees are nearly a wash when you consider the credit card points you’ll earn on your donation each year and the convenience and savings of not having to mail your donation.
HOW TO SET UP A GRAPEVINE ACCOUNT
Open our page on Grapevine and log in.
If you are not already a Member, click “Join this Grapevine”. Membership requests are usually approved within a day.
Find the current donation cycle under the Upcoming Events subtitle (at the top-right of the page content, just below the photo).
Select the 
or 
and you will be taken to the “Make a Donation” form where you can enter your information, payment option and frequency.
An easy, seamless way to help!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of BOCA CARES?
“Boca CARES” is a non-profit organization established to provide a meaningful
opportunity for the Boca Royale Community (residents and friends) to support local
Charities. To be known in the Englewood Community as “Boca Royale CARES
”or locally as “Boca CARES”.
Is my donation to “Boca CARES” considered tax deductible for my personal IRS Tax Filing?
Yes, Boca Cares is a public charitable organization recognized by the State of Florida. It is always advisable to check with your financial advisor regarding charitable donations.
Who decides those organizations to whom the Boca CARES funds will be granted?
The “Boca CARES” Board (with input from all our members) will retain decision-making powers concerning the selection of the charities that we will fund. The only requirement is that we establish that the proposed charities be 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organizations and serve the greater Englewood community focusing on services to children, families, seniors and veterans.
What are the administrative costs of “Boca CARES”?
Administration costs are limited to banking, insurance, and website management.
All “Boca CARES” board members are volunteers and no additional administrative costs are anticipated.
What are the requirements for a Charity or Organization to receive a request “Boca CARES” grant funds?
All charities requesting funds must provide documentation that they are an IRS 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization and serve the greater Englewood community.
How will the local charities be determined and who will decide which ones will receive grants?
“Boca CARES” provides grants to not-for-profit organizations (IRS 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organizations) whose programs serve the greater Englewood community and focus on the services to children, families, seniors, and veterans. Qualifying organizations will need to download, complete, and submit a grant request form.
The “Boca CARES” Board of Directors will review all grant applications and perform due diligence on all requests including site visits and/or meetings with the management of the organizations desiring funds. Once these steps are complete the “Boca CARES” Board of Directors will decide which applicants will receive grant funding. Grant awards may not exceed $5,000 per grant cycle.
Please note, “Boca CARES” will not fund the following types of organizations or projects:
● Salaries or travel expenses.
● General advertising or fundraising drives.
● Partisan, political, lobbying, or denominational projects.
● General and administrative costs.
● Intermediary funding agencies.
● Public or private schools unless they have a 501(C)(3) designation.
● Endowment campaigns.
Complete guidelines and requirements can be found in our application. If you would like to receive a Grant Application, please email bocaroyalecares@gmail.com or download a pdf format of the application.