Lake Club Women's Giving Circle grows into an important community resource

The women living in The Lake Club, one of Lakewood Ranch’s most exclusive communities, do not take their privilege for granted. 

They put hard work into sharing their wealth through The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle. 

Since its inception in 2014, the giving circle has donated over $213,000 to local charities that address the needs of women, children and families living in Sarasota and Manatee counties. 

Nancy Lepain chairs the outreach committee and calls giving a “responsibility.” 

The club has grown from 10 members to over 120 members. 

Each new member makes an initial $1,000 contribution to the grant fund and a minimum of $500 annually thereafter. An additional $25 annual fee covers the administration costs. 

The giving circle is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Instead, it operates under the umbrella of the Manatee Community Foundation. 

However, it is a hands-on group of women, who personally vet each nonprofit they support. In 2024, 14 local nonprofit organizations received grants totalling $33,000. 

The grant amounts range from $1,500 up to $5,000, but the women do not merely dole out money. They also volunteer their time and collect whatever the need is at that moment. 

Following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, the women collected approximately 1,000 towels for Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium’s cleanup efforts.

Before school let out last year, the women collected 152 pounds of cereal to help the Food Bank of Manatee feed students over the summer. 

Before students went back to school, the giving circle donated 325 pairs of new sneakers to The Twig, a nonprofit that ensures children in foster care have the clothing and support they need. 

Maribeth Phillips, the CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, which oversees the Food Bank of Manatee, said food drives are more helpful than ever because the donations and needs have not leveled out since the COVID pandemic. 

“When COVID started to die down, then you had all the inflation,” Phillips said. “The cost of living and gas had so many more people relying on the food bank, and then, we got the hurricanes (in 2024).” 

As the circle has grown, so have the requests for grants. In the early days, the group was lucky to sift through a handful of applications. Last year, Lepain said there were 40 grant applications that totaled $93,000. 

Lepain is the co-chair of the grants committee with Arlene Levine. While the committee vets and visits each nonprofit to ensure its legitimacy, the final decision of which nonprofits receive awards is a group decision. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

After the grants committee compiles a list of the applications that met the circle’s criteria, each member chooses their two favorites. The nonprofits that receive the most votes receive grants. 

“That’s really the democratic way to do it,” Lepain said. 

Although the committee is given more discernment when disaster strikes. Hurricane Ian in 2022 and back to back hurricanes in 2024 led to additional donations from the circle. 

In 2024, the committee chose to contribute $15,000 to the Manatee Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund and launched a matching campaign that raised an additional $10,000. 

The women also make time to chip in beyond drives and fundraising. 

In February, members prepared book shipments for schools on behalf of Embracing Our Differences. In March, they helped Mothers Helping Mothers sort clothing for families in need. 

“Our strength lies in our community,” Executive Board member Jennifer Alokeh said. “Our impact is not just measured in dollars or grants, but in the lives that we’ve touched, the hope that we’ve restored and the community that has helped.“