For more than two decades, a shared love of wine, community and giving has helped change the lives of children across northwest Florida. Now, the organization behind that impact is entering a new chapter with a name designed to put its purpose front and center.

Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation will officially become Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation on Oct. 1, marking an evolution that reflects both the organization’s growth and its expanding commitment to children and families throughout the region.

“This new name is more than a change in words,” President Karah Fridley-Young said. “It reflects who we have become and where we are going.”

More Than $42 Million for Children

What began more than 20 years ago as a single event supporting three local charities has developed into a year-round philanthropic organization. Along the way, Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation and its supporters have donated more than $42 million for children in need across northwest Florida.

That growth ultimately prompted the organization to consider whether its longtime name still captured the breadth of work beyond its signature auction.

“Our reach has expanded, our charitable impact has grown, and our responsibility to the children and families of this region continues to grow with it,” Fridley-Young said.

Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation places that mission directly in its name while also more clearly identifying the region the organization serves.

“Our new name puts that purpose at the forefront,” Fridley-Young said.

A New Name, a Familiar Mission

While the foundation’s identity is changing, many of its most recognizable traditions are not.

The Destin Charity Wine Auction will keep its name and remain the organization’s flagship fundraising event. Harvest Wine & Food Festival will also continue, bringing supporters together through wine, food and philanthropy.

The foundation’s relationships with its charity partners, donors, sponsors, vintners, volunteers and trustees will remain central to its work.

“While wine and the Auction will always be an important part of our story, Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation more clearly represents the full scope of our work, the region we serve, and most importantly, the children at the heart of our mission,” Fridley-Young said.

The new identity also creates space for the organization to think beyond individual events and toward its long-term role in northwest Florida philanthropy. Plans include strengthening charitable partnerships, developing new ways for people to become involved and investing in the foundation’s long-term sustainability.

“What this new identity gives us is room to grow,” Fridley-Young said.

Built on a Northwest Florida Legacy

For Fridley-Young, who was born and raised in Destin and joined the organization in 2012, the transition is personal as well as professional.

She has watched the foundation grow alongside the community it serves and has seen the cumulative impact of donors, volunteers, charity partners and supporters who have rallied around children throughout the region.

“I have watched the generosity of this community change thousands of lives, and I have seen firsthand what is possible when people come together around a shared belief that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive,” she said.

That history will remain an important part of Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation. Rather than replacing the legacy associated with Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, the new organization is being built upon it.

“The legacy of Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation is not being left behind—it is the foundation upon which Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation is being built,” Fridley-Young said.

The new name will begin appearing across the foundation’s website, social media and communications in the weeks leading up to the official Oct. 1 transition.

For an organization that has changed considerably since a small group of friends first gathered around wine and a desire to help local children, the new identity represents both how far it has come and where it intends to go next.

“Our name may be changing, but the heart of this organization remains exactly where it has always been,” Fridley-Young said. “The children.”