$1.3 million raised to support Founders Scholarship Fund of Club Pelican Bay

2026 Ed Brennan Memorial Banquet & Golf Tournament raises more than

$1.3 million to support Founders Scholarship Fund of Club Pelican Bay

Founders Scholarship Fund, a Naples-based nonprofit organization, is proud to announce that the 16th Ed Brennan Memorial Banquet & Golf Tournament raised more than $1.3 million. The biennial fundraising event was held on April 13-14, 2026 at Club Pelican Bay with 225 guests in attendance.

Michael Balgord, Founders Scholarship Fund Board Chair, opened the program with a history of the organization. He noted that Founders Scholarship Fund has awarded $8.2 million to more than 900 scholars since it was established in 1991 by founding members of Club Pelican Bay. This includes 110 scholarship recipients who are currently attending college.

Balgord added that nearly $1 million will be awarded this year to 40 deserving local students, including four scholarships designated for children of Club Pelican Bay employees. A video featuring three recent recipients was shown, motivating guests to give generously during a paddle raise.

The Ed Brennan Memorial Banquet & Golf Tournament is held every other spring. It is named for Edward J. Brennan, who was a member of the inaugural Board of Trustees of Founders Scholarship Fund. Brennan suggested the idea of a banquet and golf tournament fundraiser and served as the event’s first chair in 1994. In 2000, the event was dedicated to the memory of Ed Brennan who passed away in 1999.

The event celebrates the theme “Creating Opportunities. Fulfilling Dreams.” Each spring, between 30-40 graduating students from Collier County high schools receive scholarships based on their GPA and financial need. Each student is awarded a $24,000 scholarship disbursed at $6,000 per year for four years. The scholarship is based on the student maintaining a 3.0 grade average and may be used for tuition, books, lab fees, housing, food, and other college-related expenses.

For more information, visit Founders Scholarship Fund at www.thefoundersfundinc.org.