Men Giving Back

“Boca Raton is a very strong, vibrant, charitable community and there’s a lot of need and to watch the men come forward like they did in a short amount of time was very rewarding. We’ve accomplished a lot but we’re not done yet. We have a goal of raising a million dollars annually.”

~ Bill Donnell, Men Giving Back

South Florida guys are onto something.

They throw an ax, spin a wheel, award many, and gather on the greens.

Not bad while giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars to local nonprofits who need it the most.

If only we all could make giving and connecting and making a difference so simple and fun.

Now, we all know there’s a whole lot more that goes into running and participating in a charity than I mentioned above, but you’ve got to love the gist of Men Giving Back of Palm Beach County.

“Our tagline is fun and philanthropy, so being together with like-minded guys, all of whom enjoy each other’s company, enjoy having fun and all have the ability to make an impact and give back… it’s been pretty rewarding,” said Nathan Nachlas, one of Men Giving Back’s founding members.

The concept of Men Giving Back of Palm Beach County came together after a group of Boca Raton dynamos caught on to what the local gals were doing. You could say the men with big hearts had been watching the women with big hearts for years.

Men Giving Back is modeled after Impact 100 Palm Beach County, a nonprofit organization made up of women who each donate $1,000 annually, pool all funds and vote to award $100,000 grants to local nonprofits.

“A couple of us got together and said we really need to be able to do this….as guys!” said Nachlas.

So they did.

Boca Raton community leaders, doers, makers and shakers, successful businessmen from the fields of finance, health care, hospitality and law including Bill Donnell, Eddie Ventrice, Nathan Nachlas, Jason Hagensick and Jonathan Tolbert got together and kicked things off. It didn’t take long for dozens of other members to join in and by 2021, Men Giving Back was off and running. And ax throwing. And ping ponging. And golfing. And spinning a wheel rather than casting a vote to determine which charities are awarded the largest grants— while all of their semi-finalists walk away each year with a grant of some size.

Men Giving Back members each donate a minimum of $1,500 annually and award grants to nonprofits that operate and primarily benefit Southern Palm Beach County in four focus areas: children, education, mental health and food security. Semi-finalists are presented with a ‘Golden Ball’ and they then bring that ball to the annual event. This year’s annual awards event will be held November 16 at the Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club. The Golden Ball heads into the spinning wheel for a chance to win the $100,000 grant.

Best Foot Forward, a 2022 Golden Ball recipient, offers academic programs and guidance for foster care youth like Jacob Wilson, a freshman at Palm Beach State College.

“The people who donate to programs like this, they don’t know how much they’re helping us because it makes a really big difference. I wouldn’t be in college right now if it wasn’t for Best Foot Forward helping me,” said Wilson.

Best Foot Forward and dozens of organizations like it are able to help others because groups like Men Giving Back help them.

“Boca Raton is a very strong, vibrant, charitable community and there’s a lot of need and to watch the men come forward like they did in a short amount of time was very rewarding. We’ve accomplished a lot, but we’re not done yet,” said Men Giving Back co-founder Bill Donnell.

MEN GIVING BACK