SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — The Glancy Wine Education Foundation (GWEF) today celebrates the 5th anniversary of its founding with the release of its mid-year impact data, highlighting important growth in scholarship awards, industry sponsorship, and national reach. Since 2020, GWEF has awarded 249 scholarships to aspiring wine professionals from underserved communities across the United States, with total distributions of $350,000 in funding.
“We are thrilled to see the transformative impact GWEF has made in our first five years as a foundation and the accelerated engagement thus far in 2025,” said Ana Keller, President of GWEF. “We are dedicated to continuing this work, expanding our community, and building a more diverse wine industry for a sustainable future.”
“Being inclusive and growing diversity in the wine industry is critical for our industry wellbeing and requires all of us to lean in. Expanding our reach to support students nationally has clearly demonstrated to us that there is significant demand for this kind of education and the kind of financial support we provide,” stated Keller.
Born from necessity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, GWEF emerged as an industry response to support individuals facing shutdowns and layoffs throughout the hospitality sector. What began as immediate relief evolved into addressing a deeper need for inclusion and diversity within the wine industry.
“We rapidly saw that the need included not only career development but also support for more inclusion and diversity within the wine industry,” explained Alder Yarrow, Vice President of GWEF. “We decided to create a foundation that would engage and encourage wine-curious professionals – at whatever their employment level and from all walks of life – to advance their journey through deeper education and training.”
The foundation’s impact extends across diverse population groups nationwide, spanning both urban centers and underserved rural communities. GWEF Scholarships give recipients access to prestigious wine education programs offered by the foundation’s educational partners in San Francisco, New York, and several cities in the Midwest (Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati). Available programs include Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) qualifications, Society of Wine Educators certifications, Wine Scholar Guild programs, and other specialized courses and certifications.
GWEF’s fifth anniversary year launched with significant national expansion through strategic partnerships with the International Wine Center in New York City, the American Wine School in Chicago, and the Association of African American Vintners in addition to its founding partner school, the San Francisco Wine School.
Building on this momentum, GWEF prepares for its annual board retreat and strategic planning session focusing on the annual Online Auction Fundraiser this September 2025, along with events and activities for 2025-2026. To stay up to date, visit https://www.glancywineeducationfoundation.org/news
“Our fundraising team is working closely with wineries, educational foundations, wholesale and retail partners, private individuals and more organizations who want to walk the walk of supporting diversity within the wine industry,” noted Alder Yarrow, Vice President, GWEF.
Professionals in need of financial aid, are encouraged to apply for scholarships year-round at https://GlancyWineEducationFoundation.org/. Applications are available in Spanish and English. Awards are made monthly.
About The Glancy Wine Education Foundation:
Established in 2020, The Glancy Wine Education Foundation (GWEF) is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting underserved and minority communities with scholarships to further their professional wine education, increase diversity, and raise earning power. GWEF has a four star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Transparency rating from Candid. Find out more at GlancyWineEducationFoundation.Org. Professionals in need of financial aid are encouraged to apply for scholarships year-round at GlancyWineEducationFoundation.Org. To Donate please click here and for Sponsor opportunities, click here.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET and Board Member kimberly@glancywineeducationfoundation.org or 415|701-9463 (WINE)
Angela Slade, Slade Consultancy angela@sladeconsultancy.com or 415 819 5131
LOGO link for media: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f4983f8f6a5da1a611120b6/1600653227576-77YOUNZ5DH482BWLWSEJ/GWEF_logo_med.png
Learn More: https://www.glancywineeducationfoundation.org/
This version of news story was published on and is Copr. © 2025 California Newswire® (CaliforniaNewswire.com) – part of the Neotrope® News Network, USA – all rights reserved.
Information is believed accurate but is not guaranteed. For questions about the above news, contact the company/org/person noted in the text and NOT this website.
