For years, many nonprofits have faced difficulties involving funding and staffing. These non-profits, who are the glue to holding some of our community members together, focus on assisting with housing, food insecurity, uplifting the youth, and supporting those in need, like human trafficking victims.
The Victory Cup Initiative, who since 2015 has issued over $4 million to nonprofits, seeks to change that by expanding their efforts to helping out the nonprofits in Osceola County.
The Victory Cup is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring, teaching, and funding nonprofits through the art of storytelling so that they can promote and present their missions and work on the mainstage. Through a Shark Tank-style event, over 500 potential donors, volunteers, and community connectors have the chance to gain funding, partnerships, and support from the community in order to address the community’s greatest needs.
“The opportunity Victory Cup gives nonprofit leaders to share our story to the business community is a blessing to Central Florida and should be nationwide,” Babette Allen, Pathlight HOME President and CEO, stated.
Osceola County nonprofits, in comparison to Orange County nonprofits, typically have fewer funding opportunities. Since, historically, the Victory Cup’s participants have mainly come out of Orange County, they wish to expand the footprint in hopes of reaching more Osceola County nonprofits.
“There’s no experience quite like Victory Cup. The coaching, the camaraderie, and the community, it is like nothing else we’ve been a part of,” Page 15 founder Julia Young said.
Other nonprofit finalists include: To Write Love on Her Arms, One Purse, Shepard’s Hope, and Ways for Life.
Every year, the Victory Cup selects ten nonprofits across Central Florida to participate in the program. The finalists are selected by a group of community evaluators. Any local professionals and/or business leaders are encouraged to sign up to become a Community Evaluator Volunteer, where they would review eight to 10 applications virtually utilizing their online portal. The simple online process typically takes two to three hours to complete, and volunteers will have two weeks to complete them.
Between November 2025 through February 2026, participants will have to attend a series of mandatory trainings led by a group of storytelling experts through one-on-one coaching up until the day of the event. The application for the Victory Cup Initiative runs from Sept. 2-22, and finalists will be announced the following month.
The Victory Cup Storytelling Showcase Breakfast will take place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 24, 2026. Finalists will share their two-and-a-half-minute impact story. Audiences will get the chance to vote on who will earn funds, but all finalists will leave with a cash prize and exposure in the community.
More information about how to apply and sign up to volunteer at www.victorycupintiative.org.
