Community Leaders SPEAK ABOUT DWB

Can you imagine a handful of well-heeled, committed women givers starting a thrift shop so they could support arts organizations in Sarasota? "Designing Women" is that organization, which generously distributes its profits to non-profit organizations.

Art Center Sarasota has been the beneficiary of two sorts of funding and support from "Designing Women." It started its cooperative efforts first by loaning women's apparel for Art Center Sarasota's fundraising luncheon fashion shows called "Portrait of a Woman," all of which made money for the Center and provided new customers for Designing Women and new clothing donors for the shop.

Secondly, they gave the Art Center a grant to provide a power point digital projector for our bureau. This enabled the Center to bring in several Russian artists, who with a spectacular show, talked abut their techniques and artistic surroundings at home.

We are indebted to Designing Women and their founders for making very special things happen in Sarasota. We owe them a large thank you.

Jane T. Smiley
Vice President, Board of Directors
Art Center Sarasota

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Designing Women!  What a marvelous concept: combine the art of fashion with the art of theatre - a novel and clever connection that has done wonders for our growth as the premiere theatre in the state of Florida. 

It was Margaret Wise, a brilliant business woman with a great talent for fundraising and love of the arts, who introduced me to the philanthropic world of Designing Women while I was considering relocating from Syracuse, NY to Sarasota.  As co-founder of Designing Women and president of the Asolo Rep board, Margaret played a key role in assuring me that the community was eager to embrace my vision, encouraging me to move.

Asolo Rep is tremendously grateful for the generosity and support of Designing Women including, this past season, contributing to the re-design of the theatre's lobby.  I personally look forward to continuing our special relationship in years to come.

Michael Donald Edwards
Producing Artistic Director
Asolo Repertory Theatre

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I have the greatest respect for the Sarasota angels who wear Prada... their intelligence, style, champagne tastes and Midwestern values, their response to causes and crisis, the networks of friends they create. Three of these women decided to combine their talent and expertise for a common goal based on hard work, business savvy and an intention to help their community. The Designing Women Boutique was born in an old dead-end store on a busy highway, grew up and out, and five years later sits on a site in a part of town that is emerging as a beautiful entry to Sarasota. Their efforts have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities... and an army of volunteers. It's one of the best single successes in town with little reward for those who make it work... except the gratitude of thousands of people who buy high fashion at great savings or are the beneficiaries of proceeds. They rightly deserve the city's applause.

Marjorie North
Society Columnist
Sarasota Herald Tribune

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The Designing Women Boutique is one of the most innovative non-profit groups of which I'm aware. What is so unusual is that Designing Women is that the group does not raise money for itself; it raises money to support various arts organization in our community. Plus, the money raised by them is not raised in the traditional method, but is earned by selling used top quality women's fashion donated by patrons of Designing Women Boutique.

As the former President of the Sarasota County Arts Council and President of Ringling College of Art and Design, I admire the dedication of this group of volunteers who have brought together their love of top quality fashion, their intense business acumen, and their passion for the arts for the purpose of improving the visual and performing arts and arts organizations in our area. This is an amazing group of dynamic women who have successfully developed a business that helps ensure that the arts flourish in Sarasota County.

One very visible sign of their support can be seen at the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport where displays, designed by students at Ringling College, demonstrate to arriving passengers in Sarasota that Sarasota County is the Cultural Coast of Florida. It was only because of Designing Women's generosity that this message has been communicated to†hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Southwest Florida region.

Larry Thompson
President, Ringling College of Art & Design

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Designing Women Boutique has been a real addition to the Sarasota community. Through its membership in our Convention & Visitors Bureau and its excellent reputation among Sarasota residents, it attracts visitors to the store – and visitors' dollars to Sarasota arts and human services organizations. The boutique is a full-time business that operates largely with volunteers who do everything from serving the customers and creating displays to administrative and marketing tasks and events. Founders Jean Weidner, Diane Roskamp and Margaret Wise and their team are making a difference in Sarasota and the City wishes them many more years of continued success and growth

LouAnn Palmer
Mayor
City of Sarasota

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Giving and sharing brings a joy like none other and what better way to expand philanthropy than by linking it to fashion, shopping and volunteering. The founders and supporters of Designing Women Boutique have raised the bar on their integrated approach to engage those with style to help those with needs. By helping people free up closet space by donating their couture collections, creating one-of-a-kind fashion experiences, and inviting everyone to shop in elegance, Designing Women Boutique has stimulated generosity of every dimension – all with business acumen and heartfelt energy.

Debra Jacobs
President and CEO
William G. Selby and Marie Selby Foundation

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We believe that it is the Van Wezel Foundation's responsibility, as a significant part of the region's culture community, to open our doors to all of our area's children. Through the help of support from Designing Women Boutique, the Van Wezel's Schooltime Performance program introduces acclaimed artists and performances to nearly 40,000 area students every year. These theatrical adventures bring curriculum to life – and begin a relationship with the arts we hope will last a lifetime.

Rodger DeRose
President and CEO
Van Wezel Foundation

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