Community Spotlight: Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Celebrates the Power of Philanthropy in Women

Board Member and State Representative Greg Steube with Angela Massaro-Fain , fellow board member and leader of the Sisterhood for Good donor advised fund.

LAKEWOOD RANCH – The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund and Northern Trust held the Women’s Giving Circle Social & Fashion Show at the Lake Club in Lakewood Ranch on Wednesday, November 13, 2013. The event brought together nearly 80 local leaders to celebrate the power of women to raise funds for a variety of charitable causes. The host committee included Diane Brune, Angela Massaro-Fain, Julienne Smith, Jenifer Schembri, Ardell Terry and Patti Wrobel.

Lakewood Ranch Women’s Giving Circle is celebrated each year as a dynamic group of women bonded by friendship, shared interests and values in supporting organizations and programs in need. This year’s event featured a fashion show with local celebrities and a philanthropic purpose, plus the unveiling of the Chic Boutique, a resale shop and collaboration between HOPE Family Services and the Women’s Resource Center of Manatee County.

The evening also served as a great success with the addition of two new circles and the distribution of four start-up kits for circle development. Each circle must commit to establishing a $10,000 minimum endowed fund to be a part of the Founders’ 50 of the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. Three existing circles – Lakewood Ranch Women’s Charitable Fund, Sisterhood for Good Fund, and Ten Women Golfers Giving Circle Fund – welcomed a total of eight new members.

“We are proud to see new members and initiatives with every Giving Circle Celebration,” said Marilyn Howard, Executive Director of the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. “Each year I am thrilled to see so many influential, philanthropic women come together to pitch in and make a significant difference for our community.”

About the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund

The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund was created as a charitable fund under the larger umbrella of the Manatee Community Foundation. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life in and near Lakewood Ranch by promoting philanthropy, connecting the charitable interests of donors with the ongoing needs of the community, and granting funds. For more information, visit LWRfund.org.