News
Contact: Rebecca Finley
615.321.4939
rfinley@cfmt.org
December 18, 2006
New York Jeweler to Be Keynote Speaker at Area Fundraiser
Joan Hornig Combines Love of Fashion with Philanthropy
Nashville, Tennessee – The Women’s Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee today announced that Joan Hornig, New York jewelry designer and philanthropist, will be the keynote speaker February 27 at the annual Power of the Purse luncheon, benefiting The Women’s Fund.
The luncheon is an eagerly-anticipated annual fundraiser for The Women’s Fund, a charitable fund within The Community Foundation that benefits women and girls across Middle Tennessee. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville, 611 Commerce St. Tickets are $200 per person. For reservations call (615) 321-4939 or register online at www.cfmt.org.
“Joan Hornig is a role model to women because she is able to use her passion for art to become an incredible patron of philanthropy,” said Sallie Bailey, co-chair of the Power of the Purse Luncheon. “Donations from her foundation have benefited a broad range of entities through its inception a few years ago.”
Hornig graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University with a degree in fine arts and earned a MBA from Columbia Business School in 1984. She began her career in educational administration after briefly teaching art to elementary school children. In the late 1970’s and the 1980’s Horning worked in the not for profit/ higher education sector in various positions at Harvard and Columbia Business School prior to going to Wall Street in 1985. All the while she was creating jewelry inspired by her knowledge of art history and the decorative arts.
In 2003 Hornig developed a way to combine her love for jewelry, education and philanthropy through the creation of the Joan B. Hornig Foundation. With the help of Bergdorf Goodman, the first outlet to carry her jewelry line, Hornig donates 100% of the profit of any piece of jewelry sold to the Joan B. Hornig Foundation, which in turn benefits non-profit organizations across the country. Her focus in giving is to create opportunities to build awareness and education programs for domestic violence, literacy, and low income women entering the work force, as well as national organizations such as the Make a Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club and countless others. To date, Hornig’s contributions are in excess of $250,000.
“Ms. Hornig’s philanthropic efforts perfectly align with the Women’s Fund’s mission of improving the lives of women and girls,” said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “In addition, her customers receive satisfaction not only from owning an original Joan Hornig design, but also from the knowledge that their purchase is helping to make a difference, as well.”
The Power of the Purse luncheonis being co-chaired this year by Sallie Bailey and Sondra Cruickshanks. Serving as honorary co-chair is Judy Liff Barker. At the luncheon, a silent auction will feature one-of-a-kind purses donated by several local and national retailers and country music celebrities. The purse, a symbol of women’s capacity for philanthropy, has become an emblem central to this event. Auction proceeds will help further support The Women’s Fund mission to help women and girls in need.
Luncheon attendees will take home the 2007 A Celebration of Women pictorial tribute book, which is filled with tributes from individuals, organizations and businesses honoring their colleagues, friends, mothers, sisters and other women in their lives. Money raised from the sale of tribute pages in the book also benefits The Women’s Fund.
The deadline for submitting a tribute is December 31, 2006. For reservations and additional information call (615) 321-4939 or register online at www.cfmt.org.
The Women’s Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee provides grants to nonprofit organizations serving the interests of women and girls through the arts and cultural education, health and human services, victim’s support services, domestic violence intervention, drug rehabilitation and job training. Past recipient organizations include Renewal House, American Association of Refugee & Immigrant Women, and Domestic Violence Intervention Center, among others.
About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee: www.cfmt.org
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 500 charitable funds. In the past fourteen years, The Community Foundation has distributed $226 million to community programs and institutions. Currently, The Community Foundation manages funds totaling $351 million. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400 Nashville, Tennessee 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.