Barbara Fields Sidesteps Economy in Fund Raising

Catching up with Fashion Industries Guild’s ’Woman of the Year’

Barbara Fields has made a career of forecasting fashion trends, but it was her gut feeling on the state of the economy that helped her on a mission to raise $1 million for the Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

FIG gave Fields, owner of the Barbara Fields Buying Office , the job of raising $1 million for Cedars-Sinai’s Neo- Natal Intensive Care Wing in late 2007. She felt she had to get this effort rolling immediately, as she sensed that the economy was on the verge of hitting some major turbulence. Her efforts will be celebrated Oct. 4 when FIG names Fields its “Woman of the Year” at its annual gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The event is sold out.

It is probably a good thing that she started early. Businesses have been cutting back their philanthropic donations in the past year because of a weak economy, according to the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University, an organization that researches nonprofits and charities.

“For some corporations and donors with lower or fixed incomes, philanthropy may be seen as a kind of luxury good,” said Patrick M. Rooney, director of research for the Center on Philanthropy. The organization released a survey on July 21 indicating that 83 percent of polled fund-raisers said they were experiencing less success with fund raising. In a similar poll taken six months before the July 21 survey, 48 percent reported experiencing less success.

Fields sensed that companies were less inclined to give thousands of dollars in donations after March of this year. Fortunately for Fields, she completed more than 80 percent of her fund raising by then.

Some companies have donated despite struggling, according to Fields. “I’m proud to know that some people lived up to their commitments even if they were having hard times,” she said.

Many of the black-tie event’s 850 attendees donated $10,000, which buys them a table for 10 people at the gala. The top contributors donated $50,000, which covers three tables for 10 people in a preferred-seating area. Overall, donations ranged from $350 to $50,000. Fields’ sales job was applauded by the board of FIG, said Hal Kaltman, executive vice president of FIG. “Barbara is well-known in the industry, and she did a hell of a job,” Kaltman said.

Event attendees will include Vera Campbell, president of Knit Works; Richard Clareman, president of Self Esteem and a 2002 honoree for “FIG Man of the Year”; Steve Maiman of Stony Apparel Corp., the 1999 honoree for “FIG Man of The Year”; and Mel Geliebter, founder of apparel label l.e.i. and the fashion company The 1721 Group.

Retailers buying tables include Citi Trends and Charming Shoppes. Representatives from Macy’s, Anchor Blue and Lane Bryant also will be in attendance.

This year’s charity gala will be FIG’s 52nd, and proceeds from the event will benefit the Fashion Industries Guild Pediatric Acute Care unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The new pediatric acute care unit is the first of its kind west of the Mississippi, according to FIG, and the facility will provide advanced medical and nursing care. Since its founding in 1955, the Fashion Industries Guild has raised more than $20 million for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Among the facilities at Cedars-Sinai built with FIG’s help are the Barney Morse Rehabilitation Center, the Harvey Morse Conference Center, the Florence and Duke Becker Building, the Ruth Bregman/Fashion Industries Guild Pediatric Health Clinic, the Ruth Bregman Special Children’s Program, the Guess? Chair for Community Child Health Care and the Pediatric Neurology and Neurological Development Program.

FIG is still accepting donations for the event. To make a contribution, contact the Barbara Fields Buying Office at (213) 627-6474 or Kaltman at (213) 627-9055. —Andrew Asch