At age 16, Laura Breeze was awarded a scholarship through the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation that changed her life — and the lives of others in the years to come.
“I was the first person to go beyond high school in my family, and money was pretty tight. There is no way I could have landed at Sarasota’s New College without a Selby scholarship,” she said. That support and a National Defense Student Loan allowed her to graduate in 1975 with a total debt of $3,000.
Thanks to employment at area non-profits, Laura paid off that loan and continued her education with guidance from extraordinary mentors. One of those mentors was Dr. Robert E. Perkins, executive director of the Selby Foundation from 1981 until his passing in 1997.
Laura remembers him fondly. “Bob and I would meet regularly when I was a young theater manager at The Players of Sarasota. The visits were not just about how to create a compelling grant proposal. We talked about everything it takes to lead a successful mission-driven organization, from managing through tough times to connecting with a donor’s passions.
Laura took those lessons to heart. Over the next 40 years, she went on to help donors give more than $350 million for the arts, human services, education, conservation, and community development as a consultant, manager, and fundraising professional. Locally, she led the capital campaign to build the new Asolo Center for the Performing Arts. She served as senior staff at Mote Marine and Sarasota Opera. At the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, she helped raise millions in private gifts for teacher grants, student scholarships, and enrichment programs in our public schools. Most recently, she was the Senior Gift Planning Officer for the American Red Cross in nine counties on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, working with donors and their families to plan what are often the most meaningful gifts of their lifetimes.
As a mentor and past president of the local Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) chapter, Laura has enjoyed giving back some of the lessons Dr. Perkins and colleagues shared over the years … and, always, learning what’s new from the talented folks coming into the profession today.
Special thanks to Laura Breeze for sharing this story of her career and connections to the Selby Foundation. You can reach us at SBowie@SelbyFdn.org with your own Selby Foundation story.