Sutcliffe Endowment Campaign

$100,000 in 100 DAYS for SHAKE RAG ALLEY

A Quiet Grace:

At a Woodlanders Gathering from years past, Judy ties haikus to the Haiku Tree on the Shake Rag Alley grounds. Photograph by Frank Beaman.

Sutcliffe Endowment Campaign$100,000$100,000

Donation totals as of the week of July 11.

Judy's Wish

In March 2021, the Shake Rag Alley community received sad and shocking news. Co-founder, past Board member, instructor, donor, and volunteer Judy Sutcliffe had passed away peacefully at her home with her life partner, Sandy Scott, by her side. In 2004, this imaginative and daring duo took the leap to create Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts. Without Judy and a handful of others, we would not have become the source of inspiration and creativity for so many over the past seventeen years.

Before Judy passed, she made it clear that she had only one request: that any donations made in her name be given to Shake Rag Alley. The Board of Directors thought of several creative ways to honor Judy and her passion for the arts, but one idea stood out. They weren’t ready to leave Judy in the past; they decided to make her a permanent part of the future as well. That’s how the Sutcliffe Endowment for Shake Rag Alley was born. Every dollar donated in Judy’s memory has been restricted to seed a fund that will benefit Shake Rag Alley forever.

The Goal

When Judy and Sandy got the idea to start a nonprofit art school in 2004, they had to raise $100,000 in a short amount of time to secure the loan to buy the original Shake Rag Alley campus. Needless to say, they achieved their goal, and they did it in less time than needed. This year, our goal was very similar. Starting April 3, 2021, which marked one month since Judy’s passing, we challenged ourselves to raise $100,000 in 100 days to establish the first endowment fund of Shake Rag Alley. This fund will be invested, and the interest will be paid out annually to further support our mission. Future gifts to the endowment will be added to yield greater returns year after year.

And there’s more. Through planned giving, Judy herself bequeathed us a head start with a generous gift of $10,000! With this lead, we were off to a good start in reaching our goal by the end of our 100-day deadline in July. Thanks to the generosity of numerous donors — mission accomplished.

You Can Still Help

Even though we’ve met our goal, every dollar is still important to supporting our long-term future. Whatever you can give, you can feel good about supporting everything that Shake Rag Alley does for our community and visitors every year. We provide an enriching arts and craft curriculum for youth and adults, we protect and restore our beautiful historic campus, and we channel creativity for hundreds of students and overnight guests who support our local businesses every year. Help us keep this good thing going by supporting Judy’s endowment today.

If you have already donated to honor Judy, thank you! Every dollar of support has been set aside to fuel this fund. Donations will always be welcome whether by mailing a check to the address below, clicking the button at right, or calling our office. To inquire about making gifts of stock or including Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts in your estate planning, please contact Executive Director Sara Lomasz Flesch at sflesch@shakeragalley.org or (608) 987-3292. Thank you for donating today!

Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts | 18 Shake Rag St. | Mineral Point, WI 53565 | (608) 987-3292