WHAT IS AN AFFILIATE CHAPTER?
We are a designer-run non-profit organization operating across the country with one common goal — transform the spaces of children and their families recovering from medical crises, one room at a time.
We began in a single community led by one designer and have grown to include chapters in multiple states. Starting with our original chapter in San Diego, we now serve families in Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado, and more, thanks to leaders who’ve taken the initiative to open chapters in their own neighborhoods.
Affiliate Chapters are independently operated by their own board of directors in compliance with the national chapter's bylaws. They are each run by professional designers who help carry out the mission of combining trauma-informed product knowledge with an elevated design aesthetic for children and families in medical crisis.
our chapters
Since 2017, we’ve been sharing the Savvy Giving by Design mission with designers across the U.S. who want to bring what we’re doing to their area. We share our tools and resources with our national network of designers, so they can bring joy and healing to more families. Want to join our mission? Explore below to find a chapter in your area.
savvy giving chapter directory
CLICK A CHAPTER LOCATION BELOW
Join a Local Facebook Community, Make a Donation, Refer a Child, or Contact a Chapter Leader
WEST
+ SAN DIEGO, CA
Susan Wintersteen, Savvy Interiors
JOIN · DONATE · REFER · CONTACT
+ RENO, NV
Lindsay Warren & Katie Silva, Integrity Design
JOIN · DONATE · REFER · CONTACT
+ DENVER, CO
Andi Lawlor, Interiors Aligned
SOUTH
+ CENTRAL TEXAS
Theresa & Cheryl, Twin Sisters Interiors
JOIN · DONATE · REFER · CONTACT
+ OZARKS
Julie Rodriguez, éLan Creative
JOIN · DONATE · REFER · CONTACT
+ VIRGINIA
Ruth Truman, Ruth Truman Interiors
NORTHEAST
SOUTHEAST
+ MOBILE, AL
Cait Waite, Cait Waite Designs
JOIN · DONATE · REFER · CONTACT
+ CHARLESTON, SC
Christyn Dunning, The Guest House Studio
JOIN · DONATE · REFER · CONTACT
+ TAMPA, FL
Kylie Ponton, Ponton Interiors
how to become a chapter leader
If you are a professional designer, you have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families in your community with your interior design skills. Help us reach our goal to have a chapter in every state across the U.S. by 2025. To become a chapter leader, please fill out an inquiry form and submit a portfolio. If you are chosen, a representative from Savvy Giving by Design will contact you for a phone interview.
*Please review the Chapter Leader FAQs before submitting an application. Applicants must be associated with an interior design firm and may be asked to submit relevant portfolio images to be considered.
frequently asked questions
+ 1 What does it mean to open a new chapter?
When opening a new chapter, we will help you establish your chapter as a new corporation in your state. You will select your own board of directors (you'll need at least three) to help guide the development of your chapter. You will be a recognized 501(c)(3) organization, operating under Savvy Giving by Design's group exemption and allowing contributions to your chapter to be tax deductible. With the help of the founding chapter, you will run your chapter almost completely independently.
+ 2 What responsibilities come with opening a new chapter?
Running a chapter is akin to running a small business with input from an independent board of directors. Chapters that are opened will operate similarly to a franchise in that they will run almost completely independently from the parent organization. Compliance with state and federal filing requirements, as well as with the bylaws of your affiliate agreement will be necessary, but guidance is available. You’re not alone!
+ 3 What are the requirements for opening a new chapter?
- Before opening a new chapter, you must first complete the Savvy Giving-designed “Pop-Up Designer Program” one-hour training (which requires a $100 tax-deductible donation to Savvy Giving) and commit to doing at least one room in your area as a Pop-Up Designer through our partnership with Make-A-Wish. More information on this program is below.
- You must have been a business owner in the area of interior design for a minimum of 3 years.
- The geographical location in which you desire to open a chapter must be desirable and feasible for the overall organization.
- You must demonstrate the connectedness to your community required to gather financial support for your chapter.
- You must provide two letters of recommendation that speak to your design abilities and overall character.
- You must be able to articulate your reason for wanting to get involved in a charity of this kind.
- You must provide a portfolio of your designs, preferably in children's spaces.
+ 4 Will there be any guidance for new chapters?
Yes. We provide mentoring calls, bylaws and chapter resources.
+ 5 How do I start a chapter in my area?
If you're a professional designer ready to start making a difference in your community by becoming a Savvy Giving by Design chapter leader, please submit your application by clicking on the ‘Apply to Start a Chapter in Your Area’ button above.
+ 6 How soon can I become a chapter leader?
Once approved, the process of getting a chapter established usually takes three to six months.
+ 7 What can I do to help in the meantime?
- Join our Facebook page.
- Watch for outreach posts looking for a new chapter leader.
- Start forming connections with potential board members, donors, and supportive partners.
Pop-Up Designer Program
In 2021, we launched our Pop-Up Designer Program. This endeavor further extends SGBD services by facilitating partnerships between Savvy-trained designers and Make-A-Wish® in neighborhoods where we don’t yet have an Affiliate Chapter including Fort Worth, Boston, the Bay Area, Long Island, and the greater Philadelphia area. It allows more designers to be involved and more children to be served who are in need of the functional benefits and positive mindset that our designs provide.
Once certified, designers can choose to do one room or lots of rooms - on your schedule and when it fits with your regular business cycle. If you are a designer ready to contribute your talent and time to creating rooms that heal, but aren’t ready to jump into chapter leadership, our Pop-Up Designer Program is a great first step. It’s a way for you and Savvy Giving to try things out. It’s also the required first step on the road to opening a chapter if that’s what you decide to do next.