Our Story

On a sunny afternoon in early 1953 seven women met for lunch. Unbeknownst to the casual passersby, these women had an agenda and a mission: they had decided to passionately commit to raise money and help organize programs to improve the lives of children with special needs. What no one could have imagined, however, was how wildly successful that mission would eventually be. By the end of the meal, SHARE had been formed and the groundwork of commitment and compassion had been laid for decades to follow of fundraising to enhance the lives of children in need.

It is now 59 years and a hard earned $48 million later, and there are now 80 SHARE ladies dedicated to carrying on that early mission. This team of women (still including some of the Founding Members) is as emotionally and financially committed as ever to helping children who are at risk or abused, as well as supporting treatment, research, prevention, vocational training and independent living skills programs for kids facing the broad spectrum of developmental disabilities.

Each member of SHARE comes to the fundraising table with a unique and complementary set of skills. Some are businesswomen from across the industry spectrum: entertainment, finance, retail, sports, hospitality, and more. Many are exceptional organizers, and community activists. All are philanthropists. This vast range of talent is gathered, organized and put to use on behalf of the nonprofit organizations that receive SHARE's assistance.

Over the years, SHARE has provided critical support to many of the programs and facilities so vital to children with special needs. SHARE provided the first money for the now industry-leading Exceptional Children's Foundation, and early money for Stuart House at The Rape Treatment Center. In later years, SHARE has provided critical support for research into developmental disabilities through the SHARE Child Disability Center at Cedars-Sinai, as well as vital funding for Ahead With Horses, The Sophia T. Salvin Center, Team Prime Time and many others. Each year, the Ladies of SHARE evaluate each new and continuing grant request to be sure that the money is doing the greatest possible good, always looking for the place where their assistance is needed the most.

Visit our website to learn more of these wonderful organizations.

SHARE reaches out to the generous community of donors through a variety of fundraising events, anchored by the iconic Boomtown Party and Show. The star-studded, western-themed evening features A-list headliners, but would not be complete without the glittering chorus line of the SHARE Ladies themselves, putting on a show to entertain their very generous guests. Other fundraising events include: A Day At The Races, and now, Ladies Night Out, A Bachelor Auction.









The many days of hard work are returned a thousand times over when the ladies of SHARE receive hugs and smiles from grateful parents and happy participants in the many programs SHARE supports. With those memories always in mind, the members of SHARE pledge to make known the needs of the developmentally disabled and abused, and enlist the aid of others who Share Happily And Reap Endlessly, year after year.