Two women with blonde hair facing each other, smiling, in front of illuminated vertical light strips in a dimly lit room.

our story

We are a female-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Our founder, Ruby Franzen, saw a gap and opportunity to grow the formal event experience. Young women (including herself) were buying formal dresses, only to wear them once and have them set aside in their closets. Since its inception, Pass Down The Gown has been collecting these dresses to allow anyone to rent them for free. What started as a rack of dresses in a basement has grown into a sustainable nonprofit, serving women across the country through volunteer service and donations. We hope that as Pass Down The Gown grows, people use us as a more eco-friendly and affordable option for event shopping! 

Young woman in a one-shoulder dark green dress standing indoors with hands on hips, positioned against a white brick and plain wall background.

meet our founder

Ruby Franzen founded Pass Down The Gown in 2017 during her senior year of high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loved prom, homecoming, and getting ready with friends, but noticed that the dresses were expensive and usually worn only once. To make formalwear more accessible, she began asking friends to donate their dresses and uploaded them to a website where anyone could rent them for free.

What began as a single rack of dresses in her basement has grown into a sustainable nonprofit run by more than 20 high school volunteers.

Today, Ruby lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she works full-time at a nonprofit newsroom.

meet the team

  • Headshot of Lucy Franzen

    Lucy Franzen

    Director of Operations

  • A young woman in a floral dress standing outdoors in a field with trees in the background, smiling at the camera.

    Daisy Franzen

    Director of Marketing

  • Photo of Frannie Miller

    Frannie Miller

    Mentor Program Director

Six young women with light skin standing closely together, smiling, and posing for a photo. They are dressed in casual and semi-formal outfits against a plain white background.

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