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Dress for Success - What We Do
The mission of
Dress for Success
is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing
professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools
to help women thrive in work and in life.
Founded
in New York City in 1997, Dress for Success is an international
not-for-profit organization offering services designed to help our clients
find jobs and remain employed. Each Dress for Success client receives one
suit when she has a job interview and can return for a second suit or
separates when she finds work.
Since
1997, Dress for Success has served more than 650,000 women around the
world. Each year we reach more than 65,000 women in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, New
Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Ireland and the West
Indies. All Dress for Success
organizations are not-for-profit entities, with Dress for Success Worldwide
and its U.S. affiliates having 501(c)(3) charitable status and
those outside the U.S. operating as registered charities. Clothing donations
and financial contributions made to Dress for Success affiliates within the
U.S. are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Dress
for Success serves clients by referral only, and women must have an
interview scheduled before receiving clothing. Our clients come to us from
a continually expanding and diverse group of non-profit and government
agencies including homeless shelters, immigration services, job training
programs, educational institutions and domestic violence shelters, among
many other organizations. Almost 4,500 organizations throughout the world
send women to Dress for Success for professional apparel and career
development services.
On
her initial visit a woman receives a suit appropriate for the industry in
which she is interviewing and, if available, accessories. After a woman finds
a job she returns to Dress for Success for additional clothing that can be
mixed and matched to make several outfits, providing her with the
foundation for a professional wardrobe.
While
we may be best known for providing suits to women, it is our employment
retention programs that are the cornerstone of the organization. Soon after
Dress for Success was founded we came to recognize that finding work is
only one step in a woman's journey towards economic independence; remaining
employed and building a rewarding career are essential if a woman is to
become self-sufficient.
To
meet the need for services that would help women both find and keep jobs,
we established the Professional Women's Group (PWG) program,
which offers women ongoing support as they successfully transition into the
workforce, build thriving careers and prosper in the mainstream workplace.
Once a woman joins the PWG she is a member for life, able to attend
meetings at any affiliate throughout the world, and can benefit from
additional employment retention and mentoring programs.
Dress
for Success also has developed Career Center,
an initiative that promotes confidence and professionalism by providing
women career guidance, the chance to acquire technology skills and
assistance in their job searches.
Another
way in which Dress for Success supports women joining or returning to the
workforce is through Steps to Success, an initiative that focuses on
the crucial first 30 days of employment, during which newly-hired women
face many potential challenges. Made possible by the generosity of the
National Endowment for Financial Education, the Steps to Success: A
Guide to Success in the Workplace publication helps women prepare for
their new jobs, identifies barriers they might encounter during their first
days, encourages them to plan for their futures and highlights resources that
can assist them during this transition, including the Professional Women's
Group.
Dress
for Success relies on the financial contributions, in-kind donations and
volunteer efforts of individuals and companies around the world who are
committed to helping women take charge of their lives. Visit our Support Dress for Success page to
learn how you can get involved with Dress for Success.
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