Dress for Success Worldwide
Going Places. Going Strong.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our purpose is to offer long-lasting economical solutions that enable women to break the cycle of poverty.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Suiting Program
Job-ready women come to Dress for Success by referral only from a range of non-profit organizations. Each client works one-on-one with a highly trained volunteer personal shopper who helps her select professional attire and also provides support and encouragement as she prepares for her upcoming interviews. Dress for Success provides each client with a career suit, cosmetics, footwear and accessories—and most importantly, positive reinforcement and a boost of confidence. After a client finds work, she can return to Dress for Success for a full week’s worth of professional attire. The clothing that Dress for Success provides to our clients symbolizes our faith in every woman's ability to succeed.
Career Center
Dress for Success Career Centers promote confidence and professionalism by pairing our clients with staff members who work one-on-one with them. Staff members help create superior résumés and cover letters, provide career counseling, conduct mock interviews, and facilitate access to our professional skills training course.
Financial Literacy
Earning a living is only half of the journey to financial independence. Clients who have been active PWG members for at least one year are eligible to enroll in Dress for Success’ proprietary 15-week Financial Literacy Program. This program, designed with the unique needs of Dress for Success women in mind, ensures that each participant learns to make sound financial decisions, develops a plan for her future and is sufficiently empowered to reclaim her financial freedom.
Health and Wellness
Health and wellness plays a vital role in a woman’s journey towards success. An active lifestyle and wholesome eating habits promotes physical and mental wellness, cutting down the number of days an employee must be absent from work and dramatically increasing overall productivity and workplace contributions. The Health and Wellness program promotes positive lifestyle changes that help participants live longer, healthier, more productive lives.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsTotal women served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This is the total number of women served
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goal is to create a world where women do not live in poverty; are treated with dignity and respect; and are strengthening their families and shaping their communities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We offer an array of services, including suiting and career development training, to equip women with the tools to secure jobs. We help women become financially independent and we support them along every career phase.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are an ever-expanding network of affiliates who work together with referral agencies, volunteers and companies across the world to make a big impact in women’s lives. By supporting each other, we can reach a greater number of women and make our vision a reality.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 150 cities in 30 countries and has helped more than one million women work towards self-sufficiency.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Dress for Success Worldwide
Board of directorsas of 01/30/2024
Elena Kiam
Chair Of The Board Of Directors at Dress for Success Worldwide
Frank Aquila
Sullivan & Cromwell
Erica Frontiero
The Carlyle Group
Jean Seldon Greene
Bank of America
Lucy Kaylin
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Clarice Kennedy
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Dusty Elias Kirk
Reed Smith
Elena Kiam
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Rosemarie Ryan
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Frances Thompkins
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Dale Bornstein
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Krista Bourne
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Kelly Cusick Dropchinski
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Linda Kozlowski
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Joyce Russell
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Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/07/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.