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Applied in 2007

Professional Women's Group (PWG)

Dress for Success Worldwide

Program Facts

  • Paid (FTE) Staff Working: 7
  • Program Participants Last Year: 200
  • Meets about 2 time(s) with each participant per month
  • Participants remain in the program for 12 months

Volunteers

Volunteers per month: 8

Volunteers are trained:

Volunteer Training
AlwaysRarely

Volunteers are actively recruited:

Volunteer Recruiting
AlwaysRarely

Board Activities

  • Formally reviews the performance of the chief executive officer at least once every two years.
  • Formally approves the budget.
  • Ensures that arrangements with outside fund raising firms are made in writing.
  • Receives information about the financial arrangements with such firms and, if applicable, the anticipated portion of the gross proceeds that goes to the organization.
  • Has formally approved a conflict of interest policy and regularly monitors it to ensure adherence.
  • Receives, at least quarterly, the organization's financial statement.
  • Receives, at least annually, an auditor's management letter and report.
  • Convenes an audit committee.

Outcomes & Measures: (self-reported)

Outcome 1
Employment, Career Development, Job Retention

Measure
Annual written survey, monthly surveys, verbal reports. We are currently collecting and evaluating information on a study which begun this time last year where we began conducting an independent study of the women in our Professional Women's Group. We are currently studying low-income women as they transition from unemployment to self-sufficiency. The purpose of creating this study is to study the impact of career development support on the quality of life of the participants of our Professional Women’s Group in New York City, and to obtain empirical evidence about the efficacy of employment retention initiatives. Our hypothesis aims to prove that Dress for Success clients who participate in the Professional Women’s Group demonstrate improvements in employment retention, career development, and self-sufficiency.

Tracking data points that will enable Dress for Success to either prove or disprove the above hypotheses, such as:

•Employment status

•Salary

•Use of Public Assistance

•Housing situation

•Credit rating

•Furthered education

•Emergency fund

•Financially reliant

•Raise, new responsibilities, or promotion

• And more.

The evaluation will collect data from all clients who have been referred on our start date (May 1, 2006) and move with them beyond 12 months. We are still currently collecting information in order to do a full comparison of the accomplishments of the women we serve at the begining of our program and at the end.

Complementary to the study, we will also be collecting data in order for us to make comparisons between the population of women who are suited and join the PWG and the women who are suited and do not join the PWG and draw quantitative conclusions about the relative success of the individuals who participate in the PWG versus those who do not participate in the PWG and were available to participate in the study.

We expect that our findings will help Dress for Success Worldwide to understand more clearly the path of the woman who is emerging from poverty and entering the world of work.

Outcome 2
Economic self-sufficiency or educational achievement

Measure
Same as above, in addition to qualitative evaluation connected with the study, plus salary evaluation

Outcome 3
Increased self esteem or self-assurance

Measure
Observation and verbal Reports through working with individual clients; qualitative evaluation connected with the study

Outcome 4
Ability to network, create support system independently

Measure
Observation and verbal reports; qualitative evaluation connected with the study

Outcome 5
Achieve work/life balance

Measure
Same as above, plus written annual evaluation.

Change Process: (self-reported)

Professional Women’s Group (PWG) members change as they participate in our intensive monthly workshops. Prior to joining the PWG, 74% of the members were receiving some form of welfare benefits. One year later, this number decreased to 30%, demonstrating that nearly half of the women, who were once dependent on public assistance, are on the path to transforming themselves into self-sufficient individuals.