2012 Total Operating Budget: 

What

The mission of Dress for Success Triangle NC 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.

Why

First impressions are important. When Dress for Success Triangle founder Pat Nathan returned to North Carolina, she recognized the growth in the gap between the Triangle’s most affluent and those living in poverty. Having participated in the business sector herself, Nathan was committed to developing a prgram that focused on ending the cycle of poverty in this community through three components in the program: suiting, a Career Center and a Professional Women’s Group.

Dress for Success Triangle’s programs consist of three core areas: Suiting, Career Center and Professional Women’s Group.

Suiting

Each woman receives one/two suits for an interview. Once she obtains a job, she receives up to a week’s worth of job specific apparel. All outfits are free of charge to the clients and are theirs to keep. Clients receive one-on-one assistance from trained, volunteer, image coaches who help select appropriate attire and also help with their initial interview skills.

Career Center

The Career Center promotes confidence and professionalism by providing Dress for Success clients with career guidance and support in their job searches. The program offers services and resources that are vital to women entering the workforce, such as Internet-accessible computers with job placement software; job search assistance; résumé and cover letter writing lessons; and both interview preparation and mock interviews. Many of the women have been negatively affected by the recent job market decline and are seeking new positions; others simply want to create and update their portfolios for future employment opportunities. Career Center staff members work one-on-one with clients. The program also has the support of volunteers who come from varied professional backgrounds, including job developers, career specialists, and human resources executives. In order to successfully obtain a job, clients must learn how to navigate the job-search process. By teaching clients to create superior résumés and cover letters, as well as how to hone their interview and technology skills, DFST can ensure that they feel confident and capable when applying for employment.

Professional Women’s Group (PWG)

Each regularly scheduled monthly meeting consists of two key elements: an expert speaker leading a discussion and a networking period. Through these educational workshops, women are taught how to secure their jobs and maximize their earning potential through employment stability. The programming covers four basic subject areas: workplace communication and culture, financial literacy and wealth building, creating a balance between work and family, and the written - and unwritten - rules of the workplace.

Pat Nathan

Executive Director

North Carolina native Pat Nathan founded the local Dress for Success Triangle NC affiliate April 2008. Dress for Success, an international nonprofit organization, promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire and a network of support. The organization helps women gain and maintain meaningful employment, ending the cycle of poverty. With a successful leadership record of 24 years in the electronics industry, Pat, a former Dell executive, has expertise in the areas of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Quality and Customer Service, Diversity, Supplier Management, Coaching, and Sustainability. Pat has also worked at Data General Inc. and at N.C. State University. A graduate of Meredith College (B.S. chemistry), Pat also attended N.C. State University’s master’s program in statistics. Pat previously served as the vice-chair of the board of Sustainable NC and managed the Dell Foundation as part of her Corporate Social Responsibility role before retiring from Dell.

Megan Risley

Program Manager

Megan is the Program Manager for Dress for Success Triangle and has been involved with Dress for Success since April of 2009. Megan has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology and a certificate in Social Work and Social Welfare, and a Master’s degree in Social Work. She has over 15 years of work with women and children and has held various management positions in the non-profit field in the Triangle for the past 13 years. She is involved in the Durham community, as she is on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit creative re-use center.

Laura Piggott

Community Relations and Donor Manager
Laura is involved in planning of special events, representing us at Volunteer Fairs and managing donor communications. Laura moved back to NC from Washington D.C. where she worked with a PR firm and then, most recently, with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Laura is a native of Wilson and a graduate of UNC.

Carol Schwartz
Raleigh Manager
Carol Schwartz brings 15 years experience in operations and management. She is dedicated solely to the delivery of services in our Wake County office.

Leslie Fleury
Services Coordinator
Leslie coordinates suiting services for our two sites.

Dress_for_Success_1Q10_Report.pdf

Dress_for_Success_2Q10_Report.pdf

Dress_for_Success_3Q10_Report.pdf

Dress_for_Success_4Q10 Report.pdf