Moving Ahead

On International Women’s Day, Dress for Success Cincinnati, an organization devoted to empowering women, announced plans for a new location and the launch of their $1.2 million TransformHER Campaign. 

After a thorough and thoughtful search, Dress for Success decided to move to Norwood in June 2021. The new location will give the organization the opportunity to have its offices, styling boutique, clothing donation center, and resale boutique, Portaluca, together on one floor—instead of being spread out on multiple floors as is the case in their old location.

“While we were not eager to leave our current location and its favorable lease—especially during the pandemic,” says Lisa Nolan, executive director, “Our building was sold, and we had no choice.”

Dress for Success is renowned for providing interview attire to women returning to or entering the workforce. The organization’s work also includes a wide variety of workforce development programs that offer a lifetime of career support to women in the community. 

To help raise funds for the relocation, Dress for Success has launched the TransformHER Campaign—the first funding campaign in its 22-year history. The goal is to raise $1.2 million of which the organization has so far raised $650,000. These funds are needed to relocate the organization to its new home, further develop programs to support its clients and ensure sustainability for the future. 

The TransformHER Campaign icludes three parts

• Moving to a large location that allows for cohesive programming and strategic growth

• Setting up a Fund for the Future which can only be distributed at the Board of Directors' discretion for new opportunities, programs, and important growth

• Building fundraising capacity by establishing a Major Gifts program and recruiting a development director

The three-pronged approach provides the foundation necessary to further help women out of poverty and achieve economic independence.

To learn more about the TransformHER campaign or to make a donation in support of the campaign, go to dfscincy.org/transformher.