Dress for Success Tampa Bay

What Dress for Success Tampa Bay does

Dress for Success Tampa Bay is a Florida-incorporated, private not-for-profit corporation (Federal Tax ID 59-3542254) founded in 1998 by Pat Ellington as the first Dress for Success chapter in Florida and the tenth nationally. Headquartered at 1705 N. Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL, the organization provides professional attire, career coaching, and ongoing workforce development programming to unemployed and underemployed women in the Tampa Bay region, regardless of circumstance including incarceration history, homelessness, relocation, or caregiving gaps, and inclusive of cis, trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender queer, and woman-identified persons.

The organization's core service portfolio comprises three signature programs: Career and Image Coaching (one-on-one resume, elevator pitch, interview, and styling support), the Moving Forward three-week Job Acquisition Class (classroom-style resume, mock interview, and career navigation), and the Professional Women's Group (monthly peer networking and career development). Adjacent offerings include Professional Styling packages (interview and employment bundles with shoes, accessories, undergarments, and toiletries), partner-led Financial Education courses (Capital One Finance Class, budgeting, banking, debt, taxes, investing, credit, retirement), and an Entrepreneurship Workshop covering personal branding and elevator pitches. Service delivery operates through a hybrid model combining in-person boutique appointments at the Tampa location, virtual career coaching, and partner-referred access via a network of hundreds of non-profit and government agencies.

The revenue model is donation-based rather than transactional. Streams include individual one-time and recurring ($50/month) donations, employer matching gift programs (Bank of America, PayPal, Dell, Applied Materials, IBM), corporate sponsorships, planned giving (bequests, retirement beneficiary designations, life insurance gifts, POD/TOD accounts), in-kind clothing donations (with a $500 minimum for hosted clothing drives), and annual event fundraising (Anniversary Gala, Summer Soiree fashion show, Power Walk, Empowerment on the Runway) processed through RallyUp and Stripe. The 2024 Summer Soiree raised $35,361. Customer-side services are free to clients. Operations are lean: four core paid staff (Executive Director Lisette Parsons, Staff Accountant Delma Fryer, Boutique Manager Surbhi Kshatri, Administrative Assistant Rose West) supported by an 11+ member Board of Directors and a trained volunteer corps that logged 967 hours of boutique and event service in the most recent reported year.

Name

Dress for Success Tampa Bay

Legal name

Dress for Success Tampa Bay

Website

https://dfstampabay.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dress for Success Tampa Bay is a Florida-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides free professional attire, career coaching, job-acquisition classes, financial education, and ongoing networking to unemployed and underemployed women across the Tampa Bay region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Career Support Services

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion Styling (Weddings, Galas, Events) (HSACAJAC)

Keywords

• Workforce development programs
• Professional attire services
• Career coaching nonprofits
• Women's employment support
• Community referral services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Financial Donations: One-time and monthly recurring donations from individual donors. Monthly giving program at $50/month helps cover workforce development program expenses. Also includes employer matching programs with companies like Bank of America, Paypal, Dell, Applied Materials, and IBM.
2. Clothing Donations: In-kind donations of professional workplace attire from individuals and corporations. Donations accepted Thursdays 10am-1pm at main boutique and Tuesdays 10:30am-12:45pm for St. Pete community.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual events including Anniversary Gala, Summer Soiree fashion show, Power Walk, and Empowerment on the Runway. The 2024 Summer Soiree raised $35,361.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor events, participate in annual giving, and employee matching gift programs. Each year they work with over 40 companies for team building activities.
5. Planned Giving: Bequests through wills/trusts, retirement asset beneficiary designations, life insurance gifts, and POD/TOD accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dress for Success Tampa Bay provides free professional attire styling, one-on-one career and image coaching, a three-week Moving Forward job acquisition class, the Professional Women's Group for ongoing career networking, and financial education workshops to unemployed and underemployed women in the Tampa Bay area. All programs are delivered at no cost to clients, with services provided through boutique locations, virtual coaching, and a network of 100+ referral partner non-profits and government agencies.

Product overview

Dress for Success Tampa Bay operates as a nonprofit service organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings consist of workforce development programs including Career and Image Coaching, the three-week Moving Forward Program (Job Acquisition Class), and the Professional Women's Group for ongoing career support. These are complemented by Professional Styling services that provide workplace attire packages, and Financial Education Courses including a Capital One Finance Class and Entrepreneurship Workshop. All programs are offered at no cost to women in the Tampa Bay area seeking employment or career advancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career and Image Coaching One-on-one coaching for women working with trained professionals to perfect resumes, practice elevator pitches, prepare for interviews, and select interview-appropriate attire.
• Moving Forward Program (Job Acquisition Class) Three-week classroom-style job acquisition program covering resume preparation, mock interview sessions, and career navigation support designed to help women land jobs.
• Professional Styling Personalized workplace clothing package delivered through boutique appointments, providing interview outfits (with shoes, accessories, undergarments, and toiletries) or one week of employment clothing.
• Professional Women's Group Monthly networking and career development meetings for employed women, focusing on peer networking, career growth, and ongoing professional support.
• Financial Education Courses Financial literacy courses covering budgeting, basic banking, debt management, taxes, investing, credit, and retirement, offered 2-3 times per year in partnership with local and national banks and corporations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38,000+ women served since 1998
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centre for WomencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner that sends clients to Dress for Success Tampa Bay. Betsy Cuadrado was referred through the Centre for Women to access Moving Forward Program and Professional Women's Group services.
• Employ FloridacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment workforce development referral partner that connected Juana Jackson to Dress for Success Tampa Bay services including Capital One Finance Class and entrepreneurship workshop.
• Bank of AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer matching gift program participant allowing employees to double their impact through matched donations to DFSTB.
• PaypalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer matching gift program participant.
• DellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer matching gift program participant.
• Applied MaterialsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer matching gift program participant.
• IBMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer matching gift program participant.
• Local and National Banks and CorporationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners for financial education courses, hosting 2-3 courses per year (3-6 weeks long) covering budgeting, banking, debt, taxes, investing, credit, retirement. Graduates eligible to win swag and cash prizes.
• Dillard's at Citrus Park Town CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion provider for the 2024 Summer Soiree fashion show, showcasing fashions at the event.
• 40+ Corporate CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual corporate partner engagement for team building activities. Offers online and in-person volunteering opportunities for groups of 2-8 people including career mentoring, clothing donation sorting, donation drives, and career boot camps.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dress for Success (Global Organization): Global parent network of which DFSTB is a chapter; both provide professional attire, career development, and employment support to women. DFSTB operates as an independent affiliate within this network, so the global organization serves as the most direct comparable for mission, model, and programming.
• Wardrobe for Opportunity: Bay Area (San Francisco) nonprofit providing professional clothing and career coaching to low-income job seekers. Closest direct comparable in mission (clothing + coaching combination), target population, and service model, though operating in a different geographic market.
• Heartland Human Services (Dress for Success affiliates): Other regional Dress for Success affiliates operating the same three-program model with similar donor and volunteer structures. Provides direct precedent for how individual chapters scale, fundraise, and deliver services in their local markets.
• YWCA Tampa Bay: Women's empowerment nonprofit serving Tampa Bay with workforce development, economic empowerment, and safety net services. Overlapping mission in advancing women's economic independence, similar donor base, and same regional footprint make it a closely comparable peer.
• Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay: Workforce readiness and financial literacy nonprofit serving the Tampa Bay area. Both organizations focus on career preparation and financial education, though JA targets youth and DFSTB targets adult women. Comparable funding model (corporate sponsorships, donor-funded programs).
• The Centre for Women (Tampa): Tampa-based nonprofit that provides career and personal development services to women; DFSTB and the Centre for Women have a documented referral partnership (Betsy Cuadrado was referred through the Centre for Women to DFSTB). Mission overlap and direct client-sharing relationship make it the closest local peer.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Suncoast: Large regional nonprofit that funds and operates workforce development programs including support for women's economic empowerment. Functions as both a potential funder and a comparable operating nonprofit serving the same Tampa Bay donor and client base.

Regional players

• CareerSource Tampa Bay: Regional workforce development board serving the Tampa Bay area with job placement, career coaching, and training services. Partners with Employ Florida and shares the same target demographic of unemployed/underemployed job seekers, making it a regional comparable for workforce development services.
• Goodwill Industries of Suncoast: Tampa Bay area Goodwill affiliate offering workforce development, job training, and career placement services. Operates in the same geography and addresses overlapping client needs (unemployment, career advancement) but on a much larger scale and with a broader retail-clothing funding model.

Emerging players

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free tech and professional skills training with career coaching to individuals facing barriers to employment. While not focused exclusively on women, the model of free career training plus coaching/styling support is structurally similar and serves comparable populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dressforsuccesstampabay
• Instagraminstagram.com/dfstampabay
• Xx.com/dfstampabay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dfstb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dress for Success Tampa Bay