January 2017 Update:

First, we want to say thank you to so many people. Old & new friends, brave volunteers, faithful advocates, customers who shopped with us, spread the word, & made a difference. Sometimes the best way is to SHOW you all the tangible ways that you helped us grow in 2016 (August - Dec). There's a lot of 'insider information" we are entrusting to you here, and we hope this gives you some insight to where we're headed, and how we have chosen to give. Here we go!

July - We started the company, gathered by our closest friends & supporters, who officially helped us "launch" this vehicle. Sharing our vision, praying for direction, & opening boxes together! We didn't make a penny on this launch, but it felt like a solid start to something different.

August - We had our first online sales launch, and were totally caught off guard. We were completely overwhelmed with the logistics of sales & getting those packages out the door (who in the world sells 170+ items on their launch!?) YOU guys helped us rock our first sale, and we were stunned. It BLEW us out of the water, and showed some real potential. We poured it all back in, and grew quickly from there.

Started some real conversations with potential non-profit organizations. Sarah had meetings at offices, Starbucks, over-the-phone conversations, scattered mornings & evenings - gathering info & going with gut. Takeaway? Wow, there is a lot of work to be done. Even when you narrow it down to "clothing people in need" - the choices are overwhelming. It was eye-opening and humbling to have conversations with people who diligently serve our community. Now it was a matter of narrowing it down, finding like-minded missions, & places where we felt our clothes and/or giving could tangibly make a difference for others. We learned that it was going to take awhile to not only "decide" who, but also contract out how the partnership would work, exactly. 

September - We began conversations with Hope in Ethiopia, a local organization that partners with NGO Food For the Hungry (501c3). Our goal would be to provide the clothing budget for orphan-headed households in Zeway, Ethiopia. Essentially, we would underwrite their annual cost of clothing (school uniforms and play clothes/shoes for the orphans & widows) in the approximate amount of nearly $7000. We loved that we were giving something as simple as clothes, but also contributing to the holistic care (physical, spiritual, counseling, training, education) that this organization was already providing. It was very early in the game to start giving, so we would need to sell a LOT of clothes to stay afloat.

October - We formed an official Partnership Agreement with Hope in Ethiopia.

In the meantime, we began some partnership conversations with Allies Against Slavery - a local non-profit fighting human/sex trafficking in Austin, TX. Initially, we were not personally connected to Allies, but through a series of unrelated conversations, the name kept coming back, and it became apparent that we should contact them. Upon meeting some staff members, we felt connected and inspired by their mission, and we wanted to be a part of their local support. Allies is uniquely positioned to collaborate with like-minded individuals, businesses, the University of Texas, and various other social influences in our city to make a greater impact. The community-oriented mission of Allies seemed to closely align with ours, and our contribution would go towards "Survivor Leadership," clothing individuals with dignity, leadership skills, and an opportunity to have a strong voice in the community. Their annual survivor retreat budget is $10K, and we wondered if we could contribute significantly towards this also.

November - We officially began giving monthly to Hope in Ethiopia. We didn't know whether the numbers would work out just right, but we wanted to give first. So we took a step of faith, set up an electronic fund transfer at the beginning of the month, and hit the send button. 

Mid-November, the doors opened wide for DressWell, as we were given the opportunity to partner with six Austin-area participating Orange Theory Fitness studios to give back to the community. We were able to set up table vendors, share our mission, and sell product. It was a mad scramble to gather volunteers, print hundreds of flyers & business cards, and organize the logistics of marketing, selling, and getting our mission out on a bigger stage. But when you get an opportunity like this, you seize it.

We officially formed a partnership with Allies Against Slavery, and committed to giving monthly at the start of January 2017.

December - With the help of amazing volunteers, we pulled off twenty-two (22) pop-up events at various OTF studio locations - within the first few days of December. We had pages and pages of new sign-ups, sold 100+ leggings IN PERSON that week, shared our mission & info about these non-profits to those who asked, and engaged in some great conversations. It was overwhelming, to say the least! 

If you're wondering, the numbers are working out... so far. Financially, we had a strong start - which allowed us to pour every penny back into the business and grow (about double) our inventory. If sales continue to steadily grow, I believe we will now be able to use that earned portion to give our profit away, without having to increase our inventory, or pay for other additional start-up costs. This is our goal, and we are working towards that end: We would love for every dollar above cost of goods to go directly to those in need.

This is where you're probably asking, what kind of impact is DressWell GiveWell making, exactly? How do you know you're making a difference? Well, to be honest, it's early and hard to say. (Sometimes I work exhaustively, and I wonder the same thing myself.) We've planted a seed, and hopefully it's a healthy one that will take root, grow strong, and bear much fruit. We'll be sharing more with you throughout the year, and hopefully, you'll also be hearing more directly from the organizations we support. They are the ones who are actually doing the heavy lifting. They are the hands and feet on the ground - teaching, inspiring, gathering, pouring into, and lifting up.

So there you have it. We are forming more "formal," long-term relationships with organizations that align with our mission. In an effort to better serve them, we are committing to give monthly, and as able. So as we continue to grow, we will learn more together about where your money is going. We want to make this personal for us, and for you.

Our part is small, but we know every part counts. So we work because we can, and we give because we should. Thank you, friends, for standing by us, and encouraging us along the way! We ourselves have been given so much, and we are honored and privileged to give back, and give generously.