Dress for Success strongly believes we have an obligation to our stakeholders to operate with accountability and transparency. In 2007 we formalized this commitment by creating our Standards of Accountability (SOA) policy. The goal of the SOA is to demonstrate that all Dress for Success affiliates around the world adhere to widely accepted business practices for non-profit organizations. All Dress for Success affiliates that have been operational for more than one year are required to demonstrate compliance annually.
The SOA focuses on three key areas: governance/operations, financial practices and fundraising. Each Dress for Success affiliate is committed to protecting donor information and keeping donors adequately informed, ensuring the organization has sufficient oversight, reinforcing our brand and making all financial information available and easily accessible to stakeholders.
Governance/Operations
Affiliates must demonstrate that they have sufficient board oversight and that this governing body adheres to certain standards with regard to size, frequency of meetings, potential conflicts of interest and so on. Each year an affiliates board must complete an evaluation of its performance during the prior year and establish goals for the upcoming one.
Finances
The SOA requires that at least 65% of all expenses must go directly to client services. Financial reports prepared by affiliates must contain specific information with regard to income, expenses and assets. In addition, Dress for Success affiliates must be prepared to share such details with the publicand to have policies in place ensuring that stakeholders have access to such records.
Fundraising
Donor privacy is of the utmost importance to Dress for Success, and as part of the SOA, all affiliates must have policies in place to protect donors which must be displayed on their Web sites. Affiliates also need to ensure that any potential contributors are adequately informed about how Dress for Success will benefit from any promotions or sales held by a third party.
The specific requirements of the SOA can be found here.
Affiliates demonstrate their compliance with the SOA annually, thus renewing this commitment to excellence. Those who meet all the SOA criteria are demonstrating their extraordinary dedication to their stakeholdersby taking these additional steps to ensure that their operations remain transparent and that they are accountable to all of their supporters.
Any affiliate displaying this seal
on their Web site is in compliance with all aspects of the SOA for the
2011 calendar year. The list below includes all of those who met these additional standards in 2011.
Please feel free to e-mail us at worldwide@dressforsuccess.org if you have questions or would like to learn more about the SOA.
2011 SOA Compliant Affiliates:
