The Little Black Dress Initiative: Why LBDI?

By: Megan Smith

When I was asked to write an article about the 2023 Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI), I immediately began to reflect on my own involvement this year and asked myself, “Why did you participate in LBDI?” and “What motivated you to engage in a fundraiser that you never had previously?” and also, the embarrassing question of “Why have you not fully participated in this fundraiser in years past?”

Admittedly, I’ve never participated in fundraising for the JLC through LBDI. I had a number of reasons, none of which make a lot of sense in retrospect. First, it’s rare to find a black dress or black clothing in my wardrobe. Second, I wasn’t quite sure how to ask for financial contributions and I personally doubted that people would say yes if I asked. Then, there was my fear of people asking me questions I didn’t know the answer to, namely, why is it important and where does the money go? (Spoiler alert: I didn’t really know every nuance to this question until this year.) Last, I wasn’t as tech savvy as I’ve become during the pandemic and I felt too overwhelmed at posting on all my socials and downloading graphics and inserting stats. There were also a number of personal excuses, such as work travel, too much going on, and so forth. Turns out, that was the same situation this year. Work has been so hectic. I’d had COVID for the fourth time about a month earlier and was finally recovering, I was traveling out of town for work, and a long list of other assorted excuses were all legitimate. But, this year, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my “why JLC” and the reasons are clear. I believe in helping others and supporting the mission of the JLC; participating in LBDI is a vital way to support the JLC.

This year, I spent time reading about the LBDI and I watched the interview Kellie Lofton conducted with the founder of LBDI during her presidency. Then, I read the statistics about poverty in Charlotte, which are concerning, and the lack of social mobility that exists for many residents in our city. These all amounted to compelling arguments to participate in LBDI. The main reason I joined the Junior League in 2002 was because I wanted to volunteer in the community with like-minded women who shared similar beliefs about supporting and aiding those in the community. When I considered why I participated in LBDI this year, I identified three main reasons including responsibility as a JLC member, managing my expectations, and leading by example.

If I don’t support the JLC’s efforts, how can I expect someone else to? As a long-time League member, I joined the Junior League because I wanted to contribute to the community and make an impact. Through my membership of the JLC, this can be accomplished on a larger scale with other committed women than on my own. While I truly enjoy community events, my personal preference is internal placements. I often participate in about 6-7 community volunteer events (beyond my placement) and also engage in remote volunteering for our current placements when my schedule allows. As a one-time member of the Finance Committee though, member dues alone are insufficient to provide financial support to our community partners, which is all the more reason to participate in the LBDI fundraiser. I know the dollars raised this year contribute to projects in the 2024-2025 year. In addition to volunteer hours, we contract with community partners to provide financial resources and as a member I know I need to help support the mission in both volunteer hours and financial contributions. The benefit is that I will also be able to see the impact of the money raised in the placements we support in future years.

The old adage of “you get out of something what you put into it” applies in the JLC. I did not join the League because of what I would get out of it, such as long-term friendships, leadership training and experiences, expansion of my network, attending organized community events and participating in fun socials. I joined the League because I was instilled with a belief system that my responsibility as a citizen of society is to support and provide aid to others. Supporting others appears in a variety of ways, such as attending JLC committee meetings regularly, organizing and recruiting for volunteer opportunities, taking the time to build relationships, and fundraising for LBDI and the Annual Fund. But, I have found that the energies that I pour into providing support to the community over the past 20 years as a JLC member has paid off in the form of lifelong friendship and leadership training and experiences, and attending fun socials. Funny how that turned out! The mindset of giving first and giving more has been tremendously more fulfilling and meaningful than the time I could have spent expecting the JLC to provide something to me through my membership dues.

As a leader in the JLC, part of my leadership ethic is leading by example. In professional and volunteer roles, I strongly believe that one should never delegate or ask for a task to be completed if one would not do it herself. There are times when life feels really overwhelming and I know that is a shared experience. There are times when I suppose it wouldn’t really matter if I didn’t show up or participate, but earlier in this piece, I wrote that I have reflected on my “why JLC.” In my many years in the League, I have had the opportunity to observe and be around some incredible leaders, women who instilled respect and admiration. There are a few common denominators among those League leaders and it is that they were present and serving alongside me at a food bank or consignment sale or attending committee members or donating money. In my twenties, I just remember being in awe of women who juggled all the plates in the air and demonstrated incredible dedication. Their leadership qualities of leading by example encouraged me to continue my membership even during a few years when it felt like I really needed to take a break. Time will tell if that is how I am viewed as a leader, but some of the first right steps seem to be leading by example through participation, attendance, and engagement.

This year, more JLC members than ever before set up fundraising pages and participated, which is worth celebrating. I asked two of those members why they participated in LBDI and they provided similar types of answers around responsibility of membership and a shared belief of community volunteerism.

“ As a Sustainer, I think I have a responsibility to always support the only fundraiser of the League. I felt it was even more important this year as we begin our new focus area addressing mental health issues and as we look forward to celebrating the JLC’s 100th Anniversary in 2026.”

— Sharon Slater, Sustainer and Past-President of

the Junior League of Syracuse

“ Every year, I do LBDI because I simply believe in the League, its mission, and the impact it makes on our community. LBDI is an excellent opportunity to tell family, friends and colleagues about who the JLC is and what we do in the community, especially for our youngest and mightiest community members: children. I am thankful for the impact the League has made on my life in three short years, and it is my privilege to give back to an organization that has given me so much, both as a woman and as a mother.”

— Ashley Crawford, Active and Board of Directors member at Large

In short, membership involvement in LBDI is critical to the success of the JLC. That is a known fact, but I also encourage all members to think about their “why JLC” and the ways that they can participate in LBDI next year. I imagine that some of my honest answers at the beginning of the article resonate with others.