ABOUT OUR LEAGUE
THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS INITIATIVE:
A FUNDRAISING SUPERSTAR ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON Julia Rosenthal
T
his year, the Junior League of Washington (JLW) piloted a popular fundraising campaign called the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI). The Junior League of London launched the first LBDI in 2014 as a week-long awareness and online fundraising campaign focused on promoting conversation about the experience of poverty. LBDI volunteers are called advocates, and they participate by wearing the same black outfit for five consecutive days to illustrate the limitations poverty forces on women’s access to resources, their confidence, and advancement opportunities. Each advocate is able to internalize the experience to gain a personal understanding of this aspect of poverty and share her realizations, along with statistics about poverty in the region, to raise awareness on social media. In addition to spreading the message, advocates also leverage their networks to raise funds for a designated cause. JLW’s cause for support this year during LBDI was the Community Assistance Fund (CAF). The CAF was formed in May 2020 as part of JLW’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and had already distributed over $80,000 in grants. Any 501(c)(3) registered organization serving the DMV region and providing community support was eligible to receive funding through CAF. Christina Tunison, Committee Chair for Innovation & Incubation, took charge of LBDI’s inaugural year in Washington, DC, and tapped Michele Webster to be the LBDI Project Lead. Webster had transferred
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Spring 2021
JLW President Jessica Taylor White sports her little black mask.
