As many of you know, I’ve spent the bulk of my waking hours on my burgeoning non-profit, Fashion For All. Fashion For All is a (soon-to-be) national non-profit that offers women living in low-income communities, in twelve major cities across the country, a day of dignified shopping and access to community-based organizations, which provide educational, career, health, wellness, and parenting resources. Fashion For All seeks to arm underprivileged women with the resources they need in order for them to achieve personal and professional growth. On an ongoing basis, Fashion For All will connect women with local community groups and national organizations that offer parenting, educational, health, wellness, personal and professional developmental resources.

From attorney meetings to reviewing endless drafts of marketing materials, to researching potential non-profit partners to planning a holiday event - this one-time idea, which has evolved into an organization, is all-consuming. In my quieter moments a part of me wants to give up, knows it would be simpler to return to a full-time corporate job and all the security it brings, because launching an exhaustion by myself is… exhausting. I’ve taken on freelance work to not only keep me afloat, but to also pay for the mounting costs it takes to launch a new venture. Yesterday I took a look at my credit card statement and I nearly choked. In the beginning of 2009, I was nearly out of credit card debt. Now? It’s formidable. And I had to close my eyes and breathe and breathe and breathe, and repeat that this was all for a greater good, an investment. I had to say these words as if I were some sort of fakir. Conjuring something to rise from the ground.

So I press on, and take my victories where I can because I know that I can’t go back to office life when I’ve found the one thing that wakes me in the morning.

And one of the major accomplishments is Fashion For All’s participation in MyGoodDeeds’ Runway to Service auction, and various service-awareness initiatives during this year’s New York Fashion Week. This Friday, meet me, my board members, and representatives from MyGoodDeeds/911Day.org inside the IMG Lounge at Bryant Park.

So stop by Bryant Park this Friday, grab a Fashion For All press kit or brochure, or learn more about how you can give back in your community. Meanwhile, I’ll be taking some deep breaths and trying to appreciate all that’s right in front of me.

It never ceases to amaze me how much one’s life could change in a single year. Last year, at this very moment, I would’ve been on the subway, riding to a job that was slowly killing me. Self-absorption was a mantra. My only concerns would’ve been how to survive my day without screaming during meetings where coworkers were fond of displaying their cattiness like plumage, and whether or not I could secure a Prada handbag. My life rarely went beyond what was in front of me, and surrounded by so much privilege, my sense of perspective was skewed. Here I was, a self-made woman who grew up in a hard neighborhood, but put herself through college and graduate school. Slowly forgetting where she came from. And as the months passed, I realized that living a life that revolves around me wasn’t a life best lived. Never would I have envisioned the role my life has taken, and never did I conceive that I would be so passionate about launching a non-profit organization, where my priorities would need to shift from me to the less privileged.

Change and self-awareness are truly wonderful things. Instead of gritting my teeth at incompetent, passive-aggressive coworkers who snipe that I’m not a team player, I spend my days researching ways in which I could make a minor difference in someone else’s life. Fashion For All is simply not my organization, but a passion shared by myself and my amazing board of directors. A mission that rises above ourselves, a vision that is wholly gratifying and one worth fighting for. And when Yuli Ziv of Style Coalition approached me with this incredible initiative - teaming up with an organization dedicated to raising service awareness in remembrance and celebration of those who lost their lives on September 11th - I was honored, thrilled, and humbled to participate in any way.

In March 2009, after a seven-year campaign led by MyGoodDeed, September 11 was recognized by the Congress as a National Day of Service. In one of our conversations we talked about the fact that S/S Fashion Week in NY always falls on 9/11 and ideas on how the fashion community could promote the spirit of volunteerism, now associated with this day. We are more than excited to see this idea growing into a massive initiative with presence inside the Bryant Park tents, supported by IMG and several top designers including Donna Karan, Rachel Roy, Milly, Vivenne Tam, Tommy Hilfiger and many others. One of the main components of the project will be Runway to Service, a designer auction to support several charities, including Fashion for All.

WWD broke the news yesterday, and we’re not only raising awareness of repositioning 9/11 as a day of giving back, we urge you to contribute by volunteering at your local non-profit organization, performing an altruistic gesture on 9/11, or if you’re able, bidding on a host of priceless pieces generously donated by leading fashion designers.

Additionally, on 9/11, IMG has graciously lent MyGoodDeads and Fashion For All their lounge from 9am-4pm. Stop by, log your good deeds, and learn more about the participating organizations as well as how you can make a difference.

After a great deal of deliberation and terrific feedback, I decided to move forward with the wonderful f4a graphic treatment. Not only did I feel it was bold, fresh, and smart, the logo, along with the tagline: “What starts with fashion ends in opportunity,” speaks to my mission for the organization. To note, this image is merely one of many we’ll be using in our leave-behinds, brochures, and press materials, but I think it best enunciates our goal: to empower women in low-income communities with wonderful clothing, personal and professional resources, and opportunity.

Thanks to all who emailed and left feedback here on the blog, but on twitter, facebook, and in person. Thank you!

Note: This is a low-res, pdf image, sans tagline, but I couldn’t wait to reveal my decision!

Today I met with my genius team at Peters/Funaro, and they presented five concepts for my burgeoning non-profit, Fashion For All’s, identity. After a rather extensive brainstorming meeting, where I talked about the brand and its attributes — Fashion For All is serious organization that doesn’t take itself or the non-profit world too seriously, FFA’s vision lies in empowerment and opportunity; we’re a non-profit grounded in exuberance, energy, and unwavering passion — the guys came back with impressive, powerful concepts. We’re not simply thinking of what “looks” right or what’s aesthetically pleasing, we’re focusing on what best defines and articulates the brand. These initial images are the foundation for press materials, leave-behind brochures, web-design, and a blueprint for all the materials we plan to create - from stationary to t-shirts. They not only have to communicate the brand clearly, they have to be flexible in typesetting and all print/online applications. In short, this identity has to do a lot of work on multiple levels.

I have two favorites, but I was curious about your thoughts. Feel free to email me, or drop a comment below.

Fashion For All Needs Your Feedback! from Felicia Sullivan on Vimeo.

As you guys know, I am an evangelist for social media and social networking, and it’s been your input, suggestions, and advice which has helped me immensely as I venture into this unknown non profit terrain. So I’m seeking your feedback on two ideas:

•Would you pay $25-$50 (tax-deductible) for a luxe fundraising event, where you’d have access to live entertainment, cocktails, cupcakes, and fabulous gift bags? I’m considering hosting 2-3 events in New York, Los Angeles, and potentially Chicago, and I’d love your feedback.
•Do you think filming a witty PSA for Fashion For All is a good idea? The PSA will communicate FFA’s vision and goals in a fun, lighthearted way.

This morning I woke at 3:45 thinking about proforma income statements and the advantages of renting versus buying. I could blame the jetlag - traveling three thousand miles to meet with volunteers, brands, and those who may be potentially interested in helping, in any capacity, launch a Fashion For All/Beauty Cares holiday event - but really it’s the excitement that comes from the prospect of creating something auspicious and worthwhile. For months, I’ve been recording my journey in launching this new venture in neat, 140-character count clips, but I’ve decided to use this space to chronicle my proverbial roller-coaster ride. In upcoming posts I’ll shed some light on everything from the very nebulous and exhaustive legal and financial 501c3 tax-exempt process, to all the work that goes into selecting a board of directors and selecting non-profit partners, to a behind-the-scenes look on launching an actual event. However, today I’d love to share three things I’ve learned on the journey thus far:

•Don’t regret the finance degree: For years, I bemoaned the fact that I held analyst & associate positions in two major banks (commercial & investment), where I spent most of my time analyzing financial statements, running projections, and thinking about EBITDA and asset turnover. However, nearly a decade later, I’m realizing that having a fundamental understanding of basic accounting and a comfort with numbers is an asset. For my tax-exempt application, I have to show a 3-year projected net income statement (income statement is simply a financial statement that reveals operating results for a period in time. More explicitly, it documents income minus expenses, depreciation, taxes & amortization). I’ve been struggling with this because although I’ve outlined all potential expenditures, income from individual, corporate, and government sources is the giant unknown. How do I present a realistic projection when the critical element is “X”? Talk to me in a few days.

I’m also questioning the cost-benefit of renting equipment for the Fashion For All pop-up store events (a continuous hit to the income statement and cash flow) or should I buy all the racks, tables, mirrors, etc, and incur a one-time hit, knowing that I’ll have to depreciate, amortize, store, and carry these assets over time? What might look good on paper might be unmanageable in real life, as I’m thinking how realistic would it be for me to store equipment in St. Louis (one of my 12 launch cities) to be used twice a year, versus negotiating favorable rental rates without having to worry about the insurance and other related issues on carrying equipment.

•Branding is key: Although I know how to articulate my vision and mission statement on paper, translating that visually has been a challenge. From creative copy to logo design to business cards to press kit and leave-behind brochures, I want to ensure that I’m not only communicating what Fashion For All is, but the brand attributes, motives, values, and alliances, have to be abundantly clear. When speaking with potential donors, sponsors, etc, I have one chance to make a good first impression. I could be as effusive and passionate and articulate as I can be, but the literature and visuals I leave behind are also important. I’ve spoken to some non profit founders who, after a few years, finally focused on branding, and they’ve all relayed that articulating who you are verbally and visually at the onset is key, and saves work down the road. And although I have a background in marketing and project management, I’m not a branding and design expert. So, much like the process of finding an agent, I exhaustively researched online portfolios, asked for referrals, and met with a few consultants who would be interested in taking on FFA pro-bono, with a contractual tiered payment schedule. Just because I plan to launch a non profit, doesn’t mean I don’t believe in remunerating professionals for their hard work.

As of this week, I’ve found a terrific match - key! Just because someone offers you gratis services, it’s important to find a great working partner rather than enduring hardship down the road. So I’ve found a boutique branding and design consulting firm with great clients, energy, and vision. Our intro meeting was productive, and our managing styles are very much in sync. We’ll meet again to sort out contracts and, more importantly, host a creative brainstorming meeting. This entails me coming with as much visual materials as possible (logos, fonts, pictures, clippings, etc, which inspire, excite, and intrigue me) and a concrete list of the brand attributes (women empowerment, entrepreneurship, focus on independent and emerging talent, fashion made accessible, an overall warmth and playfulness juxtaposed with the educational aspect of the community resources element of FFA, etc), and hopefully they’ll translate my collected portfolio into a clear, articulate message.

•For every twenty doors that slam in your face, one will eventually open: Lately, I’ve become very accustomed to rejection and the words ‘no,’ ‘cutbacks,’ as well as the phrase: ‘a reduction in donations to non profits.’ Ouch. However, persistence is key, and respecting people’s resources (or lack thereof) is also paramount. Cultivate relationships, even those which do not seem immediately advantageous, organically, because a. it’s good karma b. it’s good business c. your professionalism, respect, and flexibility may gain you assets in the long term.

I’ve learned not to take rejection, especially in this precarious economic climate, personally. I’ve also learned to be direct and explicit in my requests. Much like a honed cover letter or an agent query, be as succinct and engaging as possible. Don’t dance around asking for money or someone’s resources and time. Your insecurity will reflect in the wordy verbiage. Perfect your verbal & written elevator pitch, and detail, in one line, what you’re requesting, and how that party could benefit. And keep asking. Keep following up without being obnoxious. And don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. When seven firms rejected my solicitation for branding pro-bono work, I finally found a firm who is a perfect match. So be persistent, energetic, realistic, and resourceful.

As most of you may know, I’m in the nascent stages of launching a non profit organization, Fashion For All, which is a significant career change. Fashion For All’s mission is to offer women in low-income communities a day of dignified shopping and access to community based organizations, which provide educational, career and parenting resources.

Starting with a clothing drive supported by individual and corporate donors, partnerships and alliances with local women-focused social service organizations and prominent fashion and beauty brands, Fashion For All is able to provide a unique experience for struggling and disadvantaged women. Twice a year, residents in low-income communities visit a ‘pop-up’ store created specifically for them, where they are able to shop and have access to personal styling and holistic healing and wellness services. What begins as a day of deserved indulgence morphs into a lively, informative resource fair where guests interact with, and learn from, inspiring women entrepreneurs, and representatives who can arm our guests with the tools they need in order to achieve personal and professional success. Our previous partners include Dress for Success, Healthy Families Successful Start, and Fort Greene Snap.

Feel free to check out photos from our first event.

While my organization is pending 501c3 status, I’m in full gear for a Los Angeles event & a holiday NYC event (dates TBD). And I’ve found a terrific partner in BEAUTY CARES, a national nonprofit organization designed to provide comfort, joy and renewed self-esteem for women who currently reside in safe houses protecting women and children from domestic violence.

REQUEST: If you know of any beauty & fashion brands, or major corporations that would be interested in providing product or in sponsoring a joint event, please let me know! I know you must get inundated with these requests, but I implore you to take this seriously. All donations will be tax-deductible, and this is terrific PR, especially in this precarious economy.

If you know of anyone who would be interested in getting involved with FASHION FOR ALL (from volunteers to sponsors to donors to offering up free branding consulting), please let me know.

NOTE: I’ll be in Los Angeles from 6/11-6/15, taking meetings. Beauty Cares and Fashion For All are both headquartered in New York.

Nearly two hundred women attended my first inaugural Fashion For All Benefit, where women in low-income communities enjoy a day of dignified shopping & access to community resources. Every guest left with twenty pieces and the enthusiasm, passion, and jubilant in the room was astounding. We had dedicated representatives from Successful Start, Fort Greene Snap, Dress for Success, and Mary Kaye Cosmetics. And the volunteers - incredible. Twenty six luminous, devoted women made my dream a reality. I’m humbled and tearful in my gratitude. Thank you for your donations, your support, your encouragement, your emails rife with exclamation points.

I’m not an emotional person. I don’t cry in public. But today, when a woman leaned over a table and pulled me close and said that she was having a really hard fucking year and today was a gift to herself, I felt my heart breaking. And I held her and held her and I kissed her and I said thank you. Thank you for being an extraordinary woman. I feel privileged to have made your day easier, even in the smallest way. And in the middle of the floor, in the maelstrom, I teared. This feels good, I thought. This feels real.

Photo credit: Gillian Crosson

Fashion For All: Terri Ball, Ft. Greene Snap from Felicia Sullivan on Vimeo.

Terri Ball of Fort Greene Snap talks about the organization and how you can volunteer! Over 140 women from the program attended today’s Fashion For All event, and all guests completed various training programs in order to participate. So, today was a reward for all their hard work!