2017: Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI)

This year's Fund Development Award goes to the Junior League of Atlanta's Little Black Dress Initiative.

It’s no secret that fundraising – particularly new and innovative ways of raising money – is a hot topic for any Junior League.

It’s also no secret that great ideas have a way of spreading throughout the Association. The Little Black Dress Initiative is an award-winning program created by the Junior League of London. We love it when Leagues share their successes and Leagues across the Association make the programs their own – as did the Atlanta League.

So consider what the Junior League of Atlanta has done in only two years of its Little Black Dress Initiative, or LBDI, an advocacy campaign that seeks to raise community awareness on the very real issue of generational poverty in Georgia.

Last October – the second year of the program – 82 JLA members and other LBDI advocates wore the same black dress for five consecutive days to illustrate the effects poverty can have on a woman’s access to resources, her confidence and professional advancement opportunities. By wearing a button that read “Ask Me About My Dress,” advocates invited dialogue along colleagues, friends and strangers to raise awareness about generational poverty.

The results are in.

Total funds raised increased by 73%, including a 122% increase in giving from non-members. And the number of donations more than doubled, and the average donation size also increased. Which means that the LBDI campaign has proven to be a powerhouse fundraiser…with little overhead.