What kind of social entrepreneur project would you like to base your Group Proposal on? Who would the social entrepreneur project benefit? Why is this project important to others? How will you convince funders that your project is worth investing in?
We based our group proposal on the nonprofit organization Dress for Success. This organization focuses on bettering the socioeconomic positions of disadvantaged women by providing the tools to interview well and attain employment. This project would benefit women in the South Bronx of New York who are currently unemployed and do not have the means to present themselves competitively for employment.
This project is important for others because it deals with an issue that is pervasive throughout the United States- unemployment. Everyone understands that unemployment is detrimental to society as a whole and has a pervasive effect eventually – whether through an increase in the strain on public resources, civil unrest, higher incidences of crime, etc. Therefore, it’s a probelm that sparks alot of interest and is important to many.
Convincing others that this project is worth investing in should not be that difficult for a number of reasons.
1. We are only asking for a small amount: 45K over 2 years. This is exactly what Echoing Green is already offereing in grant funding to fellows and social entrepreneur projects.
2. Dress for Success has a unique way to tackle unemployment that requires little financial investment but could yield great returns. The organization provides interview attire and teaches interviewing skills. Often, it is this bit of polish that impedes an underprivelieged woman from gaining employment, even if they are qualified for the job. The skills would also be useful while on the job and moving forward in life.
