Get Involved
VOLUNTEER WITH US
Volunteer in Montreal
Volunteers are the lifeline of Dress for Success Montreal. Without their generosity and commitment, we would not be able to empower thousands of women on their path to financial independence. We rely on volunteer support to continue our operations, support our staff and expand our community reach.
Explore our open volunteer opportunities or send us an email at benevole@dressforsuccessmontreal.org to find out how you can get involved.
Benefits of volunteering with us
Dress for Success Montreal is a unique, positive uplifting charity focused on successful outcomes–no other organizations in the city offer the services and type of support we do. We have an impact at both a micro and macro level. While our focus is to empower women into the workforce, by helping women we help their children, families, the community, and the local economy too.
As a volunteer, you have the chance to make a lasting impact as you support Montreal women in their journey to economic independence. You will join our community of volunteers, from students to industry experts, all of whom share this passion for helping women achieve their goals and dreams.
Volunteering with us will also allow you to;
- Learn and develop new skills: Our programs provide you with an opportunity to acquire new skills while carrying out a wide variety of tasks.
- Make connections: Meet new people, build new friendships, and make lasting relationships that may lead to a job.
- Improve your resume: Gain invaluable experience working with others, learning about the workplace, and seeing firsthand how a non-profit operates.
- Build your confidence: Your ability to deal with a range of situations and being part of a team will increase your self-esteem.
Where can I volunteer in Montreal?
Our organization offers multiple volunteer opportunities in Montreal. We’ve witnessed firsthand how the connection a volunteer makes with a client can have such a positive impact on their path to self-sufficiency.
For people looking for in-person volunteer work in the community and a change from day-to-day office work, our Suiting Program, Career Centre, and Public Speaking programs allow you to provide face-to-face support and guidance to women in need.
Can I volunteer virtually?
We also have a wide variety of virtual and online volunteer opportunities including fundraising, donation drives, grant writing, marketing & communications services.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
We currently have multiple in person and virtual volunteer opportunities, explore the opportunites below and apply by sending your level of intent and CV to benevole@dressforsuccessmontreal.org.
Can’t find any positions that jump out to you? We’d love to chat! Don’t hesitate to email us to discuss other ways you can get involved.
Operations
Volunteer Team Coordinator
Reporting to the Client Services Coordinator, the volunteer team coordinator ensures that information is properly communicated to volunteers, cultivates and maintains a positive organizational culture and community with volunteers, reviews the list of volunteers (active / non-active) and assesses the organization’s volunteer personnel needs (training, recruiting, motivation).
- Availability: Minimum 5 – 6 hours per month (remote work).
- Qualifications: Organized, excellent interpersonal skills, attentive and ideally with training/experience in HR or management.
- Languages: Strong spoken French, English an asset.
Prêt-à-Porter Program & Boutique Operations
Stylists
Working one on one during a 90-minute session, the goal of the stylist is to provide the client with one to two professional outfits in our welcoming and safe space boutique.
Volunteer tasks include recording client intake, styling sessions, sharing information and encourage registration into our professional development programs.
- Availability: 3 hours+ twice a month ( equivalent of 4 suiting appointment)
- Qualities required: Excellent interpersonal skills, good listening skills, understanding, empathy and a great sense of fashion styling.
- Languages: Strong spoken French, English an asset.
Prêt-à-Porter Program & Boutique Operations
Merchandisers
Reporting to the Client Services Coordinator, Merchandisers keep the boutique organized. They are in charge of sorting clothing donations and rotating seasonal clothing. They help manage boutique activities such as clothing drives)
- Availability:1st Saturday of each month for clothing donation drop off, quarterly sales, and seasonally for changing over the boutique (6 hours a month).
- Qualities required: organized, autonomous, sales experience a plus.
- Languages: Strong spoken French, English an asset.
Professional Women’s Group & Employment Retention Programs
Program Coordinator
Reporting to the Operations and Program Manager, the PC supports the creation and implementation of our professional development initiatives.
- Availability: 8-10 hours per month.
- Qualifications: Great organizational skills, autonomy and experience in project management an asset.
- Languages: Strong spoken French, English an asset.
Marketing & Communications
Project Manager, Corporate Partnerships
Reporting to the Manager, Marketing and Communications, the Project Managers will help develop material to support relationships with our Referral Agencies and/or Corporate Partners. Tasks can include, and are not limited to, newsletters, promotional material, updates and monitoring of our visibility agreements and driving social media or website updates. Project managers will report to the Manager, Marketing and Communications Copywriter / Public Relations Manager.
- Availability: According to needs.
- Qualifications: Good organizational skills, autonomy and experience in marketing and/or project management is an asset.
- Languages: Strong spoken French, English an asset.
Marketing & Communications
Copywriter / Public Relations Manager
Reporting to the Marketing Committee Chair, the Copywriter / Public Relations Manager will write copy for our emails, site, documents and press releases to support our campaigns and newsletters.
- Availability: As needed.
- Qualifications: Good organizational skills, autonomy and experience in fundraising an asset.
- Languages: Strong spoken French, English an asset.
Marketing & Communications
Graphic Designers
Reporting to the Marketing Committee Chair, the Graphic Designers will create printed and digital designs for our documents, presentations, social media posts and projects on an ad hoc basis.
- Availability: As needed.
- Qualifications: Experience using Canva and a good eye for design.
- Languages: Strong spoken French, English an asset.
DONATION DRIVES
Step 1
Learn more with our Clothing Drive Kit
Request a copy of our clothing drive kit by sending us an email at info@dressforsuccessmontreal.org
- Step-by-Step Instructions for Hosting a Successful Clothing Drive
- Clothing Donation Guidelines
- Registration Next Steps
- How to Package and Deliver Your Donations
- Communications Template
- Delivery Scheduling
Step 2
Register Your Clothing Drive
Register your clothing drive by sending us an email at info@dressforsuccessmontreal.org.
The first step to a successful clothing drive is registration. This lets our team know you’re doing wonderful things, and ensures we can support whenever possible.
*Please note registration includes a minimum donation of $1,000 to accompany your clothing drive. We couldn’t do the work we do without your generous support. Your donation ensures we have the resources to receive, sort, process, store, and distribute the clothing to our clients. It also funds our professional women’s group and co-development program that further our ability to provide a network of support and the development tools that empower women to thrive in work and in life.
Step 3
Deliver Your Donations
Please contact us at info@dressforsuccessmontreal.org to schedule an appointment to deliver your donations. This ensures we have the resources available to assist, process, and sort all clothing donations. Scheduling your delivery time also ensures donation in-take does not disrupt our Clients’ Suiting experience.
Receipts
Dress for Success Montreal cannot provide receipts for clothing items donated to our boutique.
For monetary donations, we can issue tax receipts in accordance with the Canada Revenue Agency’s regulations and organizational policies and procedures. Please let us know when registering if you require a tax receipt for a monetary donation.
Donation Pick-ups
Due to limited resources, we are unable to pick-up donations.
For more information about Clothing Drives please e-mail us at info@dressforsuccessmontreal.org.
Donation terms: Donated garments that are workplace appropriate will be used in our boutique and provided to our clients. Items that are deemed unsuitable for the boutique might be sold through our through our seasonal clothing sales to help individuals in need access quality clothing while raising funds for our charitable initiatives. If unsold, they will be redistributed through other community programs.
Corporate Partnerships
Dress for Success Montreal is grateful to the many corporate partners who have helped our organization serve thousands of women in the Montreal community. These relationships provide critical financial support, enabling us to enhance the continuum of services and programs we offer to our clients. Dress for Success Montreal welcomes sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships that reward everyone involved – our sponsors, the organization and most importantly, the women we serve.
Referral Agencies
We are always looking for community agencies to join our team!
To become a partner of Dress for Success Montreal you must be :
- An agency or social services organization supporting women are preparing to return or enter into the workplace, regardless of professional background, age, origin, or socioeconomic status.
- An organization that offers support services as part of the employment integration process.
- An organization or social services program that shares the same values or objectives as Dress for Success Montréal, especially empowering women to take control of their personal and professional livelihood.
If you are interested in partnering with Dress for Success Montreal, please e-mail us at info@dressforsuccessmontreal.org
We look forward to working together to help women in Montreal achieve economic independence.
Clients are referred to Dress for Success Montreal from our following partners:
- ACEM Financement communautaire responsable
- Accès-Cible SMT
- Alliance carrière travail (formerly known as Club de recherche d’emploi Chateauguay Brossard
- Alliance carrière travail (formerly known as SFIM: Service et Formation aux Immigrants en Montérégie)
- Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi St-Laurent
- Carrefour jeunesse emploi (CJE) Montréal Centre-Ville
- Carrefour de ressources en interculturel
- Centre de formation professionnel des Carrefours
- Centre des femmes du Plateau Mont-Royal
- CFP Pierre-Dupuy
- Centre de formation professionnelle (CFP) Jacques-Rousseau
- Centre de recherche d’emploi Côte des Neiges
- Centre social d’aide aux immigrants (CSAI)
- CIMME Centre intégré de mécanique, de métallurgie et d’électricité
- COFFRE inc. (Centre d’Orientation et de Formation pour Femmes en Recherche d’Emploi)
- Collège de Valleyfield
- De Soi à l’Emploi
- Destination travail du Sud-Ouest de l’île de Montréal
- EMICA (École des métiers de l’informatique, du commerce et de l’administration)
- Fondation Ressources-Jeunesse (FRJ)
- Horizon Carrières / CJE Jeanne-Mance (Centre de recherche d’emploi de l’Est)
- La Maison Marguerite de Montréal
- La maison grise de Montréal
- La Passerelle
- L’Arrêt-Source
- L’enjeu: Cap sur l’emploi
- L’atelier d’artisanat du centre-ville
- La Puce ressource informatique
- Le Chaînon
- Les Maisons de l’ancre
- Logis Rose-Virginie
- Opération Placement Jeunesse
- Petites-Mains
- PME MTL Est-de-l’Île
- Regroupement économique et social du Sud-Ouest (RESO)
- Réseau Emploi Entrepreneurship
- SEMO Le Jalon et Intégration Travail Roussillon
- SORIF
- The Transition Project – Montreal
- Travail sans frontière
- Via Travail Inc. – Centre de main-d’oeuvre Opex ’82
- Vision Travail
- Y des femmes de Montréal