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BOTTOMLESS CLOSET
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 134037622 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P50 · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · bottomlesscloset.org
revenue
$1.7M
expenses
$1.4M
net assets
$2.7M
employees
13
volunteers
120
program ratio
73%
mission · from form 990

TO REDUCE THE BARRIERS NEW YORK CITY WOMEN FACE IN THE SEARCH FOR EMPLOYMENT.

profile · synthesized from sources

Bottomless Closet is a New York City-based nonprofit that helps disadvantaged women overcome barriers to employment. The organization provides professional clothing, resume assistance, mock interviews, and workshops in financial management and professional development. Since 1999, it has supported nearly 50,000 women through one-on-one coaching and skill-building programs.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Career Days
Off-site events hosted by corporate partners where clients gain industry insights, practice networking, and attend employer-led workshops.
Corporate/Group Volunteering
Opportunities for corporate teams to engage in inventory projects, resume reviews, mock interviews, and career day hosting.
The Bottomless Closet Experience
One-on-one client appointments that include professional attire selection, resume review, and mock interview preparation with volunteer career coaches.
Workshops
Free educational workshops in Financial Management, Professional Development, and Personal Enrichment, including topics like credit improvement, LinkedIn optimization, and stress-relief yoga.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Workforce Readiness Training 3 activities
    • One-on-one career coaching and interview preparation
      Provides individualized coaching to women preparing for job interviews, including resume review, mock interviews, interpersonal skills training, and development of an elevator pitch. Services are delivered through in-person and virtual appointments with volunteers, and include post-hire and post-rejection follow-up support. In one year, 1,780 women received these services.
    • Support for vulnerable and underserved women
      Provides tailored services to women facing significant barriers to employment, including formerly unhoused women, young women as young as 19, and those returning to the workforce after extended absences. Services support full-time employment outcomes for individuals and multiple family members simultaneously.
    • Workforce readiness workshops
      Offers free educational workshops in professional development, financial management, and personal enrichment to support women entering or re-entering the workforce. Topics include digital literacy, salary negotiation, credit score improvement, LinkedIn profile maintenance, and workplace personal style. Workshops are delivered in person and virtually, with 1,987 individuals attending in one year.
  • Donated Attire Distribution 2 activities
    • Donation drive and in-kind support coordination
      Facilitates clothing and accessory donation drives through partner locations and an Amazon Wish List to supply its boutique and offices. Provides downloadable drive kits with marketing materials and planning guidance for external groups organizing donations.
    • Professional attire provision for job interviews
      Provides job-ready women with professional clothing, shoes, and accessories selected during one-on-one appointments to prepare for scheduled interviews. Offers return visits for additional clothing for those who secure employment. Maintains a boutique stocked through clothing donations and an Amazon Wish List.
  • Women's Leadership & Career Advancement Networks 1 activity
    • Career days and corporate partnership events
      Hosts career days and off-site workshops in partnership with corporations to connect women with employment opportunities, provide job shadowing, and offer motivational speaking and interview preparation. These events are designed to expand networking and coaching opportunities through engagement with corporate partners.
  • Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
    • Volunteer and corporate engagement in service delivery
      Engages over 100 active volunteers who contribute more than 14,000 hours annually to deliver coaching, resume reviews, and mock interviews. Involves corporate groups in inventory management, boutique preparation, and workshop delivery to support program operations.
  • Professional Certification and Continuing Education 1 activity
    • Workshop completion certification program
      Awards certificates to participants who complete Financial Management and Professional Development workshop series, recognized at an annual graduation ceremony. This initiative supports long-term engagement and achievement recognition.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.72M
Contributions & grants$1.45M85%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$266K15%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.45M
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising18%
Salaries & benefits$846K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.04M
Cash$203K
Investments$2.51M
Liabilities$1.35M
Net assets$2.69M
Liquid reserves22.5 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +3.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MELISSA NORDEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $224K
YVONNE CASSIDY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR 35 $112K
board members · 18
  • ALEX JOHNSON — DIRECTOR
  • AMANDA NUSSBAUM — VICE PRESIDENT
  • ANDREA LOWENTHAL — TREASURER
  • ANNE BLACKMAN — DIRECTOR
  • BETH LAWLOR — DIRECTOR
  • CAROLYN HUGGINS — DIRECTOR
  • CINDY MCNAMARA — DIRECTOR
  • DIANE KENNEY — SECRETARY
  • EILEEN SOLLA-DIAZ — DIRECTOR
  • INEZ JOHNSON — DIRECTOR
  • KAREN HEATH WADE — DIRECTOR
  • KATHERINE DAVISSON — DIRECTOR
  • LISA PRIMEGGIA — DIRECTOR
  • LORI PENNAY — DIRECTOR
  • MOLLY SHULMAN — DIRECTOR
  • NANCY OBLER — CHAIR
  • SHIRIN TREHAN TOOR — DIRECTOR
  • YASMIN IBRAHIM — DIRECTOR
relationships · 15

Who they work with

  • Adriana Rosales Partner — Program Coordinator serving as contact for referral partners and orientation coordination.
  • CUNY’s Hunter College Partner — Madlyn Stokely, a Bottomless Closet volunteer, had a 32-year career at Hunter College, indicating a professional affiliation and potential connection between the institutions.
  • Con Edison Partner — Hosts off-site career days and workshops for Bottomless Closet participants.
  • Elizabeth Richards Partner — Program Manager at Bottomless Closet who coordinates group volunteering.
  • Google Partner — Hosts off-site career days and workshops for Bottomless Closet participants.
  • InterContinental Hotels Group Partner — Hosts off-site career days and workshops for Bottomless Closet participants.
  • L’Oreal Partner — Hosts off-site career days and workshops for Bottomless Closet participants.
  • M.M.LaFleur Partner — Ongoing partnership allowing customers to drop off clothing donations at M.M.LaFleur store locations in New York and Washington DC.
  • Melissa Norden Partner — Contact person for corporate partnerships.
  • Pam Kulnis Partner — Program Director at Bottomless Closet who manages corporate relationships.
  • Popular Community Bank Partner — Hosts off-site career days and workshops for Bottomless Closet participants.
  • Project Renewal Partner — Refers clients to Bottomless Closet through group visits.
  • Simon & Schuster Partner — Hosts off-site career days and workshops for Bottomless Closet participants.
  • iCrossing Partner — Hosts off-site career days and workshops for Bottomless Closet participants.
  • referral partners Partner — Network of approximately 200 organizations that refer women to Bottomless Closet's services.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Barrier Reduction Through Free Access and Meals
    methodology: barrier_reduction
    By offering workshops free of charge and providing meals, we reduce financial and logistical barriers to participation, thereby enabling full engagement in workforce readiness programs.
  • Clothing as Entry Point to Support
    methodology: clothing-as-entry-point
    By using the provision of professional attire as an entry point, we build ongoing supportive relationships with clients, creating trust that enables deeper engagement in workforce development.
  • Dignity-Centered Service
    methodology: dignity-centered_service
    By centering dignity in service delivery, we help clients recognize their self-worth, which in turn fosters the confidence and agency necessary for professional advancement.
  • Holistic Empowerment Model
    methodology: holistic_empowerment
    By addressing both material and psychological needs through integrated services, we transform job applicants into empowered candidates because holistic support builds confidence and removes multifaceted barriers to employment.
  • Women-Helping-Women Support Model
    methodology: women_helping_women
    By fostering a supportive environment grounded in peer solidarity among women, we enhance client engagement and empowerment, leveraging shared experience as a catalyst for workforce reintegration.