Giving Back This Black History Month: Dress for Success & Smart Shopping for Change

February is Black History Month, a time for Americans to honor African American life, history, and culture.

This year’s theme, “African Americans and Labor," focuses on how labor in any capacity has shaped the experiences of the Black community. Unfortunately, in the workforce today, Black people, especially Black women, continue to face challenges such as unemployment and barriers to leadership positions.

Addressing challenges of this magnitude requires a group effort. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Dress for Success (DFS) this Black History Month in the ongoing fight for equality.

By downloading our SavingsCARES browser extension or shopping at our participating brands, you’ll enjoy exclusive savings with every purchase and allow us to raise impactful donations to this cause at no cost to you.

Black Women & the Workforce: The Challenges We Need to Address

Black History Month originates to Carter G. Woodson, the founder of the observance and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). According to ASALH, Woodson believed that choosing specific themes was important to garner the public's attention and effect change. 2025’s theme, “African Americans and Labor," reminds America of the workplace challenges that Black Americans, particularly Black women, experience to this day.

Unfortunately, 2025 is predicted to be yet another year where Black women will face challenges in their careers, such as disproportionately high levels of unemployment.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, from November 2023 to November 2024, unemployment amongst the Black community rose from 5.8% to 6.4%. Alarmingly, Black women experienced the worst of the problem, with their unemployment rate soaring from 4.9% to 6%.

As Dress for Success Cincinnati notes, “Even though Black women have always had the highest levels of labor market participation regardless of age, marital status, or number of children at home, they statistically experience the most discrimination compared to others in the workplace." Even more troubling, a study conducted by Lean In found that Black women were less likely to be promoted to managerial positions, further highlighting these inequities.

How Dress for Success is Empowering Black Women in Their Careers

Austin Bartsch, the Director of Corporate Relations at Dress for Success, explains, “Dress for Success is the leading global nonprofit organization that helps unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, development tools, and professional attire as needed to help women thrive in work and life. To date, we’ve served 1.3+ million women across nearly 140 affiliates in more than 20 countries."

Beyond this mission, DFS is also committed to addressing the unique challenges that Black women face in their careers through a variety of initiatives.

One impactful way that DFS supports Black women is through hosting interactive events. In 2024, they hosted a Black History Month Celebration fashion show at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, where women had the chance to participate in a celebratory and empowering event.

Another key way is through inspiration, emphasizing on elevating Black women into leadership positions. At DFS Dallas, Executive Director Karen Johnson is set to host the 2025 EmpowerHer Leadership Insights, a program designed to equip women of color, including Black women, with the necessary skills and confidence needed to overcome challenges like rollbacks in DEI initiatives.

On The Jeff Crilley Show, Johnson highlighted some of the tools that DFS provides its participants. “Not only do we provide the woman with two full interview suits, but we also provide her with career development tools such as developing their resume from scratch or mock interviews. We will even help with the LinkedIn profile."

Tamatha McBath, the CEO of DFS Phoenix, is another Black leader at DFS. Under her leadership, they’ve served over 20,000 women in Maricopa County, making a huge impact in the community.

Through the work of inspirational women like Johnson and McBath, DFS provides hope for Black women to break through barriers and gain confidence in pursuing their careers. Across Black History Month, DFS Worldwide will continue celebrating Black excellence by spotlighting more of their Global Ambassadors on Instagram and showcasing their inspiring stories.

Your Next Step: Support Black Women While Shopping Smart

At SavingsCARES, we know that small steps lead to big leaps. Follow these simple steps to help DFS achieve equity among Black women.

Start by downloading our SavingsCARES browser extension. Upon downloading, we’ll contribute $5 to the Dress for Success organization at no extra cost to you. From there, we’ll also make further uncapped contributions on your behalf by donating a portion of the revenue from every SavingsCARES coupon redeemed through the extension, fee-free.

Whether you’re checking off your wishlist or just looking to save on everyday items, you’ll get discounts on the products you want from over 2,000 major brands while making an active change towards a great cause.

Next, redeem a SavingsCARES deal from one of our generous brand partners:

• M.M. La Fleur
• Bloomchic
• Bluebella
• Hydro Flask
• Osprey
• Donald Pliner

Once you’ve redeemed a deal from one of these brands, we’ll make unlimited contributions by donating a portion of the revenue from every deal redeemed without any cost to you. Moreover, we’ve also pledged to donate $5,000 from our quarterly revenue to Dress for Success!

If you’re still itching to get involved, you can continue to show your support by donating gift cards, participating in donation drives, or volunteering at your local Dress for Success location. To make this easier, follow your local affiliate's Instagram page to stay up-to-date with the latest donation drives and events near you.

To continue supporting impactful causes like this, stay tuned for upcoming SavingsCARES campaigns, where you can make a difference at no cost to you.