Who We Are
Photo by Caryn Sherbet
Gail (left) has long had an interest in reducing our collective footprint on the earth. She is a graduate of San Diego State University and Boston University's School of Management,
with a concentration in public and non-profit management. She has worked in both public and non-profit environments on issues of sustainability. She has been an active volunteer in the schools and other Boston area local non-profits.
Laurel (right) has always been interested in programs that “level the playing field” in our communities. A graduate of Cornell University and Boston University’s Nonprofit Management MBA program, her most recent work focused on increasing faculty and staff diversity in higher education. Laurel also helped to manage a Saint Louis initiative to improve access to cutting edge cancer care for underserved populations. Laurel's volunteer work includes mentoring first generation high school students during their college application processes.
with a concentration in public and non-profit management. She has worked in both public and non-profit environments on issues of sustainability. She has been an active volunteer in the schools and other Boston area local non-profits.
Laurel (right) has always been interested in programs that “level the playing field” in our communities. A graduate of Cornell University and Boston University’s Nonprofit Management MBA program, her most recent work focused on increasing faculty and staff diversity in higher education. Laurel also helped to manage a Saint Louis initiative to improve access to cutting edge cancer care for underserved populations. Laurel's volunteer work includes mentoring first generation high school students during their college application processes.
How ThreadED Got its Start
In December of 2014, these two friends raised the age-old question “If you could do anything, what would you do?” After much discussion about making a difference in the world and the abundance we all live with, ThreadED: Fashion For a Future was born.
ThreadED, a Massachusetts-based non-profit, seeks to provide scholarships to Boston area students for whom the cost of college tuition is an enormous barrier to success. Through the resale of high quality clothing and accessories online and in-person, ThreadED generates funds while raising awareness of our mission: to help ease the burden of the cost of college while reducing our collective impact on the earth.
The cost of college is onerous. It is a significant barrier to starting, staying in and completing undergraduate studies. We researched ways to address this problem for under-resourced Boston area students and became enthusiastic about the potential for an upscale resale nonprofit in our region. We believe this model can generate a strong revenue stream and also help Boston area community members make excellent, intentional use of their donated goods.
In March of 2015, we began collecting donations from friends and family. The contributions filled our basements and garages while the crucial next step, selling items successfully and consistently, has brought us excitement and challenges.
What is Happening at ThreadED Now
ThreadED is rapidly growing in capacity, having taken on several summer interns to focus on social media efforts, website development, research, and operations. We have held several in person sales and plan to do more in the coming year. Our online efforts with eBay have allowed us to not only expand locally, but also create relationships throughout the nation.
We are excited for ThreadED to be able to fund our third round of scholarships this summer. In June, ThreadED presented our partner uAspire, a Boston nonprofit, committed to a two-year gift to support the organization’s Last Dollar Scholarship ;program. This initiative helps students meet that final, challenging gap between their financial aid package and their cost of attending college in the coming year. UAspire is a Boston-based national nonprofit that has been providing one-on-one college affordability counseling to disadvantaged students for more than thirty years.
ThreadED expanded its giving last year to support the excellent work of the Alray Scholars program in Boston. This organization provides critical one-on-one mentoring for students who had to leave college and are working to return and graduate. The enormous financial and psychological challenges of restarting college studies are daunting and ThreadED is delighted to help fund this important program.
We are excited for ThreadED to be able to fund our third round of scholarships this summer. In June, ThreadED presented our partner uAspire, a Boston nonprofit, committed to a two-year gift to support the organization’s Last Dollar Scholarship ;program. This initiative helps students meet that final, challenging gap between their financial aid package and their cost of attending college in the coming year. UAspire is a Boston-based national nonprofit that has been providing one-on-one college affordability counseling to disadvantaged students for more than thirty years.
ThreadED expanded its giving last year to support the excellent work of the Alray Scholars program in Boston. This organization provides critical one-on-one mentoring for students who had to leave college and are working to return and graduate. The enormous financial and psychological challenges of restarting college studies are daunting and ThreadED is delighted to help fund this important program.
Where ThreadED Is Headed
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The organization's long range goal is to model itself after the ScholarShop in Saint Louis, Missouri. Now more than fifty years old, the ScholarShop remarkably provides about $6.5 million in interest-free loans to about 650 college students every year. There are very few nonprofits in our country offering interest-free educational loans at all.
In a more perfect world, ThreadED will work with individuals and businesses around the greater Boston area to develop a robust program of no-interest loans for aspiring college students in need. We believe this model of shared opportunity and responsibility is sustainable and will be appealing to both students and donors throughout our region. |