Glass Slipper Project

The Glass Slipper Project is a charitable prom- attire organization founded in Chicago in 1999. Its purpose is to help high-school students, particularly juniors and seniors, attend prom in suitable formal clothing without bearing the cost of a dress and accompanying accessories. The organization emerged from the founders' interest in a similar clothing effort operated by a homeless shelter in the Washington, D.C., area and adapted that idea for Chicago students. Rather than functioning as a conventional clothing giveaway, the project has been described as operating like a temporary boutique. Each spring, eligible students can select from a large inventory of new and gently used prom dresses, shoes, and accessories. Volunteers assist participants with choosing an outfit, and alterations are available on site. This format places emphasis not only on distributing clothing but also on giving students an individualized and dignified shopping experience. The project was founded by Dorian Carter, Katharine Goldberg Shaw, and Rachel Hart Klayman, with assistance from Julie Ann Sklaver. It has relied on volunteer labor, donations, and institutional support rather than a conventional paid workforce. Reference material describes more than 500 volunteer personal shoppers participating in its operations, while the Chicago Public Schools and private donors have provided support. The organization has been characterized as volunteer-run and as having no paid staff, and it has operated as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit. During its first year, the Glass Slipper Project received national attention through an appearance connected with The Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah's Angel Network. This exposure helped introduce the organization’s model to a broader public. It also attracted local media coverage, including reporting by the Chicago Tribune. The project became notable not only for the number of dresses it distributed each spring, but also for its influence on the development of similar prom-attire programs elsewhere in the United States and abroad. The available reference material does not establish the organization’s current operating status, present leadership, current annual distribution totals, or an active official website. Accordingly, the Glass Slipper Project is best documented as a historically significant Chicago charitable initiative whose central service was free formalwear access for high-school students.

The Glass Slipper Project began in Chicago in 1999 as a response to the practical and social barriers that can prevent students from attending prom. Its founders—Dorian Carter, Katharine Goldberg Shaw, and Rachel Hart Klayman—were inspired by a related effort associated with a homeless shelter in the Washington, D.C., region. With assistance from Julie Ann Sklaver, they developed a Chicago program centered on collecting and distributing formalwear to high-school students. The project’s core audience consisted of students with junior or senior status in high school. Instead of simply handing out garments, the organization created a shopping experience modeled on a boutique. Students could browse a substantial supply of new and nearly new dresses, then choose a dress, shoes, and accessories with the help of volunteer personal shoppers. On-site alterations further adapted the clothing to individual needs. This approach combined material assistance with personal attention and helped frame the service as an opportunity for participants to prepare for an important school event with confidence and dignity. Operations were concentrated in the spring, when students typically prepared for prom. Reference material says that the organization gave away hundreds of dresses each spring and maintained an inventory numbering in the thousands across dresses, shoes, and accessories. More than 500 volunteers were involved as personal shoppers, illustrating the scale of the labor required to sort clothing, assist students, coordinate fittings, and manage the seasonal event. The organization was supported by the Chicago Public Schools and private donors and was described as volunteer-run, without paid staff. It also operated as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit. The Glass Slipper Project gained substantial visibility during its first year through an appearance connected with The Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah's Angel Network. Local and national attention increased awareness of its mission and helped demonstrate that prom-clothing assistance could be organized as a structured charitable program rather than an informal donation drive. In subsequent years, the project was cited as an inspiration for comparable prom-attire initiatives in other parts of the United States and in other countries. By the time of later media coverage, the project was recognized as one of the early and larger charitable prom organizations in the United States. A 2006 Chicago Tribune account highlighted the organization’s volunteers and its service model. The supplied reference material does not provide reliable information about later restructuring, current activity, present officers, annual budgets, or whether the organization continues to operate. Its documented historical importance rests on its pioneering Chicago model: combining donated formalwear, volunteer styling assistance, alterations, and free access for students who might otherwise be excluded from prom because of cost.

• 2006

  Chicago Tribune documents the operating model

  [1]Glass Slipper Projecten.wikipedia.org

  A Chicago Tribune feature described the project’s boutique-style service, donated formalwear inventory, and volunteer personal shoppers.

• 1999

  Glass Slipper Project founded in Chicago

  [1]Glass Slipper Projecten.wikipedia.org

  Dorian Carter, Katharine Goldberg Shaw, and Rachel Hart Klayman founded the organization, with assistance from Julie Ann Sklaver, to provide prom attire to high-school students.

• 1999

  Receives national exposure through Oprah-related coverage

  [1]Glass Slipper Projecten.wikipedia.org

  The project was featured during its first year in coverage connected with The Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah's Angel Network.

A volunteer-led charitable service focused on affordability, dignity, and access to prom attire for high-school students.

• Formalwear donation · 1999

  Prom dresses

  The organization’s principal offering was a free selection of new and gently used prom dresses. Students could browse a large seasonal inventory in a boutique-like setting and choose an outfit with assistance from trained or assigned volunteer personal shoppers.

• Prom accessories · 1999

  Shoes and accessories

  The project supplemented dresses with formal shoes and accessories so that participants could assemble a complete prom look rather than receive only a single garment. These items were supplied through donations and made available without charge as part of the seasonal service.

• Charitable styling service · 1999

  Personal shopping and alterations

  Volunteers helped students select suitable clothing, while alterations were available on site. This service distinguished the project from a basic clothing bank by providing individualized assistance and improving the fit of donated formalwear.

• 1999Oprah's Angel Network coverage

  United States

  The Glass Slipper Project received national attention through an appearance or feature associated with The Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah's Angel Network during its first year.

  Outcome. The coverage broadened public awareness of the organization and helped expose its prom-attire model to audiences beyond Chicago.

  Source

• 1999

  Adopted a boutique-style free-shopping modelStrategy

  Background

  The founders sought to address the cost of prom clothing while preserving a personal and dignified experience for participating students.

  Action taken

  The project organized donated dresses, shoes, and accessories as a boutique selection, added volunteer personal shoppers, and made alterations available on site.

  Aftermath

  The model became the defining feature of the organization and was later described as an influence on similar prom-attire projects in the United States and abroad.

  Source

1. 1Glass Slipper Projecten.wikipedia.org