Dress for Success Arizona Receives $400,000 Grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to Expand EducateHER Program.

Landmark two-year investment will expand education, career pathways, and opportunities for economic mobility for women across Arizona, including single mothers working to build a stronger future for their families.

Dress for Success Arizona has received a landmark $400,000, two-year grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to expand EducateHER, a program that empowers women, with a focus on single mothers, to earn credit-bearing Career & Technical Education certificates that build pathways to in-demand careers with sustainable wages, create economic mobility, and break the cycle of poverty for generations to come.

“This grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation allows us to say yes to more single moms who are ready to change the trajectory of their families,” said Tamala McBath, CEO of Dress for Success Arizona. “EducateHER is about more than providing access to education. It is about ensuring women have the support and resources they need to complete their credentials and turn their goals into reality. This investment will help more women across Arizona build brighter futures, create economic mobility, and open new doors of opportunity for themselves and their families for generations to come.”

Since opening its doors in 2009, Dress for Success Arizona has helped more than 45,000 women across the state advance their careers and achieve greater economic mobility through professional attire, workforce readiness, and career development programs. EducateHER is one of the organization’s most impactful initiatives, connecting women with one-year Career & Technical Education certificate programs through partnerships with higher education institutions across Arizona, including Arizona State University, Maricopa Community Colleges, and Coconino Community College.

“For single moms already balancing work, family, and countless other responsibilities, getting an education can feel out of reach,” said Renee Parsons, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “EducateHER addresses that reality, giving women the necessary support to realize their full potential and build careers that provide lasting financial stability for their families.”

Through EducateHER, women receive the support they need to overcome the barriers that too often prevent them from completing their education, including tuition costs, childcare, transportation, technology needs, and unexpected financial challenges. By addressing these critical obstacles, the program helps more women, particularly single mothers, earn credentials that lead to in-demand careers, sustainable wages, and greater financial stability.

“There’s a big difference between helping someone get through today and helping them build for tomorrow,” said Bob Parsons, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Renee and I believe that giving single mothers the chance to continue their education is one of the best investments we can make, with impact reaching well beyond one person.”

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation’s investment marks the most significant funding commitment in the history of the EducateHER program. Over the two-year grant period, Dress for Success Arizona will expand access to tuition scholarships and critical wraparound support, including technology, childcare assistance, transportation resources, and emergency funds, helping more women successfully complete their education and move into sustainable-wage careers that offer upward mobility. To apply to the EducateHER program, visit educateherphx.org. To learn more about Dress for Success Arizona, visit dfsarizona.org.