Lives of Consequence
J. Kendall Walton Farrell '92
Executive Director, Bottomless Closet
Kendall Farrell, executive director of the New York City nonprofit Bottomless Closet, has devoted her life to creating meaningful social and individual change. Throughout her career, Farrell has supported those dying in hospice, worked with homeless individuals and families, developed residential housing for people living with HIV, advocated for public policy legislation to support equality for transgendered individuals and acted as a first responder to women and men immediately following sexual assaults. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she is leading Bottomless Closet into its second decade.
Bottomless Closet's mission is to be the connection that inspires and guides disadvantaged New York City women to enter the workforce and achieve success. In her position as executive director, Farrell is responsible for vision and leadership, strategic planning, programming development and administrative operations.
Since taking on the role in 2007, Farrell has helped the organization advance in many areas-the organization has increased its budget by 40 percent to $1 million; enhanced the number of women served by 100 percent to 3,000 women annually; doubled the capacity of staff members and volunteers; accrued a year's operating reserve and was awarded the Accredited Charity Seal status from the Better Business Bureau for Standards of Charitable Accountability.
In 2010, the United Way honored Farrell for her achievements at Bottomless Closet with the "Woman of Excellence and Achievement" award, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact on their communities through philanthropic giving, advocacy and volunteerism.
Prior to accepting her position at Bottomless Closet, Farrell held several jobs in the nonprofit sector. She worked as the assistant director of the Women's Rape Crisis Center in Vermont, the provider of Vermont's highest volume 24-hour confidential rape crisis hotline. She also worked at Vermont CARES, Vermont's oldest nonprofit AIDS Service Organization, holding several positions over the span of eight years including program specialist, development director, and executive director. During her time at Vermont CARES, Farrell helped to establish the agency's first major donor program.
Farrell graduated from William Smith in 1992 with a degree in sociology and an independent major in HIV/AIDS. She holds a certificate from the Institute of Nonprofit Management from Columbia Business School.