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Transformation:AViewfromSpruceStreetByElizabethM.Lucas,SIAExecutiveDirector&CEO

Tolookforward,let’stakeamomenttolookbackatour2018Convention—StarsDreamsandWishes.Itgivesusagoodunderstandingofwherewearegoing,thesocialchangewewanttomakeandtheonestepwecantaketorealizeourBigGoalofIncreaseCollectiveImpact.

2018ConventionYokohama,JapanConventionisallaboutcomingtogether.Whilewemaycomefromdifferentcountries,speakdifferentlanguagesortakepartindifferentcustoms,wealllooktothesamesky.

Nearly3,000memberscametogethertocelebrateourstars,toexploreourdreams,andtomakeourwishesforthefuture.

LiveYourDreamAwardsWecelebratedourLiveYourDreamAwardrecipients.ThankstothegenerosityoftheTorridFoundationandtheirquesttohelpwomenandchangelives,eachofourthreerecipientswasgivena$25,000cashaward.Inaddition,theTorridFoundationsponsoredtheirtripstoYokohamaandtheirwardrobes.OurrecipientswereShamayelfromtheUnitedStates,AnaCarenfromMexicoandLuciafromCanada.Watchtheirpresentationshere:https://www.soroptimist.org/for-clubs-and-members/whats-new/45th-biennial-convention.html

SIAWishesforourFutureIspoketotheattendeesaboutOurWishesfortheFuture—aboutcreatingourfutureandbeingtheorganizationwewanttobe.ThatiswhywefocusonincreasingourcollectiveimpactacrossourSIA—sothattogetherourclubsandregionscanmakealargescalesocialchange…andbecomeanaccelerating,unstoppabletrain.Wheneverycluboffersourbrand-unifyingDreamProgramsthroughoutour21countriesandterritories,wefulfillourbrandpromiseandgainglobalrecognition.

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WhenwegrowtheimpactofourDreamPrograms,itislikehelpingtoaccelerateatrainthatisalreadymovingandmakingitunstoppable.EveryclubthatoffersourDreamProgramshelpsourorganizationachievemore—moreimpact,moreglobalrecognition,moresocialchange.Yousee,forSoroptimisttobetheorganizationwewanttobe,wemustchooseourprioritiescarefullytocreateoursuccessfulfuture—ofbeingbetterknownforeconomicallyempoweringmorewomenandgirlswhofaceobstaclessuchaspoverty,violenceandteenpregnancythroughourbrand-unifyingDreamPrograms.Thisishowwefulfillourbrandpromise,gainglobalrecognitionandbecomethatunstoppabletrain.

Myfullpresentationcanbefoundhere:https://soroptimist.imgix.net/05-for-members/whats-new/convention/creating-our-future-english.pptx

WorkshopsexploredidentifyingSIA’sstrengthsandopportunitiesbecausethemorewecantellaunifiedstoryoftheimpactofourprograms,themorewewillgrowourpublicrecognition.Themorepublicrecognitionwehave,themorewewillbeabletoattractadditionalmembersandsupporters.ThisrequiresustotellONEstory,not1,300differentstoriesforeachofourclubs.

Weaskedtwoquestionsinourworkshops:“Whatarewedoingsowellthat,ifwedidmore,wecouldhavegreaterimpact?”and“Whatopportunitiesaretheretoextendourreach?”MemberfeedbackhasbeencrucialtoshapingourBigGoalofIncreasedCollectiveImpactandfeedbacksuchasthiswillcontinuetobecrucialinshapingournextBigGoalfor2021-2031—toinvestinthedreamsofhalfamillionwomenandgirlsthroughaccesstoeducation.

GivingtoSupportourFuturePastSIABoardMemberandGovernorDianeThompsonisdeterminedtoencouragemorepeopletodomoretohelpourorganizationreachitsfullpotential.Shesays,“IknowitissomethingwecandoifwedreamBIG.”

Toachieveournewdream,ournextbiggoal—torealisticallystarttoprepareourorganizationtoreach500,000womenandgirlsovera10-yearperiod,wewillhavetoinvestheavilyinourorganization.Wewillnotbeabletodoitwiththetoolsandresourceswehavenow.

Dianeprompted,“WhohereremembersourkeynoteaddressfromhumanitarianandentrepreneurDanPallotaatourlastconvention?DanreallyhelpedusstretchourthinkingbyencouragingustoinvestinSIA’smission,ratherthanthemissionofotherorganizationstohelpourcommunitiesandtheworld.Hisphilanthropicwork—whichhasgarneredworld-wideattention—showsthatinorderforcharitableorganizationstoincreasetheirimpactontheworld,theyneedtofirstincreasetheirinvestmentinthemselves.”

Wehavetheopportunitytochangethelivesofcountlesswomenandgirlsaroundtheworld.Wehaveamazingprogramsthataremeasurable,andproventomakesignificantlife-changingimpactonthewomenandgirlstheyserve.Weonlyneedtomobilizebehindthoseprograms.Weonlyneedtoworktogether.WeneedtomobilizearoundOURorganization.Ourprograms.Andweneedtotellourstorytotheworld.

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ThatiswhatournextBigGoalwillhelpusdo!

(RememberthatourDreamProgramsfocusoneducationforonereason:Evidenceshowsthataqualityeducation—morethananythingelse—holdsthegreatestpotentialtotransformthelivesofwomenandgirls.Nomatterwherewe’refrom,ourDreamProgramsaddressacommonneedaroundtheworldandineachofourcommunities.Theycanbetailoredtofityourclub’sinterestsandaparticularissueinyourcommunity.Quitesimplyandquiteliterally,ourDreamProgramsmakedreamscometrue.)

Let’sgivetoinvestinourorganization(toreachforthestars)andprepareittomakethedreamscometruefor500,000womenandgirls.”

FY16/17FinancialReportAnoverviewofSIA’sprocessforfinancialreviewandoversight,FY16/17financialresultsandourfinancialstrategytoserveevenmorewomenandgirlswaspresented.Thefullpresentationcanbefoundhere:https://soroptimist.imgix.net/05-for-members/whats-new/convention/finance-presentation.pptx

ClubandRegionRecognitionWewereinspiredbyourclubs’“bestofthebest”achievementsthroughourSoroptimistsCelebratingSuccessAwards.TheiraccomplishmentssupportthefourpillarsofSIA’sstrategicplan:fundraising,membership,programandpublicawareness.Seetheawardrecipientshere:https://www.soroptimist.org/for-clubs-and-members/whats-new/convention-recap.html

TheShapingtheFutureawardsrecognizeregioneffortstosupportSIA’sbiggoalofincreasingourcollectiveimpacttoshapeourSoroptimistfuture,andourregions’effortsawedus.Theycelebratetheoutstandingworkofourregionsandprovideanopportunitytosharebestpractices.You’llfindtheawardwinnershere:https://www.soroptimist.org/for-clubs-and-members/whats-new/convention-recap.html

AndwehonoredtheachievementsofourclubsandregionswithourMemberSHIPAwards.Theseawardsweredesignedin2015toassistandmotivateclubsinrecruitingandretainingmembers,andbuildingnewclubssoourorganizationcangrowstronger.Itwasadirectresultoffeedbackyougaveusaboutthechallengesyouwereexperiencinginrecruitingandretainingmembers.

ThecampaignperiodranfromSept1,2015toMay31,2018.Duringthattime,SIAgainednearly10,000newmembers!Inthelastyearalone,43clubswerecharteredorreinstated—morethandoubletheclubsaddedduringthesameperiodinthepreviousyear!Youcanfindalltheresultspostedhere: https://www.soroptimist.org/for-clubs-and-members/for-clubs/member-recruitment-tools/diamond-campaign/diamond-campaign-resources.html#resource-group-2633.

SIAGovernanceAsyouknow,theBoardofDirectorsisSIA’sgoverningbody.TheBoardworksonallmembers’behalftoshapethemission,strategy,andoperationsofyourfederation.

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MakingsureSIA’sgovernanceisefficientandfair,playsanimportantroleinhelpingSIA’sworkrunsmoothly.Whenoperationsrunsmoothly,wecanallfocusmoreenergyandresourcesonourmission—improvingthelivesofmorewomenandgirlsthroughprogramleadingtosocialandeconomicempowerment.

Clubdelegateshadtheopportunitytohearaboutandprovidetheirviewontwogovernancetopics:

Thefirsttopic—federation-widevoting.ElectronicvotingwasunanimouslyapprovedbyyourBoardofDirectorsinNovemberof2017.ThatmeansstartinginFebruaryof2020,wewillmovefromasystemofmailedpaperballotstoonewithelectronicoronlinevoting.Onlineballotswilleliminatethedifficultiesinmaildeliveryofpaperballots,creatingamuchmoretimelyandefficientelectionprocess.ClubswillreceivemoreinformationaboutelectronicballotingstartinginMarch2019.Wewillalsoconducta“practice”onlineballotinOctober2019.ThiswillensureallclubsarecomfortablewiththeprocessbeforeconductingourfirstofficialballotinFebruary2020.FormoreinformationaboutonlinevotingeffectiveFebruary2020gohere:https://s3.amazonaws.com/soroptimist-media/05-for-members/whats-new/convention/2018-convention-governance-briefing.pdf.

Thesecondtopic—toreviewandrecommendwhetherallclubsshouldbevotingforallBoardmembers,ratherjusttheclubsinagivenelectoralarea.TheBoardaskedforclubdelegatefeedbackastowhetherweshouldchangeourelectionstructuretogiveallclubsingoodstandingavoiceintheelectionofallSIADirectors.Therewasnovote,justanopportunitytogatherinputfortheBoard’sconsideration.

SoroptimistInternationalSoroptimistInternationalPresidentMarietVerhoef-Cohenspoketoourchallengesasafederatedorganizationfocusedonimprovingthelivesofwomenandgirls,“Womenmakeup51%oftheworldpopulationand(yet)nowhereintheworldarewomengivenfullhumanorequalrights.Thelackofrecognitionofwomenasequalsleadstoabuse,topaygaps,tounemployment,toconstrainsbygenderstereotypes.…”

AndshespoketoSI’schallengestobuildandstrengthenfivekeyareasofwork:Advocacy,Communication,SIConvention,StrategicLeadershipandthePresident’sAppeal.“Tobeabletoachievethis…aninevitablebutappropriateactionwastheincreaseofthe(SI)dues—thefirstincreasein21yearsbytheequivalentof£2,effectiveforSI’sfiscalyear2019(andcollectedfromSIAmembersinJuly2019).”

LearnmoreabouttheSIPresident’sAppealhere:www.soroptimistinternational.org/members-area/si-presidents-appeal/andaboutSI’sJuly2019quadrennialconventioninKualaLampur,Malaysiahere:www.soroptimistinternational.org//?s=2019+Convention

InClosingAsyourclubyeargetsunderway,supportyourorganizationaswecontinueourtransformationtoworkasoneandbetheorganizationmemberssaytheywanttobe.Let’sbethatunstoppabletrain,withthecommonstoryofthesocialchangewearemaking.Besuretosharehowyourclubisaddingtoour

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collectiveimpactthroughyourDreamProgramparticipationbypostingtoSIAPresidentElizabeth’snewhashtagcampaignonsocialmedia:#SpotlightSoroptimist.

Andplease—weighin,letmeknowhowyoufeel.Iwanttohearfromyou:elizabeth@soroptimist.org.