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© Soroptimist International of the Americas

S O R O P T I M I S T I N T E R N A T I O N A L O F T H E A M E R I C A S

Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards – Club Instructions and Entry Form

Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards recognize outstanding club projects that improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment or promotes Soroptimist as an organization that improves the lives of women and girls. These awards recognize the best practices of Soroptimist clubs in each of the four pillar areas supporting the SIA strategic plan: fundraising, membership, program and public awareness. Due to the region on July 1 of each year, the Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards honor outstanding programs undertaken in that club year.

The region governors and SIA board of directors decided in June 2013 to revise the Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards by adding a region-level component. By expanding the program to include a region-level component, clubs need only apply once to receive recognition for their best work at both the region and federation level.

The awards have been designed to recognize best practices in each region as well as over-all best practices for the organization. Each region will select a finalist in each of the four pillar areas. Four federation finalists will be selected from the region recipients to be celebrated as the best projects in the organization—projects from which all clubs can learn and celebrate.

Entries are due to your region chair on or before July 1.

Region Chair Name ___________________________________________________________________________

Region Chair Email ____________________________________________________________________________

Region Chair Address __________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

If the region chair information is not listed above, please check the SIA leadership directory www.soroptimist.org.

Submission Information Entries must arrive at the designated region contact on or before July 1.

Entries can be mailed or emailed.

The project described on the entry form must be ongoing or completed and evaluated prior to July 1.

Improving the lives of women and girls through

programs leading to social and economic

empowerment.

Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards

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Clubs may submit an entry for a project entered last year if it is ongoing and has not previously received recognition as a region or federation finalist.

Club presidents must authorize submission of entries. As the entry form is a writeable form, typed signatures will be accepted.

Shared projects among clubs are welcome. Please submit only one joint entry per project.

Describe only one project per entry.

Clubs may submit supporting materials such as photos or news clippings. Please mark them with the name of the club and the project name. These items will not be returned.

If clubs wish to submit the same project in more than one category, a separate entry needs to be submitted that addresses the specific information needed for that category.

Judging Information Entries will be judged at the region and federation level using the same criteria. There are general categories for judging and then more specific criteria for each of the categories. Entries must address the information requested for each category. Projects will be judged based on:

The project benefited women and/or girls or promoted Soroptimist as an organization that improves the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social economic empowerment.

The project supported SIA’s efforts to increase its collective impact.

The project was creative and innovative.

The project achieved its goals and objectives.

The specific requirements for each pillar category (see below).

Application Categories Fundraising: This category recognizes club fundraising projects that are creative, successful and support women and girl-focused programs, including federation programs. The fundraising project should also raise awareness about the Soroptimist mission, involve the community and promote a positive image of the organization. Entries must include the following:

Information required for the fundraiser described:

Expenses of the project/event.

Gross revenue (ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, proceeds from concurrent fundraisers such as a raffle or auction held during the event).

Net revenue (gross proceeds minus expenses).

Supporting information about the club’s fundraising activities:

A list of projects supported by the club’s fundraisers including the dollar amount dedicated to those projects.

Indicate whether the club budgets 10% of their fundraising to Club Giving in support of federation programs to help women and girls in all countries of our federation.

Membership: This category recognizes creative and innovative club recruitment and retention efforts that increases the number of members and/or enhances the club membership experience. Examples of such efforts include recruitment campaigns, new member sign-up events, holding innovative meetings, offering leadership development and mentorship opportunities and conducting regular club assessments. Entries must include the following:

How the activity specifically increased membership and/or enhanced the membership experience of club members.

A listing of SIA resources used and any other outside materials utilized.

Testimonials about the activity from at least two current members who are not officers.

Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards

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Program: This category recognizes club projects that improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. Projects should improve life for women and/or girls by addressing access to education, poverty, violence against women or other issues affecting economic and social empowerment. Entries must include the following:

Information about the need being addressed.

Methods used to address the need.

Impact of the project including the number of women or girls helped and a description of how their lives were changed as a result of the project.

Description of club member participation. Public Awareness: This category recognizes clubs for efforts to raise awareness of SIA’s mission to improve the lives of women and girls, and club work that supports the mission. This is less about promoting one event or project, but about the club’s collective efforts to raise awareness throughout the year. Examples include joining/supporting the LiveYourDream.org online community; using federation-produced tools and resources to increase awareness of SIA programs or other women- and girl-focused projects; maintaining an engaging and professional website that promotes the mission, etc. Entries must include the following:

Steps taken to promote the club and SIA’s mission (For example, did club write news releases about mission-focused work, use social media, purchase ad space, distribute flyers, etc.?).

Ways these actions helped raise the club and SIA’s public profile.

Outcome of club’s publicity efforts (For example, how many award applicants, new members and/or donations did club obtain? If the club raised funds, did it support Club Giving? Did club sign up people for the LiveYourDream.org online community? Please include anything the club feels occurred as a result of these publicity efforts).

Awards Regions will give four awards – one in each of the four areas. Region finalists will each receive a certificate and recognition from the region. The Soroptimist Board of Directors will select the top entry in each category from the region finalists. Federation recipients will be announced and honored at convention or the Governors Round Table. In addition, the federation recipients will receive recognition on the Soroptimist web site and in the Best for Women newsletter. Only those projects that are truly best practices will receive awards at the region or federation level. Awards are given at the judges’ discretion.

Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards

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Soroptimists Celebrating Success Awards Entry Form Deadline: July 1

Completed entries must be received by your region chair by July 1. Entries received after that date will not be included in the awards judging. Supplemental information such as news clippings or photographs may be submitted; however they will not be returned. DO NOT send materials in binders or folders. Please type or print clearly.

Club ________________________________________ Club Number ___________________________

Region_________________________________Submitted by ___________________________________

Daytime Telephone _____________________________ E-mail _________________________________

Club presidents must authorize submission of a project. A typed signature will be accepted.

Club President ________________________________________________________________________

Signature ____________________________________________________________________________

Daytime Telephone _____________________________ E-mail _________________________________

Project Information

Project Title __________________________________________________________________________

Date Established ______________________________________________________________________

Total club funds spent on this project in 2014-2015 ___________________________________________

Total member hours spent on this project in 2014-2015 _______________________________________

Check the category being entered. Select only one category.

Fundraising

Program

Membership

Public Awareness

Project Description Describe the project, how it benefits women/girls or promotes Soroptimist as an organization that improves the lives of women and girls, and the impact/outcome of the project. Please refer to the submission requirements and include all the information requested for the category. Response may not exceed two (2) typewritten pages.

Mail or email entries to:

Region Chair Name _____________________________ E-mail ________________________________________

Region Chair Address __________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, June 29, 2015

Soroptimist Celebrating Success Entry—SI Fort Collins— Soroptimist as a Life Option

The Need: During the 2010-11 club year, SI of Fort Collins members learned that, “Young girls are less apt to be raped when wearing dresses; In many cultures dresses indicate a level of status and thus security through dignity.” Many girls in underprivileged living environments have access to only minimal clothing. Soroptimist International of Fort Collins strives to keep an international perspective when planning our Club year. SI FC set an international service goal to provide an element of dignity for underprivileged girls and thus lesson the potential for domestic violence by crafting simple dresses.

Brief History:• In February 2011 SI FC members constructed pillowcase dresses for girls in Haiti. It felt good to contribute

dresses but Club lacked followup to know if we had, in fact, made a significant difference for girls.• During our 2011-12 club year, SI Fort Collins redirected our Dignity Dress efforts—contributing to the

dignity of girls cared for in Children of Peace1 International’s Vietnamese orphanages. Pictures came 1

back showing the JOY of Soroptimist, and the pride in the eyes of the few COPI girls we were able to help. Binh reported, “COPI has been working hard to teach Vietnamese girls that their appearance matters as much as their assertiveness.” Club was told that COPI girls loved our dresses and began wearing them over their T-shirts and pants--feeling special, stylish, and dignified. Teen girls in COPI’s orphanages had Binh ask if SI FC might be able to make bigger dresses for them—not only smaller dresses that fit younger girls. Realizing that support for doing it yourself is sometimes as important as having others do it for you, SI FC shared our pattern with COPI and some of Children of Peace’s teens began making their own dresses during their self-sufficiency classes. COPI’s girls assertively let us know that they care about their appearance and are willing to do what they can (with what they have) to make more Dignity Dresses.” SI FC’s reach extended and we successfully collaborated with COPI to increase the focus on dignity.

• In the spring of 2013 SI FC again asked our members to collect clean, gently used pillowcases and decorative trim from their linen and sewing closets. Club set aside $100 from service funds to purchase additional pillowcases, fabric, and trim, and set out to combine our Soroptimist Saturday of Service day with a Dignity Dress service get-together in correlation with International Woman’s Day, March 8. A Saturday get together was planned for those members interested in crafting dresses. Nine members, several children, and five guests attended. Our group joyfully crafted 36 pillowcase dresses (various sizes) for girls in COPI’s Good Shepard orphanage in approx. 3 hours, The dresses were bright, they were colorful, they were accented with ribbons, pockets and trims. Our members celebrated the great feeling of putting their hearts and hands into something so necessary.

• SI FC’s Dignity Dress resources grew. Supplies were left over after completing 36 dresses. A local quilting store heard about SI FC’s project and donated 30 one-yard-cuts of fabric for additional Dignity Dresses. Community members emailed asking when our next Soroptimist get-together was planned so that they, too, could help sew. Another Dignity Dress get together was coordinated for July 6, 2013. Eight members and three guests spent approximately three hours creating Dignity Dresses. Those in attendance chose to re-group on July 14, 2013, in a member’s home to “finish up” and decorate the dresses from this session. Six members, one past member, and two guests spent 3 hours stitching gifts of dignity and love.

Soroptimist InternationalFort Collins ClubPO Box 270816Fort Collins, CO 80527-0816www.fortnet.org/sifc

Improving the livesof women and girls,

in local communitiesand throughout

the worldhttp://soroptimistfc@blogspot.com/!

1 For over 10 years, as part of SI FC’s ongoing international efforts, members have risen to meet needs of women and 1

girls in Vietnam by contributing medicine, vitamins, scarves and mittens in collaboration with Children of Peace, International. One of our active members, Binh Rybacki, is founder and Executive Director of COPI. Binh is ultimately responsible for many girls in the orphanages and schools she supervises. Binh provides timely reportsof the quantitative and qualitative results of our donations.

Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

• On Saturday, November 16, 2013, interested SI FC members and volunteers gathered in the meeting room of a local independent care facility to craft Dignity Dresses for girls in Vietnam. Residents of the facility wandered in and out—and contributed skills, effort and emotional support to our efforts. We completed and decorated dresses from the July sessions, and worked up additional fabric. Eight members, two children, three local guests, and a visiting Vietnamese doctor completed fifty (50) dresses in four hours. Members and guests again took supplies home with them to continue crafting Dignity Dresses.

• Two more SIFC crafting sessions (spring 2014) allowed members and volunteers to contribute an additional 88 hours while producing another 85 dresses. Volunteers traveled to nearby clubs in the region to share the joy of Dignity Dress efforts. During the 2013-14 Club year, SI FC facilitated construction of 141 Dignity Dresses.

• SI FC Dignity Dress Public Awareness efforts were recognized (scsa) during SIA Convention in Vancouver.

• SI FC’s Club Year, 2014-15 saw the local Soroptimist Dignity Dress effort grow significantly. Arrangements were made for our Club and volunteers to craft Dignity Dresses the last Saturday afternoon of each month at our participating local independent care facility. Volunteers gathered on 10 Saturdays, for four hours each day. We modified our pattern to make smaller dresses (12-18” for little Vietnamese girls) and to respect the fact that the Vietnamese culture frowns on seems down the middle of the back unless one is observing the death of a family member. Donations of fabric, trims, and decorations kept the group in good supply and Club funds were no longer needed for this project. Members, member’s daughters, community volunteers and residents accumulated 240 hours and produced over 240 dresses.

• Soroptimist International of Fort Collins directly helped Vietnamese girls feel dignity and grow in self-esteem. Members, friends and community members experienced international service without leaving the community. The name Soroptimist became further associated with recognition of the value and potential of all girls and prevention of domestic violence.

This has been a very successful program effort that we look forward to continuing.

Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

At Left: Dignity Dresses and SI FC volunteers come in all sizes, and ages.

Note: every Dignity Dress crafted by SI FC is bright and colorful, has a pocket and decorative button and/or bow.