Transformation: A View from Spruce Street By Elizabeth M ... · Transformation: A View from Spruce...
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1 Transformation: A View from Spruce Street By Elizabeth M. Lucas, SIA Executive Director & CEO To look forward, let’s take a moment to look back at our 2018 Convention—Stars Dreams and Wishes. It gives us a good understanding of where we are going, the social change we want to make and the one step we can take to realize our Big Goal of Increase Collective Impact. 2018 Convention Yokohama, Japan Convention is all about coming together. While we may come from different countries, speak different languages or take part in different customs, we all look to the same sky. Nearly 3,000 members came together to celebrate our stars, to explore our dreams, and to make our wishes for the future. Live Your Dream Awards We celebrated our Live Your Dream Award recipients. Thanks to the generosity of the Torrid Foundation and their quest to help women and change lives, each of our three recipients was given a $25,000 cash award. In addition, the Torrid Foundation sponsored their trips to Yokohama and their wardrobes. Our recipients were Shamayel from the United States, Ana Caren from Mexico and Lucia from Canada. Watch their presentations here: https://www.soroptimist.org/for-clubs-and-members/whats-new/45th- biennial-convention.html SIA Wishes for our Future I spoke to the attendees about Our Wishes for the Future—about creating our future and being the organization we want to be. That is why we focus on increasing our collective impact across our SIA— so that together our clubs and regions can make a large scale social change … and become an accelerating, unstoppable train. When every club offers our brand-unifying Dream Programs throughout our 21 countries and territories, we fulfill our brand promise and gain global recognition. Fall 2018 – Online Supplement
Transcript of Transformation: A View from Spruce Street By Elizabeth M ... · Transformation: A View from Spruce...
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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:[email protected].
