Organizational Profile
Soroptimist, a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers programs that improve social and economic conditions for women and girls. Programs include the Women’s Opportunity Awards, which provides cash grants for head-of-household women seeking to improve their lives with the help of additional education and training. Each year, more than $1 million is disbursed through this award-winning program. In recognition of the power of women and their dreams, Soroptimist also sponsors the Live Your Dream campaign. Visit the campaign's online home at: www.liveyourdreamcampaign.org. Visit Soroptimist’s main site at: www.soroptimist.org to learn more about the organization and its work on behalf of the world’s women and girls.

Organizational Mission
Soroptimist’s mission is to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world.

Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award
Soroptimist is concerned with the special challenges facing today’s girls and young women. The organization launched the Violet Richardson Award program in 2000 as a way to recognize girls for their volunteer service to their communities. The program honors young women between the ages of 14 and 17 whose volunteer efforts include: helping other disadvantaged girls; fighting drugs, crime and violence; cleaning up the environment; and working to end discrimination and poverty.

The program is named after Violet Richardson Ward, the first president of the first Soroptimist club. Richardson Ward was committed to creating opportunities for girls and young women through her affiliations with Soroptimist, the Girl Scout Council and the American Association of University Women. Her passion for volunteer service, particularly as it affected women and girls, has been an inspiration to Soroptimists throughout the years.

Program Structure
Participating Soroptimist clubs implement the program at the local level, where awards vary. Club-level recipients then become eligible for a $1,000 cash award, with a matching $1,000 cash award for the charitable organization of the recipient's choosing. The Soroptimist organization grants one finalist $2,500 award to the recipient's volunteer organization.