Soroptimist International of the Americas, Inc.

These messages are intended to help you understand and speak confidently about the direction our organization is heading.

FY2026-2027 Key Messages

1. Access to Formal Education

Research confirms that access to formal education benefits women and girls, their families and their communities. This is education that can result in a credential and an increase in economic empowerment. Our members have limited time and funds and should invest those resources in the programs that will increase access to formal education and economic empowerment for women and girls: the Dream Programs and Big Goal Accelerator Projects. Awareness-raising activities about issues like trafficking, intimate partner violence, or other topics do not increase access to formal education and cannot be counted towards our Big Goal.

2. Investing in Dreams: Our 2021-2031 Big Goal

Together with our clubs and leaders, we defined our 2021-2031 Big Goal of investing in the dreams of half a million women and girls through access to formal education. This audacious goal will continue to increase our collective impact by helping four times the number of women and girls facing obstacles to economic empowerment as served in the prior decade. We remain committed to working together to reach our Big Goal through our Live Your Dream Awards, Dream It, Be It and Big Goal Accelerator Projects. As of the end of club year 23/24, we have reached over 92,000 women and girls through increased access to formal education, 18.5% of our Big Goal total. As of the end of club year 25/26, we have reached over 204,000 women and girls through increased access to formal education, 41% of our Big Goal total.

3. Investing in Sustainability for Today and Tomorrow

To increase our investment in the dreams of women and girls, we must continue to invest in ourselves. Our Dream Big Campaign (concluded in 2023) raised over $4.6 million in funds needed to support and grow our membership, develop our leadership, increase the number of women and girls we serve, and elevate our organization’s brand as a recognized leader in transforming the lives of women and girls. Together, we have increased funding allocated for Live Your Dream Awards and Soroptimist Club Grants. We are transitioning from surviving with outdated technology to thriving with innovative technology with a new organizational database, member portal, and website. And we are increasing diversification of our fundraising revenue through new donor acquisition efforts, with a focus on new corporate, cause and foundation partnerships. While we continue to focus on building our capacity for future growth, we must also raise funds for our immediate program needs. Donors are encouraged to continue or increase their annual support to meet the growing needs of our organization.

4. Building a Unified and Globally Recognized Brand

When clubs and members are asked what they want most, they say more members and to be better known for our impact. The only way to accomplish this is to consistently be the organization we say we are and consistently do what we say we do: SIA clubs will work collaboratively, aligning their activities to support our 2021-2031 Big Goal of investing in the dreams of half a million women and girls through access to education. By unifying our work and visual identity to support our Big Goal we will build a movement capable of generating the funding needed to expand, deliver and sustain our global Dream Programs to build a strong, recognized brand.

5. Providing a Positive Club Experience

Our future depends on strong clubs and members who want to stay. That happens when the club experience is engaging, welcoming, and respectful. We build that experience by connecting club activities to our Big Goal: reaching 500,000 women and girls through access to education. Purpose gives our meetings meaning and keeps members engaged. We welcome new members and their ideas, and we give them real opportunities to lead. When disagreements arise, we work through them directly and respectfully, keeping our shared purpose in view. Our Member Code of Conduct describes the standards we hold one another to, and every member agrees to uphold them. Every member should feel their time is valued and their voice is heard.

6. Aligning to Reach Our Goals

SIA’s Strategic Plan highlights our vision, mission, core values, and strategic outcomes. Regions and clubs are provided with the roadmaps and metrics to achieve these goals. By adhering to these tactics, we build a positive and consistent global club experience, increase our recognition, and invest in the dreams of half a million women and girls through access to education. We will keep our organization healthy and vibrant for another 100 years by ^©Soroptimist International of the Americas, Inc.® working together and optimizing how we use our resources.

Clubs are asked to focus on:

Participating and increasing the number of Live Your Dream Awards
Participating in Dream It, Be It and increasing the number of girls reached
Reporting Big Goal Accelerator Projects and increasing the number of women and girls reached
Achieving an 85% or better membership retention rate
Adding new club members
Having 10% of your club members attend the Leadership Round Table
Contributing at least 10% of funds raised locally to Club Giving
Donating to Founders Pennies

Regions are asked to focus on:

Increasing the number of women and girls reached through Live Your Dream Awards, Dream, It Be It, and Big Goal Accelerator Projects
Increasing new members and new clubs
Achieving an 85% or better membership retention rate
Maintaining a minimum of 300 members and 20 clubs
Having a full slate of region officers
Meeting member registration goals for SIA’s Leadership Round Table and ensuring key leaders attend
Increasing the percentage of clubs that participate in Club Giving and Founders Pennies
Increasing monthly donors in their region