10. december 2010 Appeal 
Funding the Future
Soroptimists for Education and Leadership

In August this year, Soroptimists worldwide overwhelmingly chose to join together to use our tools of AWARENESS, ADVOCACY, and ACTION to empower women and girls through the long term topic of Education and Leadership.

As your International President, you have my whole hearted support for your decision. For that reason I am dedicating the 2010 President’s December 10 Appeal to securing vital funds to progress the long term project that will be launched for your selected topic: Soroptimists for Education and Leadership.

Your contributions to the 2010 President’s December 10 Appeal will allow us to support outstanding Soroptimist projects around the world that empower women and girls through education and leadership – and the more we raise the more we can do.  For the first time ever in an international project, Soroptimists can directly support other Soroptimists in partnership and friendship.

Our new Long Term project, Soroptimists for Education and Leadership, is an international collaboration of Soroptimist members in all federations working to raise the status and improve the lives of women and girls.   Together, we will work towards our chosen common goal to improve the status of women and girls through education and leadership.  Together, we will undertake activities that ensure a meaningful, sustainable, and powerful global impact.

Soroptimists for Education and Leadership has three objectives:

• To empower women and girls by ensuring that they have the skills and confidence to achieve their full potential

• To change attitudes and social structures in the larger community through education and awareness raising  so that women and girls can meaningfully participate in society

• To impart leadership skills to women and girls at local, national, and international levels to ensure that women’s voices are represented in decision-making

Every single Soroptimist club around the world is already involved in multiple projects – at local, region/union and federation level. This new long term project will not change those activities - we know that it is important for each club to forge its own identity through a project undertaken for perhaps several years.  In our new long term project you will be invited to focus on the elements of education and leadership and apply them to your own club projects in your chosen programme area. The collective impact of worldwide Soroptimist support for education and leadership will make our organisation more visible in the world, and help us achieve our mission of creating opportunities to transform the lives of the women and girls we serve.

More specific details and activities for the long term project, Soroptimists for Education and Leadership, are in development and will be communicated as soon as they are available. This year’s December 10 Appeal is a new departure: for the first time we will not be raising funds for a specific, partnered project but, I firmly believe that by raising money now through the December 10 Appeal, we can ensure that the long term project has the means to empower women and girls from its launch date onwards.

We encourage you all, in over 3000 clubs throughout the world to contribute to the 2010 December 10 Appeal. Please send donations to your Federation Headquarters for onward transmission to Soroptimist International.

On behalf of the many women and girls who will benefit from your support, I offer my sincere thanks in advance.

Action Speaks Louder than Words!

In friendship

Hanne Jensbo

International President