Live Your Dream

Every year, Soroptimist distributes more than $2 million in education grants to about 1,500 women all over the world.

Over half of our Live Your Dream Awards recipients are survivors of domestic violence, trafficking or sexual assault. Nearly all of the women and families we serve have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, teen pregnancy, and drug or alcohol addiction. Live Your Dream Awards recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, such as books, childcare, tuition and transportation. 

eligibility


You are eligible to apply for the Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards if you:

  • Provide the primary financial support for yourself and your dependents. Dependents can include children, spouse, partner, siblings and/or parents.
  • Have financial need.
  • Are enrolled in or have been accepted to a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program.
  • Are motivated to achieve your education and career goals.
  • Have not previously been the recipient of a Live Your Dream Awards (formerly called the Women’s Opportunity Award)
  • Do not have a graduate degree.
  • Are not a Soroptimist member, an employee of Soroptimist International of the Americas or immediate family of either.

If you meet all of the above eligibility requirements, then we welcome your application.

NOVEMBER 15 –  Deadline when applying on the application portal at https://www.soroptimist.org/our-work/live-your-dream-awards/apply-for-the-live-your-dream-awards.html      Be sure to enter your school’s zip code in order to apply for Soroptimist Int. of Willits grants!

More about this program:

Each year all the clubs in Soroptimist International of the Americas provide more than $1.6 million in education grants are awarded to more than 1,200 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence and/or drug and alcohol abuse. Live Your Dream Awards recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, such as books, childcare, tuition and transportation.

In addition to providing the primary financial support for their families, eligible applicants must be enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program and must demonstrate financial need.

The Live Your Dream Award involves three levels of cash awards. The program begins at the local Soroptimist club-level, where award amounts vary. Local-level award recipients become eligible for region-level awards of either $3,000 or $5,000. Region-level award recipients then become eligible to receive one of three international-level awards of $10,000.

Since the Live Your Dream Awards program began in 1972, about $30 million in education grants have been disbursed to assist tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. In 2007, the program received the Associations Advance America Summit Award—ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership’s highest level of recognition.