Best for Women
Learn more about Soroptimist
Soroptimist Raleigh: We Empower Girls & Women

Soroptimist Raleigh is a local club of Soroptimist International. Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. The name, Soroptimist, means “best for women,” and that’s what the organization strives to achieve. Soroptimists are women at their best, working to help other women to be their best.
Our service projects collaborate extensively with women’s groups, governmental agencies, educators, international and statewide coalitions, and concerned citizens. In terms of our local service projects:

Live Your Dream
The Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards
for Women program is our signature service project. This award aids women who are the primary wage earners for their families and are seeking to improve their economic status by gaining additional skills, training and education.

Live Your Dream Plus
In our “Live Your Dream Plus” program we follow up with our awardees for up to three years, mentoring them to afford ongoing support both non-financial as well as financial. With our Live Your Dream Plus program, our awardees know that there is a network of women who are ready to help in any number of ways.

Dream It Be It
Dream It Be It targets girls in secondary school who face obstacles to their future success. It provides girls with access to professional role models, career education and the resources to live their dreams.
Real Stories
Here are a few stories of some recipeints of the Live Your Dream Awards. Perhaps they will encourage you to take the steps to achieve your dreams, big or small.
Latisha – 2021 Live Your Dream Awardee
Latisha is working to obtain her Associate of Science Degree in Medical Administration from Gwinnett College in November 2021. She sees this as a first step towards her goal of becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Latisha was raised by her grandmother as her own...
Lyndsay – 2020 Live Your Dream Awardee
Lyndsay will graduate from the University of North Carolina, Pembroke with her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology in December 2020. With this degree, she can become a supervisor in the Peer Support field where she currently works as a certified Career Support Specialist....
Shameda – 2020 Live Your Dream Awardee
Shameda’s passion has always been serving and caring for the underserved population. She will complete her current program at Durham Technical Community College in May. After passing the exam to become a Registered Nurse, she will seek work on a Labor and Delivery...
News and Events
Annual Holiday Angels Brunch
On December 2, Soroptimist members came together Saturday for our annual Holiday Angels brunch. Working with Loaves and Fishes we collected gifts and household goods for 7 families. We also inducted three new members to the club: Lashonda White, Lorraine Waller &...
Happy 36th Anniversary to Us!
We are thrilled to be celebrating our 36th anniversary this month - and we continue to work hard to empower women and girls by supporting access to education and training. To date, we have distributed over $103,000 in grants and awards to local women. In March of...
Dream It, Be It Program
Soroptmist launched its first year-long Dream It, Be It (DIBI) program in September at Mt. Vernon Middle School in Raleigh. There are seven girls in 7th grade and 13 in 8th grade participating. The monthly workshops to date have dealt with stress, self-care and rising...