The Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Fund provides grants from $1,000 to $20,000 to assist women affected by natural disasters or acts of war. The grants can be used for immediate assistance or longer-term recovery projects focusing on rebuilding women's lives. To apply, Soroptimist clubs or regions must submit a narrative proposal describing the disaster's impact, a recovery project assisting women, and a budget. Projects are evaluated and approved by Soroptimist headquarters.

1. Soroptimist International 215 893 9000 PHONE
of the Americas 215 893 5200 FAX
1709 Spruce Street siahq@soroptimist.org E-MAIL
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6103 www.soroptimist.org URL
Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Grants for Women and Girls
The Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Fund provides grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 to assist women
who have been the victims of natural disasters or acts of war. A natural disaster is defined as a national or
international calamity that has been declared a state of emergency due to loss of life, displacement of
residents, or loss of property. These events include (but are not limited to) floods, hurricanes, tornadoes,
forest fires, volcanic disturbances, and earthquakes. Acts of war include actions committed by a government
against its own people; actions committed by an outside force; and civil unrest or terrorism resulting in
property damage, loss of life or the creation of displaced persons or refugees needing immediate or ongoing
assistance with safety, housing, nutrition and/or healthcare.
The Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Fund is supported by Soroptimist and individual donations. Clubs are
encouraged to sponsor disaster recovery fundraisers throughout the year and to watch for donation requests
from Soroptimist headquarters during crisis situations.
Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Grants fund projects that assist women and girls in rebuilding their lives when
disaster strikes. Based on the mission of Soroptimist and the special needs of women and girls following
disasters, funds will only be provided for those projects that focus specifically on women and girls. (For
more information on women and disaster, please see the Soroptimist White Paper: Reaching Out to Women
When Disaster Strikes available at <www.soroptimist.org>.)
Although Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Grants can be used to provide immediate assistance needed by
women such as food, water, clothing, shelter and housing repairs, it can be a challenge to develop an
immediate, short-term disaster relief project that specifically targets woman and girls and their unique needs
during times of disaster. Therefore, Soroptimist encourages clubs to also consider developing longer-term
recovery projects, including rebuilding businesses and community revitalization. Soroptimist suggests that
clubs conduct research in their community to find out what types of disaster relief services are needed by
women. In addition, clubs are also encouraged to explore developing disaster plans that utilize the special
talents and knowledge of women in planning for disasters. Sample projects include:
• ensuring women staying in domestic violence shelters have been transferred to safe housing in
another area;
• providing for the special health care needs of women in temporary shelter;
• assisting women in identifying and applying for disaster recovery and filling any gaps that might
exist;
• assisting women to find new means of employment and livelihood;
• working with other women’s groups to develop disaster plans for the community;
• assisting domestic violence shelters with rebuilding efforts;
• creating a special recovery fund for single mothers.
Eligibility
Disaster recovery grants, ranging from $1,000 to $20,000, enable Soroptimists to provide assistance to
women and girls when they are affected by natural disasters or acts of war. Funds can be used for projects
administered by Soroptimist clubs or regions or to assist organizations that specialize in disaster relief and
recovery. Clubs and regions are encouraged to develop partnered disaster recovery projects. Soroptimist
projects or projects assisting disaster relief organizations must focus on women and/or girls. In order to be
eligible to receive a disaster recovery grant:
© Soroptimist International of the Americas Disaster Recovery Fund January 2009 Page 1 of 5

2. • The project must benefit women and/or girls.
• The club or region must complete the application, providing all information and materials requested.
• The grant must be requested by a club president on behalf of a club or by a region governor on behalf of
the region board.
Narrative Instructions
The Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Grants are made possible by the generous donations of Soroptimist
members and individuals. In order to report to the donors on the use and impact of their donations, clubs are
responsible for submitting a detailed proposal describing the impact of the disaster on women and girls,
along with a plan to address that impact and help women and girls rebuild their lives following the disaster.
The narrative should be no more than 10 pages. Following is a detailed description of what should be
included in each section.
1. Describe the disaster and how it has affected the community. Detail how women have been affected by
the disaster. Include any relevant documentation including news clippings or photographs. This section
should:
• Detail the disaster. Although photographs and news clipping can be sent, they should be in addition
to the written description and serve as supporting documents.
• Describe the change that has occurred in women’s lives as a result of the disaster. What was their
status before the disaster? What is their status now?
• What specific obstacles are women facing as a result of the disaster?
2. Provide a detailed description of the disaster recovery project and how women and girls will be assisted
by the project. Estimate the number of women and girls that will be assisted by the project. This section
should:
• Describe the goals and objectives of the project.
• Describe the methods used to achieve the goals and objectives of the project.
• If the project is a microenterprise or livelihood project, information about the re-investment strategy
should be included.
• Describe the target group and how many women and girls will be assisted by the project.
• Most importantly, it needs to clearly explain how the lives of women or girls will improve as a result
of the project.
3. What organization will administer the grant? If an organization other than the Soroptimist club or region
will administer the grant, please describe the past work of the organization. Include a contact name and
address for the organization. If more than one organization is involved, please list all. (If the club or
region is administering the grant, please go to question 4.) This section should:
• List each of the organizations and/or partners and provide information about their past activities.
• Describe any work that they have done with the club or region in the past.
• Describe why the club selected this organization/partner to undertake the project.
4. What are the responsibilities of the local club or region in the disaster recovery project? It should:
• Describe the responsibilities of the club and the partners or organizations undertaking the methods
described in question 2.
• If another organization is responsible for the grant, this section must explain what role the club will
play in the grant. For example, will club members be responsible participate in planning, publicizing
or evaluating the project? If so, how?
Budget Instructions
All budget items must be listed and fully itemized. The items in the budget should be included in the answer
to question 2 of the narrative or they will not be funded. The budget total should match the grant amount
requested. Also, please note separately any other funding sources for the project.
© Soroptimist International of the Americas Disaster Recovery Fund January 2009 Page 2 of 5

3. Deadlines
Due to the unpredictability of events of this type, applications for disaster recovery grants are accepted at any
time. Decisions will be based upon the nature of the request and the availability of funds at the time of the
request.
Evaluations and Approval
Federation program staff will be responsible for evaluating the grant application using board-approved
evaluation criteria (see attached). The proposals will be based on the information provided by the club—not
by prior knowledge of the disaster or the effect of disaster on women and girls. It will be the responsibility of
the applicant to build a strong proposal and make a compelling request for funding. Recommendations for
funding will be forwarded to the federation president and executive director for approval. The federation
president may seek input from the board of directors as necessary. Grants greater than $10,000 require board
approval. The approval process may take several weeks if a mail ballot is required.
Clubs or regions will receive notification of the evaluation. If the grant has been approved, a contract will be
forwarded to the club or region. Once the contract is signed and returned to headquarters, the club or region
will receive:
• The grant funds.
• Letters to the club president or region governor, and if applicable one to the organization
administering the grant.
• A project report form. (The club or region will be responsible for reporting and, if applicable,
following up with the organization to ensure timely filing of the report.)
• Public relations materials to assist the club or region in publicizing the grant.
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4. Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Grant Application
Soroptimist clubs or regions may request a disaster recovery grant in any amount from $1,000 to $20,000.
These grants are intended to enable Soroptimists to provide assistance to women in their communities when
they have been affected by natural disasters or acts of war. The funds can be used to provide immediate
assistance needed by women or for longer-term recovery projects, including rebuilding businesses and
community revitalization. (See instructions for more information about the need for longer-term recovery
projects.)
Projects must focus solely on the special needs of women and/or girls.
To apply for a grant, the club president or region governor should fill out the application providing all of the
information requested and return the form to SIA headquarters for immediate review. The information should
be detailed and complete. Requests for larger grants will be reviewed with increased scrutiny. If the grant is
approved, the club president or region governor will receive notification and a grant contract.
Once the signed contract has been received, Soroptimist will send the grant funds, a news release and a
project report form. The project report form will need to be completed and returned to headquarters within
six months of the receipt of the grant or once the project has been completed, whichever comes first.
General Information
Date of request ________________________________ Amount requested___________________________
Club ___________________________________or Region ________________________________________
Club President ___________________________or Region Governor _______________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone ____________________________________ Fax ______________________________________
E-mail address____________________________________________________________________________
Type of disaster___________________________________________________________________________
Location/area targeted for assistance __________________________________________________________
Name of Project __________________________________________________________________________
II. Narrative
Please attach additional paper to answer questions 1 through 4. The narrative section of the grant should be a
no more than 10 pages. Please see the instructions for a detailed description of what each section of the
narrative should include.
1. Describe the disaster and how it has affected the community. Please detail how women have been
affected by the disaster. Include any relevant documentation including news clippings or photographs.
2. Provide a detailed description of the disaster recovery project and how women and girls will be assisted
by the project. Please estimate the number of women and girls that will be assisted by the project.
3. What organization will administer the grant? If an organization other than the Soroptimist club will
administer the grant, please describe the past work of the organization. Include a contact name and
address for the organization. If more than one organization is involved, please list all. (If the club or
region is administering the grant, please go to question 4.)
4. What are the responsibilities of the local clubs or region in the disaster recovery project?
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5. III. Budget
On a separate page, please give an outline of the budget for the disaster recovery grant. All budget items
must be listed and fully itemized. Please be as detailed as possible. The items in the budget should be
mentioned in question 2 of the narrative or they will not be funded. The budget total should match the grant
amount requested.
Return completed applications or address any questions to:
Soroptimist Headquarters, 1709 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
Telephone: 215-893-9300
Fax: 215-893-5200 E-mail: progam@soroptimist.org
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