Club Committees
Our club is committee-driven
Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITs) is a committee-driven organization. Members are asked to join a Service and a Technical Committee of choice upon gaining membership. All monies donated to the club are allocated to the service fund. Donated funds go back directly into the community and global projects that support SITs’ mission of what is “best for women and youth.”
Our Service Funds are raised annually through our fundraisers, (our primary one is held in the spring). All money raised goes directly into providing programs and assistance for women and youth in our community and the world. Club projects are determined annually with data collected and shared from local agencies, schools, hospitals, and city service personnel.
Service Committees – What we do
Awards Committee
Our goal is to provide recognition and financial support for youth and women who are working to better their lives and those in their community. View our Awards Committee video here!
G.I.V.E (Girls Into Volunteer Experiences) Award
This award is to recognize and honor young women grades 8- 12 for their volunteer action in their community or in school. There are no restrictions on the type of activity.
Live Your Dream Award:
For women who are heads of households, returning to school or work and need financial support or assistance. This is an award that begins at the local club level, allowing winners to advance to regional and federation levels.
Ruby Award: Recognition of a community member for Women helping Women through their professional or personal activities. These women have identified and focused on a need in their communities which has significantly contributed to the improvement of women and girls’ lives.
The Laurel Society is a lifetime honorary recognition program of Soroptimist International of the Americas that honors dedication to the organization and its mission. Club members believe that those members who have served the club in various positions and by numerous means either in leadership or support roles should be recognized for their dedicated service to SI of Tahoe Sierra.
Dream It, Be It
Our Dream It, Be It committee provides young adults the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals. We work in partnership with students from STHS, LTCC, and Mt. Tallac in small groups or a conference setting to provide them with the information and resources they want and need to be successful. This includes service and leadership opportunities through S-Club and Life Skills lessons to help students identify career opportunities and transition from High School and Jr. College into advanced educational institutions in order to achieve their goals.
Education & Economic Development Committee
Our goal is to provide educational and financial opportunities to better the lives of women and youth in our community. View our Education & Economic Development Video here!
Financial and material support is donated to the Lake Tahoe Education Foundation, Tahoe Arts Project, Coats for Kids (a Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe project), South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, Catalyst Community, Senior Projects at STHS, Tahoe Magic, Tahoe Learning Haven, Encompass Youth, Sober Grad Nights (South Tahoe High School & George Whittell High School) TASK: Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids, Girl Scouts of the Tahoe Shores, Boys & Girls Club, Lake Tahoe Ccommunity College SITs and Club Literario.
We provide volunteer hours towards several projects:
- School Backpack Attack : Backpacks filled with school supplies are given to local children in need and distributed through: South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, Mount Tallac High School, South Tahoe High School, Homeless Youth Outreach, Catalyst Community, and CASA.
- The Summer Reading Program: Every student enrolled in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District’s elementary schools, Zephyr Cove Elementary, and George Whittell High School, grades pre-K through eighth, receives a book to read over the summer vacation and to add to their home library
Healthy Women / Healthy World Committee
Our purpose is to support programs that implement Soroptimist goals of physical, mental, and emotional health. We actively participate to improve our environment, to conserve our natural resources, and to plan projects within the community relating to parks and nature. We also spend time as a group hiking, doing beach clean ups, skiing, and doing yoga on the beach to promote a healthy lifestyle for our members.
Continue reading to see some examples of recent support or participation by our club members.
A scholarship for a diabetic youth to attend Camp Buck for purposes of diabetes education and fellowship.
Financial support and/or participation is also provided to:
ENVIRONMENT
HEALTH
NV Diabetes Association (Camp Buck)
Bread & Broth Adopt a Day (x2)
Bread and Broth for Kids
Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless
Hope Full Lunches
One Voice Committee
Our goal is to support anti-trafficking efforts in alignment with Soroptimist International of the Americas, Federation and Region goals. View our One Voice Committee video here!
We specifically support the following endeavors:
Zawadisha Fund: The Zawadisha Fund is a Lake Tahoe based non-profit specializing in intelligent micro-lending for women in East Africa. Their mission is to empower, entrust and expand opportunities for women. Zawadisha accomplishes this through small businesses loans, education, savings matches, and preventative healthcare. Learn more and sign up for their newsletter at www.zawadisha.org. Stay connected on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Zawadisha and follow Zawadisha on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Zawadisha.
Kellermann Foundation: An organization working towards the sustainable development, health, education, and spiritual outreach for the benefit of the Batwa pygmies and adjacent communities.
My Sister’s House: To serve Asian and Pacific Islander and other underserved women and children impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking by providing a culturally appropriate and responsive safe haven, job training, and community services.
Anti-human trafficking efforts through Soroptimist International.
Disaster Relief: Monies are provided to schools affected by natural disasters.
Awaken: Awaken is a local faith-based non-profit organization whose mission is to increase awareness and education surrounding the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and to provide housing and restoration for its victims.
St. Josephs Land Trust- a South Lake Tahoe Community program to develop/improve low income housing. Our contributions are directed to move families from homeless category to an apartment.
Conduit for support of SI President’s Appeal. This year that is “Opening Doors to a Bright Future”.
Middle School Projects Committee
This committee focuses on areas for growth for youth in grades 6-8. These years are pivotal as students transition from being “little kids” to adolescents. We support growth of skills in self-awareness, leadership, identifying others who have special needs (safety, access to food & housing), and developing skills to make a difference. MSP supports STMS youth by:
Fund STMS Leadership Class activities and field trips that enhance opportunities to build leadership skills.
Supply equipment, materials for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at STMS and fund registration for middle school students at LTCC summer CONNECT classes.
Sponsor middle school girls to attend Tech Trek summer camp at UC Davis
Help fund middle school STEM Robotics after-school class at Boys & Girls Club. Funding to include materials necessary to build robots and participate in competitions.
Additional STMS support as needed.
Youth Enrichment & Scholarships (YES) Committee
Each year SITS hosts a Scholarship and Awards Breakfast.
We award the Compass Awards at Mt. Tallac
We recognize and celebrate the Most Improved 8th & 12th grade students with awards at South Tahoe Middle School, George Whittell High School, and South Tahoe High School
2025 Mt. Tallac, Rothschild/Torq’d Clothing Award/Scholarship:
We are privileged each year to award this scholarship in honor and memory of Joy, who was a true champion for the students attending Mt. Tallac High School, as well as keeping a special place in her heart for their efforts and accomplishments. This Scholarship is funded through Teri and Rocky Rothschild, and Torq’d Clothing.
Technical Committees – How we get it done
In order for “effective service” to occur, you must have mechanisms in place. It is through our Technical Committees that the business of Soroptimist occurs. Our members use their time and talents to get the job done. Our Technical Committees include:
Community Outreach
The committee works to increase public awareness with a club presence at community events such as Earth Day, the 4th of July Parade and Winter Festival. They create press releases to share what the club does with the community.
Technology
Responsible for most things tech, but “content” comes from committee chairs/members. Tech includes website updates and maintenance, Google Platform, cross-platform consistency, annual review of public facing platforms, and tech support for members.
Attendance/Hospitality/AV
Sets up entry table at weekly meetings, greets members, collects and maintains records of dues and attendance. Assists with setting up weekly coffee, and coordinates special celebrations held to carry out our programs. Assists with set up of AV equipment and Zoom for meetings.
Communications/Newsletter
Produces and distributes the weekly e-newsletter, and coordinates and updates Signups for committees and other signups, for example potlucks.
Finance
Reviews the club’s budgets, conducts the annual audit of our financial accounts, and recommends policy and/or procedure change to the board. Enters new members to the SIA website and maintains the club’s official roster with SIA
Recruitment/Retention
Builds and retains club membership through public awareness and social gatherings. Maintains the supply of business cards, banners, signs and posters for promotion of our club.
Programs
Assists the President Elect in procuring speakers for our weekly club meetings. Contacts the speakers to remind them of their date and gathers background information in order to introduce them to our members.
Social
Plans socials that will promote friendship and contribute to the camaraderie and general good feeling of our members.
Fundraising
The fundraising teams work on Live Fundraising events such as Mad Hatter, the Century Golf Championship, Raffle Sales and our annual Online Auction. These teams work with the entire membership to raise the funds to do what we do!