Awards and Scholarships

With funds raised at our SITD Fundraising Events we are able to give a number of annual awards and scholarships to honor dedicated women and youth in the community.  Some are listed below.

Recognition of Youth in our Community

Youth Appreciation Awards
  • Each Spring SITD presents awards to students from Truckee High School and Sierra High School.
  • Students are nominated by their teachers for demonstrating self-motivation, responsibility, dependability, helpfulness and positive attitudes.
  • SITD hosts a Youth Appreciation Luncheon where the students are introduced to the members and presented with their award.
 Youth Scholarships
  • High School seniors in Truckee can apply for a scholarship to help them attend either a 2 technical year program or a 4 year college
  • SITD High School Scholarships are managed through the Tahoe Truckee Scholarship Committee (TTCSC)

Best of Women Celebration

An evening event each year where we celebrate women and girls in our community for their involvement in a variety of categories, including three awards: Live Your Dream Award, Ruby Award, Violet Richardson Award.

 Live Your Dream Award

The Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award (formerly the Women’s Opportunity Award) assists women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families by giving them resources to improve their employment prospects.

In the past ten years, SITD has provided more than $10,000 in education grants to local women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence and/or drug and alcohol abuse. Live Your Dream Award 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. SITD provides scholarships of approximately $1500. 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.

Think you are a candidate?  We look forward to receiving your  application. Either send further questions or fill in the application and email to: LiveYourDream@SITD.info

Live Your Dream Award Application
Typical Award Amount: $1500
Typical Application Deadline: November 15th (please check calendar)
Awards Announced: February-May
Awards Presented: SITD Best For Women Celebration

The Ruby Award Ruby Award Banner

(anyone in the community can nominate a candidate)

For the past 25+ years, Soroptimist International of Truckee Donner has honored a local woman who is worthy of special recognition for making outstanding contributions over a period of ten years, with at least five of those years being directly in our community.
This is also a woman recognized by her peers and by the people with whom she comes in contact as being a woman of exemplary character and integrity.  She demonstrates leadership qualities and is an ideal “role model” for other women.
The Soroptimist Ruby Award recognizes and honors the first federation president, Ruby Lee Minar. A ruby is also a deep red gemstone associated with wisdom, importance, vitality, strength, vivacity, power and love: all words embodying the strong and compassionate women who are our award recipients. Honorees are ordinary women who have worked in extraordinary ways to benefit women and girls. The program enables local Soroptimist clubs and the Soroptimist organization to thank these women and encourage others to explore ways to assist women and girls.

The program begins on the club level, where the type of recognition varies. Award winners at the club level are eligible for additional awards at other levels of the organization.

Some Past National and International Recipients:

  • Elaine Weiss: domestic violence expert and advocate
  • Former U.S. Congresswomen: Patsy Mink and Patricia Schroeder
  • Linda Fairstein: novelist and former district attorney
  • Princess Diana
  • Shirley Temple Black: former child actor and U.S. Ambassador
  • Corazon Aquino: former Philippines President
  • Dr. Sylvia Earle: marine biologist

Ruby Award Nomination Form
Typical Application Deadline: November 15th (please check calendar)
Awards Announced: February-May
Awards Presented: SITD Best For Women Celebration

Violet Richardson Award
Named after the president of the first Soroptimist club, the Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award honors girls/ women between the ages of 13 and 17 who have demonstrated exemplary volunteer service to their community.  Half of this award is given to the organization of her choice.
The program begins at the Soroptimist club level (eg SITD), where award winner receives $250 and the charitable organization of their choice also receives $250.  Local club level recipients become eligible for additional awards at other levels of the Soroptimist Organization. One winner is chosen nationally to receive a finalist award, which includes a contribution of $2,500 to the charitable organization of the recipient’s choice.
Typical Application Deadline: December 15th (please check calendar)
Awards Announced: February-May
Awards Presented: SITD Best For Women Celebration