Scholarship Fund
Members of Soroptimist International of Europe contribute to the SIE Scholarship Fund through her annual membership fee. In this way, the organisation is able to award grants totalling around €70,000 to young women every year. The scholarships may cover a number of needs, ranging from university fees and vocational training to general support during studies.
Unions and Clubs submit applications for their designated candidate to the Scholarship Committee. Candidates are expected to contribute to their own education as well.
Based on the information provided, the Committee then selects the grantees and how much they should receive. These suggestions are presented to the SIE Board for provisional approval. The Governors confirm the final choices.
Over the years, SIE has helped hundreds of women realise their professional dream! There has been a special focus on supporting women and girls in STEM disciplines.
The legacy of Dr Suzanne Noël (1878-1954), the French Soroptimist who was instrumental in establishing Soroptimist International in Europe, lives on in the Dr Suzanne Noël Scholarship Fund, which was created in her memory in 1960. Financed by members of the Federation, the Suzanne Noël Fund is used to grant scholarships every two years to Soroptimists and/or non-Soroptimists under the age of 50 who already have a degree in medicine and wish to specialise, perfect their skills or carry out research in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Disaster Relief Fund
Grants from the Disaster Recovery Fund target the special needs of women and girls recovering from the effects of natural disasters or armed conflicts. While the nature of disasters often leads to the desire to offer immediate help, experience shows that planning projects providing longer-term assistance are more sustainable and effective.
Clubs and Unions from either region are eligible to apply for grants to aid women and girls to recover from disasters such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, storms, volcanic eruptions and armed conflicts. The Disaster Recovery Fund has awarded grants for projects benefiting the victims of floods in the Balkans, Syrian refugees in camps in Turkey, survivors of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the communities affected by the earthquakes in Italy and women in war zones.
Soroptimists wishing to submit a project for a Disaster Grant should contact SIE headquarters at siehq@soroptimisteurope.org.
SIE Action Fund
The SIE Action Fund allocates grants every year to support humanitarian projects and to promote educational programmes for women and girls. The projects are selected from suggestions submitted by Unions and Clubs.
Unions and Clubs with the permission of their Union can apply for a grant from the Action Fund. Complete information and the application form can be found on the SIE Member Area, in Downloads > SIE Funds > Action Fund.