Investing in EMERGING LEADERS
The Dottie Lamm Leadership Award
About Dottie Lamm
Former First Lady of Colorado Dottie Lamm is a legendary leader and activist. She was also a founding mother of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, making her mark as the first board chair. In 1987, we created the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award to honor her commitment to advancing opportunities for women throughout the state of Colorado.
The first Dottie Lamm Leadership Award was granted in 1988 and has been awarded annually to up-and-coming Colorado community leaders.
2025 Award Applications
We are thrilled to announce that applications for our 2025 Dottie Lamm Leadership Award are now open! Are you a leader in your community? Are you an active advocate for gender, racial, and economic equity? If you answered yes, identify as a woman, and are between the ages of 16-21, we encourage you to apply for this one-time award of $2,500. Please fill out this application by July 13 11:45 PM to be considered.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be aged 16 -21 years old
- Live in Colorado
- Identify as a woman
- Demonstrate leadership in the community
- Be available to give an in-person speech to approximately 2,000 people at our 2025 Annual Luncheon held at The Colorado Convention Center on September 19.
- Provide a valid social security number or taxpayer I.D. to accept the $2,500 award (if selected)
Questions?
If you have questions about the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award or volunteering as an application reviewer, please contact Elva Escobedo, events manager, at elvae@wfco.org.
Meet Our 2024 Dottie Lamm Leadership Award Winner
Meet Gitanjali!
Every year the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award honors a young woman’s commitment to advancing and accelerating opportunities for women across the state. We celebrate her resilience and leadership on her own path to economic security.
We are thrilled that Gitanjali Rao from Lone Tree is the recipient of the 2024 Dottie Lamm Leadership Award! Recognized as one of Forbes' "30 Under 30 in Science" and TIME Magazine's 2020 "Kid of The Year," Gitanjali embodies the spirit of innovation and leadership that the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award celebrates.
Her dedication to advancing opportunities for women and girls across Colorado is truly inspiring. As Gitanjali said in her acceptance speech, "I firmly believe that those of us who have more need to give more." We couldn't agree more, and we applaud her unwavering determination, outstanding leadership, and perseverance.
Congratulations, Gitanjali!