Summary of Grants that are Available for Clubs
3-H (Health, Hunger and Humanity) Grants
Rotary Volunteer Service Grants
Microcredit (Village Banking)
District 5300 Foundation Grants "Lefler District 5300 Grants"
Key Rotary Foundation Grants Personnel
District Simplified Grants (DSG)
International Matching Grants

Grant Training (August 11 and 25, 2007) PowerPoint File - View Presentation On Line

Key Rotary Foundation Grants Personnel

Key Rotary Foundation Grants Personnel (Adobe Acrobat File on the Rotary International Website)

3-H (Health, Hunger and Humanity) Grants

Health, Hunger, and Humanity (3-H) Grants are awarded to fund long-term, self-help, and grassroots development projects that are too large for one club or district to implement on their own. Projects must be self-sustaining after the 3-H Grant funds have been expended. All projects must involve Rotary clubs and districts in at least two different countries with a significant number of Rotarians actively participating in the project.

Below is a summary of the program requirements:

• The primary host and international sponsor clubs / districts of a 3-H application must have successfully worked together as primary sponsors of a Matching Grant project within 5 years of submitting their 3-H application to be eligible for consideration. Sponsors must also be current on reporting for any previous 3-H or Matching Grant awards.

• The project must utilize an integrative approach that uses multiple program components to address humanitarian needs, including a combination of sustainable activities such as: training, community participation, Rotary Community Corps, capital assets, and technical expertise from Rotarian and non-Rotarian sources.

• The grant must include a community needs’ assessment that demonstrates local need and support from the local population for the project.

• The grant require 3-H Grant sponsors (Clubs and / Districts) to provide a minimum contribution of 10% of the total 3-H grant award amount. (i.e. $30,000 Club contribution would be matched by a $300,000 grant award from the Foundation for a $330,000). The amount of the award / match from the Foundation can be between $100,000 and $300,000.

Grant decisions will be made on an annual basis according to the timeline below:

Date	Action
1 July–31 March	Proposals for 3-H funding must be received by 31 March annually. Proposals will be reviewed by staff; those that demonstrate 3-H principles and meet program requirements will receive an application to be completed by the sponsors.
1 Aug	Applications for consideration at the April trustee meeting next year must be received by 1 August  of the prior year.
1 Nov	Final deadline for sponsors to complete all application requirements and answer requests from the Foundation for further information or clarifications.
30 Nov	Foundation Trustees select specific  3-H grant applications to receive a site visit to the project area.
Dec–Feb	Advance Site Visitors visit project sites and report their findings / recommendations to the Foundation Trustees.
April	Funding decisions made by the Foundation Trustees and announced to project sponsors.

*Sponsors must submit a proposal according to the timeline above before they will receive a 3-H application. Sponsors submitting proposals that demonstrate 3-H principles and meet the new program requirements will receive an application from The Rotary Foundation. Applications must be received by 1 August 2007 for consideration at the April 200 Trustee meeting of the Foundation. Proposals submitted between 1 July 2007 and 31 March 2008 will be reviewed for possible consideration at the April 2009 meeting of the Foundation’s Trustees. 

Rotary Volunteer Service Grants (VSG)

Volunteer Service Grants reflects the intention of this program and better defines what The Rotary Foundation is funding. Whether you are traveling to Africa to help plan a project or traveling to India to provide dental service, you are volunteering and serving the community. Only active Rotarians are eligible to travel. Spouses who are not Rotary club members but who are qualified to serve may accompany a team but may not serve as the team leader or travel without a team

• Minimum stay for direct service grants is 10 days at the project site

• The award is now a flat grant with $3,000 available to an individual or $6,000 available for a team of up to five members

• Funds may be used for project related costs per the terms and conditions

• Receipts are required for single expenditures over $75

• The agreement form and the payee information are included in the application to expedite payment

• Applications must be received three months prior to departure and be complete for approval two months prior to departure

• Eligibility for travelers is based on 1) a defined community need; 2) a need that can be met by the experience and skills of the Rotarians / team and 3) an understanding that the skills and experience are not available in the community. Start planning now with the host club and / or district to ensure adequate documentation of pre-application plans.

VSG applications can be found at http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/doc/136en.doc

The terms and conditions for using a VSG can be found at http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/vsg_terms.pdf

Microcredit (Village Banking) 

Microcredit programs are committed to providing credit to the poorest of the poor throughout the world, the poorest 20% of the population that shares 1.4% of the world’s income.

The concept of microcredit was founded by Professor Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh in 1976 when he started Grameen Bank. Grameen comes from the Bangla word  meaning village; hence village banking. To meet the initial capital requirements for the first village in order to purchase materials and work freely, 42 people needed about $27. Professor Yunus lent them the money – since no commercial bank would lend money to people who don’t have it – and they paid it back. Now there are millions of microcredit borrowers throughout the world.

Why are microcredit loans primarily to women? Microcredit is targeting women because 92% of a woman’s income will be reinvested in food, shelter and education for her family; only about 40-50% of a man’s earnings will reach his family and often as little as 10%. A loan of $4 to a landless and homeless woman in Nepal resulted in a home and education for her children within a short time. She bought a comb, a mirror and a pair of scissors and put her husband in business as a barber.

What is the repayment rate? Across geographic and cultural boundaries, the world’s poorest borrowers have maintained a repayment rate of 95% or better. Microcredit views people as clients, not beneficiaries and it seeks to provide them with the means to support themselves through dignified self-employment. Regular meetings and group support contribute to the outstanding repayment rate.

District 5300 Foundation Grants
"Lefler District 5300 Grants"

1. Applications should be for youth service within District 5300 and should submitted on the one-page Grant Application Form

2. Our District Foundation will match the sponsoring club's contribution one to one up to $1,000 maximum per club and / or project. Attach your project budget showing proposed income and expenses.

3. List the name, address, telephone, fax and email of the sponsoring club's primary contact person.

4. Have the club's president affirm that the club or its Board of Directors has voted to undertake this project and agrees to provide our District 5300 Foundation a Final Report accounting regarding how the money was spent, the results achieved, and number of youth benefited.

5. The deadline for submission is November 1st at which time the Board of Directors of the Foundation will select the best applications for approval up to a total of $6,000.

6. Your applications may be on the form provided or in letter form covering points 1 - 4 above

7. Grant Application Form (Adobe Acrobat

8. If you have any questions please contact Conrad von Bibra at 626-441-2279, bibra@compuserve.com  or Bob Eichel at 626-351-3800,  bobeichelcpa@aol.com

District Simplified Grants (DSG)

What are they and how do I apply? District 5300 has requested $35,000 from the Rotary Foundation for the 2007-2008 District Simplified Grants (DSG) program. This District Simplified Grant money is an allocation within our DDF (District Designated Funds).

DSG’s are available for local or international projects that involve a Club’s "hands-on" project with priority being given to local projects within District 5300. Grants for Clubs that have been approved by the District will be awarded in amounts no greater than $1,500 or no less than $500.

The deadline for receipt of the completed DSG grant application form is December 31 2007. The grant application form and the instructions can be located above or on the district web site under "forms".

District Simplified Grants require the direct involvement of Rotarians in the following areas:

• Assessment of community needs and development of a project plan,

• Establishment of a committee of at least three Rotarians to oversee the expenditure of funds,

• Oversight of grant funds,

• Involvement in the implementation of projects,

• Provision of evidence of community involvement and ownership,

• Organization of meetings with local service providers, local officials, and/or recipients, and

• Promotion of projects in the local media.

If you have questions, please call Sylvia Whitlock, District Simplified Grants Chair at 909-596-3586 or send an e-mail to sylvia5@msn.com

Grant applications may now be submitted by Clubs. Consideration, however, will not be made until previously funded Clubs’ final DSG reports for prior Rotary years have been submitted and accepted by The Rotary Foundation (TRF). Until then, TRF will not release funds to District 5300 for the current Rotary year 2007-08. The first group of applications will then be reviewed and funds will be released by the District to Clubs whose grant application have been approved. Clubs that have outstanding final reports from prior years will not qualify for a DSG grant for the current year until their final reports have been submitted and approved.

The application is available on-line. The application must be typed in order that it may be read and easily distributed to the DSG review committee. Upon completion of the application, print a copy and save an electronic for your files, and then submit a copy as an attachment by e-mail to Sylvia Whitlock at sylvia5@msn.com

District Simplified Grant Application Form (Microsoft Word Document)

It is important that upon completion of the project, the Club must complete and submit a final report for the DSG. The grant application also includes a section that is to be used for submitting the final report. Copies of receipts for expenditures must accompany the report and therefore, it is requested that final reports be submitted by mail to Sylvia Whitlock at 1637 Lemonwood Street, La Verne, CA 91750.

International Matching Grants

Matching Grants assist Rotary Clubs and Districts in carrying out humanitarian service projects in cooperation with a Rotary Club or District in another country. Through matching grants program, The Rotary Foundation matches contributions raised by Rotary clubs and districts for international service projects involving Rotary clubs or districts in two or more countries.

Applications are accepted from July 1 to March 31 and approved from August 1 to May 15. Requests for $5,000-$25,000 in Foundation matching funds can be approved during the year. Requests for over $25,000 (competitive matching grants) in Foundation matching funds must be considered and approved by the Foundation’s Trustees at the biannual meetings, and therefore, competitive matching grant applications must be received and complete by 1 August for consideration at the October meeting and by 1 January for consideration at the April meeting.

Matching Grant types are therefore categorized by the amount requested from the Foundation:

1. Matching Grants US$5,001-$25,000

2. Matching Grants (competitive) US$25,001-$150,000

Finding an International Partner:

• The District 5300 Grant Matchmaker is Clive Houston-Brown (clive_hb@yahoo.com  ) is available to help Clubs find projects and partners. He also has a project site which you can access by going to the Pomona Rotary Club website http://www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/home/homeE.asp?cid=1513  and then go to the section “Water for Life”.

• Philippe Lammoise, District Governor (06-07) of District 5340 in San Diego has created an inventory of possible projects all over the world. Please use this site to look for potential projects. The website matchinggrants.org has been created and is maintained by District 5340 (San Diego) to serve as a meeting place between Clubs from around the world who wish to partner to perform an humanitarian grant. You can go to this website to (1) look for potential international projects for your Club, (2) commit funding toward a potential grant, and finally, (3) prepare and submit the actual grant application. http://www.matchinggrants.org/grant160.html

• Rotarians planning to attend a RI Convention should be aware of potential projects for which the district or clubs in the area might be seeking international participation. During the convention, Rotarians can discuss possible collaborative projects.

• Group Study Exchange team visits, and visiting Ambassadorial Scholars and University Teachers provide opportunities to look for and explore joint international service projects.

Criteria for using a matching grant:

1. Matching Grants must adhere to the grant policies that govern all grant programs. See terms and conditions for matching grants at the following site: http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/mg_terms.pdf

2. TRF will provide a 1:1 match for DDF and a 0.5:1 match for cash contributions that clubs and districts have provided

3. Matching grant awards from the Foundation (US$5,001-$150,000): Sponsors are required to submit a budget consisting of eligible items and produce appropriate price documentation upon request.

4. Rotary clubs and districts are required to be actively involved in implementing the project.

5. Sponsors of grants are required to:

   1. Establish a committee of at least two Rotarians to oversee the project.

   2. Jointly assess community needs and plan for the project before submitting the application.

Application Process timetable:

• Submit applications — 15 July to 31 March

• Approve applications — 15 August to 15 May

Matching Grant submission example "The Fernando Lores Water Project" in Peru