Have you as a Club thought about doing a project overseas or in Australia using Foundation Funds?
Many Clubs use The Foundation to do "good' in the world and as part of their International Service objectives.
You may ask, "How can I find a suitable international project that meets the guidelines of The Foundation?" Firstly you have your District Foundation Committee Matching Grant Coordinator, and then your current and past Governors may have an overseas contact that you can use, Rotary Friendship Exchange teams may have been to a country that is crying out for assistance and a site on the Rotary International web site called ProjectLINK and your own Club members in their business or travelling activities.
PDG Alan Anderson, together with DG David Anderfson and the District Foundation team, are pleased with District Clubs projects that are supporting these Clubs with Foundation funds through a Matching Grant allocation. Current projects or pending projects include:
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The Rotary Club of Greensborough - A mobile dental unit in Thailand |
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Rotary Club of Eltham - Water and School equipment - Uganda - (Click here) |
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Rotary Club of Milawa Oxley - Pending - Ropes course for under privileged children - Peru |
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Rotary Club of Belvoir - Wodonga - Pending - Water supply Goroka PNG |
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Rotary Club of Preston - pending - Bunji Bunji Aboriginal Vocational project - Australia |
I am sure that members from these Clubs would be willing to be a guest speaker at your Club on their project.
The District Governor also has Foundation funds available for Clubs' use towards approved projects. The District Designated Funds (DDF), being 50% of the Annual Programs funds donated each year by the District Clubs and Rotarians is returned to the District to assist in projects such as Ambassadorial Scholars, Peace Scholars, Group Study Exchange teams, Matching Grant projects and District Simplified Grants.
The District Grants Subcommittee is required to review applications before they are submitted to the Foundation.
Sponsors have up to six months to meet all conditions for approval of a grant application and six months to meet all conditions for payment from the time the grant is awarded. The application will be withdrawn and the grant cancelled if the respective deadlines are not met.
Please discuss your project with Matching Grant Chair prior to lodgement with RI to assist in the approval process.
Alf Armstrong
Rotary Club of Albury North
Matching Grants Chair
(H) (02) 6021 7884
Email: alf.armstrong@johnsonsmme.com.au
At their April 2005 meeting, the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation made some changes to the Matching Grants program and placed a moratorium on the award of Individual Grants.
The Trustees decision raised the minimum Matching Grant award to US$5,000, effective from 1st July 2005. This change was aimed at focusing on sustainable projects that have a greater impact on communities.
The host partner of a Matching Grant in the project country was required to make a minimum contribution of $100. The Trustees based this decision on evidence that projects that include a financial contribution from the local community have greater local investment and oversight as well as the perception of ownership.
In addition Matching Grant applications required a project committee of at least three Rotarians to oversee the project's implementation.
Other decisions from the meeting involved grant application and reporting requirements: Progress reports are required every 12 months for the life of a grant, with a final report due within two months of the project's completion.
The District Grants Subcommittee is required to review applications before they are submitted to the Foundation. Sponsors have up to six months to meet all conditions for approval of a grant application and six months to meet all conditions for payment from the time the grant is awarded. The application will be withdrawn and the grant cancelled if the respective deadlines are not met.
More details about the above Trustees decisions may be requested from the Foundation.
| PDG Clive Walker (Rae) Rotary Club of Myrtleford Chairman District Rotary Foundation (H) (03) 5752 1361 (M) 0419 437 964 Email: foundation@rotary9790.org.au |
