Connecting the Dots
By: Sarah MacGillivray, Secretary, and Public Image Coordinator, District Foundation Committee, RC of Bath Sunrise
This month I wanted to start by congratulating the five clubs in our district which are already qualified to submit their district grants: Brunswick Coastal, Fryeburg, Portsmouth, Saco Bay-Sunset and Westbrook-Gorham. We also have 22 clubs who have checked off the important step of having two club members trained. Great work to all! There is one more chance to attend live grants training this month. We will have a session at the District Training Assembly on April 20. You can also complete the training on our website.There is a great idea that came from Marianne Pinkham, of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Club, and District Foundation Committee’s Paul Harris Society coordinator. Her club is very active with OUR Rotary Foundation, and they have what they call, WRITE A CHECK DAY! Read excerpts from the note she sent to her club earlier this year in the full story.
EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR – WRITE A CHECK DAY
(This is the sample of the letter that Marianne sent to her club members. Feel free to use this idea!)
The Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund includes SHARE, the World Fund, and our areas of focus funds. The Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative asks all members to donate to the Annual Fund each year and take part in at least one Foundation project or program each year. When you make that commitment, you win in more ways than one. First, you get the great feeling that comes with knowing you’re helping to make life better for people all around the world. Then you have an opportunity to gain recognition for yourself, our club and our district.
How it works:
EREY means each Rotarian in our Club contributes at least $25 to TRF’s annual fund. When every member of a club makes a donation, the club earns a TRF banner celebrating 100% participation.
In order for our Rotary club to qualify for the EREY banner, the club must achieve a minimum annual contribution of $100 per capita during the Rotary year, and every dues-paying member must personally contribute at least $25 to the Annual Fund during the year.
Where the money goes:
When you give money through EREY, it goes to support Rotary International’s initiatives such as eradicating polio and attaining world peace, as well as meaningful projects defined by Rotary’s seven areas of focus: promoting peace; fighting disease; providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene; saving mothers and children; supporting education; growing local economies; and protecting the environment.
Our club designates (date) as “EREY – Annual Fund-SHARE write a check day.” Helping to fund Rotary’s altruistic work is part of being a good Rotarian, and when we work together, we can accomplish great things. Every Rotarian makes a difference, so please give whatever you can afford, and be generous.
Checks should be made out to the Rotary Foundation. Bring your check to the meeting, mail it to (foundation chair) or make an on-line donation by going to: My Rotary ( https://my.rotary.org/en/donate )
Click on Annual Fund and remember to sign in to My Rotary to track your donations and receive recognition
Thank you for making the Rotary International Foundation one of your charities of choice!
Thanks, Marianne. Others, please consider adding this great idea to your club!
Here are your next four Rotary Moments to share at our club meetings:
HOW DO GLOBAL GRANTS MAKE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE
IN THE WORLD?
One remarkable aspect of The Rotary Foundation is that opportunities for significant projects exist wherever there’s a need — in large countries and small ones, in metropolitan areas and rural ones.
Global grant projects are built on international partnerships, and those collaborations can take many forms. A district in Canada may be the international sponsor, with a U.S. district as the host sponsor. A club in France could sponsor a global grant project in Germany. The need, not the location, determines the project.
Here’s another example: Rotary clubs in Honduras and the U.S. worked together on a global grant project to provide eye care to people in Honduras. Members from both clubs provided vision services through local clinics. They evaluated more than 1,200 people and gave prescription eyeglasses to 600. A local nongovernmental organization will continue to provide glasses and medications to people who need them.
What does this mean for the community? Better eyesight can lead to better educational or occupational opportunities, which can mean a better quality of life for people.
Clubs around the world use these grants from the Foundation to make long-term, sustainable change. Every club has the opportunity to do this, one project at a time.
How do you want to make an impact in the world?
WHAT MAKES A GLOBAL GRANT APPLICATION SUCCESSFUL?
Consult with local experts early in the planning process to build a strong project plan and global grant application. Your application needs to clearly describe how your project, scholarship, or vocational training team:
- Responds to real community needs
- Aligns with one of Rotary’s areas of focus
- Actively involves Rotary members and community members
- Meets the eligibility requirements in the grant terms and conditions
- Includes measurable goals
- Will be sustainable and successful long after the global grant funds have been spent
If you need help, contact your district international service chair. The district resource network is made up of members with expertise in project planning, the areas of focus, and Rotary Foundation grants.
Our grant system empowers members to design projects with lasting benefits for communities.
WHAT IS A GLOBAL GRANT FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING?
Vocational training teams are groups of professionals who travel to another country, either to learn more about their profession or to teach local professionals more about it.
The Rotary Foundation funds some vocational training teams in our areas of focus through global grants. This training is often carried out in conjunction with a humanitarian project.
A team should include at least three people. The team leader needs to be a Rotary member, while the other participants can be members or nonmembers who have experience in the area of focus.
Rotary previously had a program called Group Study Exchange, which promoted international understanding and offered person-to-person opportunities for participants to learn how their vocation was practiced in other countries. It was phased out when we updated our grant model and placed this activity within global grants.
Think about whether you could join a vocational training team, or know a nonmember who could participate.
WHAT IS A GLOBAL GRANT SCHOLARSHIP?
Through Rotary Foundation global grants, members can support future leaders whose career goals align with fields related to our areas of focus.
These scholarships are awarded for at least US$30,000 and can fund graduate-level coursework or research for one to four academic years.
A key feature of global grants is the partnership between the district or club where the person will study and the district or club in their home country.
When they return home, scholarship recipients are expected to talk with Rotary members and others about how their experiences led to a greater understanding of their host country and how they’ll continue to support our areas of focus and spread goodwill and understanding.
Do you know any students that you’d like to nominate for a scholarship?