By: Sarah MacGillivray
District 7780 Foundation Committee Secretary and Public Image Coordinator
Member, Bath Sunrise Rotary Club
Our District Foundation Committee had a busy first meeting last month, as you read in the above article sharing the news of the eleven funded District Grant applications. Thanks to the generosity of donations made to OUR Rotary Foundation Annual Fund, the committee was able to make a few changes to the funds that will be available to Global Grant applications.
If Global Grant applications sound too daunting, just reach out to our District’s GG Coordinator, Carolyn Johnson. She is more than happy to give you guidance and answer any questions you may have. She explained to the Foundation Committee that due to a change reducing the amount of World Fund monies available, it would be beneficial to our District Clubs if more District Designated Funds (DDF) could be made available to D7780 clubs sponsoring Global Grants.
It was proposed and unanimously approved that our District increases the amount of District Designated Funds (DDF) to 120% of club funds raised if at least three District 7780 clubs contribute towards the grant and a D7780 club is the host or international partner for the grant. The committee also approved the raising of the amount available for a single project to $25,000. Again, this will require at least three District 7780 clubs to contribute towards the grant and that a D7780 club is a host or international partner for the grant.
There were 7 Global Grants in which D7780 clubs are involved that were approved last year. One Global Grant has been approved this year with five additional grants that have been submitted and are awaiting approval. Five more grants are in draft form, two of which are close to being ready to submit. These projects included a human milk bank in India, education for children with Downs Syndrome in Brazil, oncology treatment and eye surgeries for patients in India, and safe maternity care for women in Burundi. The total funds donated through our DDF last year was in excess of $50,000 - a direct result of the generosity of D7780 Rotarians’ support of The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund.
This is exciting news for our District Clubs and will hopefully open the door for some wonderful projects to be proposed. Just another example of the good work that can be done around the world with donations that we all can make to OUR Rotary Foundation!