Your District 5050 Foundation Team consists of ten experienced, dedicated Rotarians who work together to help the governor educate, motivate, and inspire Rotarians to participate in our Foundation. The Foundation Committee is the connection between The Rotary Foundation (TRF) and Club members.
District Rotary Foundation Chair (DRFC), Malcolm Kennedy: I have been involved with the District Foundation team for over ten years. During that time the Team members have consistently worked on behalf of the District 5050 Clubs to remove obstacles that would impede them from receiving Foundation Funds. The goal is to get the Clubs to “YES.” Foundation Funds are available only because of your donations to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund. Funds are awarded from the World Fund and the District Designated Fund (DDF) to assist Clubs with their community projects using Foundation Grants. I am a member of the Rotary Club of Coquitlam Sunrise. Contact info: malcolm.rotary@outlook.com or 604-941-8606.
Please let me introduce you to three of the ten committee members who live lives of Service Above Self. These three like to give away Rotary Foundation Funds. They make it easy for clubs to get to “YES.”
Global Grants Chair, Val Tibbetts has extensive experience in Foundation Grants. Val has dedicated many hours helping clubs navigate the District & Global online grant application process. Val is the first-person, your Club needs to contact when you want to learn more about the value of applying for a Global Grants. Contact with Val needs to happen as soon as your Club thinks they might want to do a project with a Global Grant. The application process is open all year and has many moving pieces to it and while it is very time consuming the paybacks are worth the effort. Val, over the years, has patiently helped numerous Clubs through the application process so that they can get to “YES.” She continues to work with them throughout the process right up to project completion. Val is a member of the Rotary Club of Fidalgo Island. Contact info: valtravelq@hotmail.com 360-299-9390.
District Grants Chair, Steve Shea has “held the hand” of many Clubs as they work through the online District Grant Application. District Grant applications are only open for submissions once per year, deadline is 31 August each year. Clubs have 18 months to complete their project which includes an audit ready final report. The on-line application can appear to be more confusing than it really is, Steve will do everything he can to get your Club to “YES.” In mid October Steve had to step away from his role due to health concerns. Steve, we are all wishing you the very best. In the interim, Malcolm Kennedy will be assuming his role. Contact info: malcolm.rotary@outlook.com 604-941-8606.
Scholarship Chair, Jack Rae has been very successful, the last couple of years, in obtaining Scholarships for three very worthy students. The application process is highly competitive but with Jack’s mentorship and his desire to assist the students to ensure the applications were complete and therefore successful, the three were able to get to “YES.” Scholarships were awarded to the Master’s Degree Program, and the Professional Development Certificate Program. Plus, one student received a Global Grant Scholarship. If your Club is looking for information requiring scholarships, then Jack should be the fist person you contact. Jack is a member of the Rotary Club of White Rock. Contact info: bettyjackrae@shaw.ca 604-536-8578.