Grants Seminars Schedule

 
District Announces Spring Grant Management Seminar Dates
 
District Foundation Committee Chair Peter Johnson has announced the sites for this year's Grant Management Seminars:
 
Wednesday, March 18, Cumberland Club, Portland (note: This seminar was only recently added to the schedule), 5:30 - 8:00 p.m 
           
Wednesday, April 8, Portsmouth NH Country Club, 5:30 pm
 
Saturday, May 9, Westbrook ME Middle School, 8:00 am
 
Wednesday, May 13, Topsham ME American Red Cross, 5:30 pm
 
All are reminded that any club wishing to originate a request for either Community or Global Grant funds must be qualified to do so, and qualification includes, every year, the requirement to have two club members attend one of these four seminars.  Community Grant applications need to be submitted to the district by June 1; Global Grant applications are accepted throughout the year.
 
"Because our members have been paying attention to the need for each of us to support The Rotary Foundation, we will have a record amount of grant money available for 2015-16", Peter noted.  "We have money to award, and nothing would make us happier than to get every last dollar working, but it all begins with understanding process and stewardship, which is what these seminars cover".  "Even better", he added, " if you have an idea – any idea – we strongly encourage you to reach out to me or our district Grant Coordinators:  Penny Jett, pennyjett@comcast.net for Community Grants, and Dalit Wolfe, dgulak@gmail.com for Global Grants, well before the actual seminar dates, as a beginning conversation can be a big assist to simply get an idea moving in a workable direction.  
 
 
Preview of Mid-Year Presidents' Dinner Announcements
 
1.  The amount available for Community Grants in 2015-16 is $46,400, roughly a $10,000 increase from last year because of our increased levels of Annual Fund contributions.   I don’t think I can emphasize this enough:  Increased Foundation Giving = Increased Available Grant Dollars, and nowhere do we see it more directly than here.
 
2.  Community Grant application deadline remains June 1.
 
3.  We've consolidated "Springboard" and "Community" into one broad group:  just tell us what you want to do and where you want to do it, and our screening committee will take it from there (but only one grant request per club on June 1, please).
 
4.  I will announce yet another new Global Grant approval.
 
5.  Lawrence will announce the outbound International Outreach team of 6 Rotarians traveling this spring to Bulgaria (for those of you with Group Study Exchange memories, our district's use of a portion of our district grant dollars to fund this travel has had the direct result that we are no longer restricted to sending just one Rotarian.   Membership has its benefits.)
 
We do not yet have all of this year's tweaks up and running on the website.  Our goal is to have Club Qualification, District and Global Grant Terms and Conditions, the District Grant Application Form, and our Grant Allocation breakdown numbers posted by month-end.
 
Peter Johnson 
Rotary Club of Yarmouth