Following the recommendations of the Grants Committee, the Rotary Club of Missoula Board of Directors voted to support six local nonprofits with grants ranging from $500 to $1,500. Thanks to the generosity of our members through Avenues of Service donations, our club had $7,000 available to grant awards, not including the $1,500 in scholarships that will be awarded later this spring. Grant projects had to fit into one of Rotary International’s seven areas of focus.

 

”We were very impressed with the number and quality of grant applications that our members submitted on behalf of nonprofits,” said President Victoria Emmons. “It was a difficult choice as we had requests totaling $15,250 and we were only able to fund less than half of the need.”

 

Grant recipients will be invited to a future club meeting to accept their awards. Organizations that will be awarded grants include: Lowell Elementary & Lowell Westside Park — $1,500 (economic & community development) and Missoula Aging Services, Meals on Wheels — $1,500 (disease prevention & treatment), both submitted by Kathy Schulte; Missoula Education Foundation, math literacy for kindergarteners — $1,000 (basic education & literacy), submitted by Chris Nowlen; Missoula Symphony, Montana Suzuki Institute — $1,000 (Basic education & literacy), submitted by Dolores Bandow; Montana Justice Foundation, civil dispute resolution — $1,500 (Maternal & child health), submitted by Bob Minto; Partnership Health Center, “Reach Out & Read” — $500 (Maternal & child health + basic education & literacy), submitted by Victoria Emmons. The grant to Partnership Health Center will be joined by the Happy Bucks donations our members made in memory of former Missoula Rotarian Dr. John Browne.

 

Special thanks to the Grants Committee, including: Mike Schauf, Dolores Bandow, Ryan Boyd, Jim Hutcheson, Royce Engstrom, Kathy Schulte, and Victoria Emmons, chair.