District 5890 District Grants Guidelines
Rotary D5890 District Grant Guidelines 2016-17
District 5890 Grant Funds (DGF) this Rotary year amount to a maximum of $105,000. This amount will allow the District to provide matching grants of up to $2,000.
Prior to our District acquiring these District Funds for the year we must submit a spending plan to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). This plan must provide a general description of the individual activities each club wishes to fund, based on actual applications submitted to the District. This spending plan will also form the basis of the final reporting process.
Since all planned and approved individual District Grants must be in the hands of the District prior to the District applying for funding, we are requesting that all applications be in the hands of the District prior to July 1, 2016. The District Grant Application Form is on the District website along with submission instructions.
The Grants Committee will hold a District Grants Conference on July 16, 2016 at the American Red Cross building, 2700 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77098. All District Grant Applicant Clubs will present their individual projects. Clubs outside the Houston area will be able to present their projects via Skype, but advance arrangements must be made. Each project will be evaluated based on the Guidelines below. The decision as to which grants will be awarded by the Grants Committee will be sent via to the 2016-17 Club President of all Clubs making an application for a District Grant within 15 days of the Grants Conference.
Projects must not be initiated until approved by the Grants Committee and TRF. Once approved we will notify the Clubs that they may begin their projects. After a project is completed, the Final Report and all receipts are submitted to the District which will then reimburse the club for the District's share of the project cost. Final Reports are due to the District Grants Coordinator not later than April 30, 2017. The Final Report Form can be found on the District Website.
Guidelines - subject to review and amendment throughout the year:
1. A maximum DGF contribution of up to $2,000 for any one project by any individual club. This will permit the District to support a wide dissemination of funds rather than supporting only a few projects with a few clubs. District checks covering the reimbursement of approved expenditures will be issued upon the receipt of a Final Report and receipts detailing expenditures.
2. There is a limit of one District Grant per club.
3. Clubs may partner with other clubs (up to a maximum of five (5) participating clubs) in any project and each additional club participating will attract a maximum District match of up to $2,000. Participation by clubs will count as the project for each of the participating clubs. Clubs are reminded that TRF requires active participation by all clubs in circumstances such as this.
4. Generally, District Grants are matching grants with the Club contributing the same amount or more to the project as requested in District Grant Funds. Additionally, the Club should be able to cover 100% of the cost of the project upfront since the District will not fund the District Grant portion of the project until the project is completed and the Final Report with receipts attached are submitted for reimbursement.
5. In addition the Grants Committee will consider:
a. Does the Club have a positive history of giving to TRF and Polio Plus on a per capita basis? In 2016-17 no Club will be eligible for a Matching Grant unless they have contributed to TRF in 2015-16.
b. Does the Club have members who participate in District activities, Vocational Training Teams, Youth Exchange, District Assembly, District Conference, Seminars and Family of Rotary?
c. Does the Club have a successful history of timely completion and reporting on previous grants (if applicable)?
d. Is the Club able to prove all Federal tax filings are current and paid up to date?
The Grants committee will be pleased to work with clubs who have not participated in Grants in the past.
6. Are applicant clubs current in payment of dues to RI and District?
7. Clubs are required to be "qualified" under TRF Grant Rules in order to receive a District Grant. This includes the 2016-17 Club President and additional trained Club member(s) completing Grant Training, and executing the documents in the Grants Qualification Package.
8. Club District Grant projects are not required to be sustainable (contrary to Global Grant projects). Neither are they required to be in one of the 6 focus areas for Global Grants.
Questions: Contact Barbara Franklin at (979)299-4595, (bbfranklin@comcast.net) or Lisa Pauls (lpauls@swbell.net).