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Community Needs Grant Application

Funding Guidelines – Rotary Club of Victoria-Saanich
Updated August, 2025 To obtain a grant you must complete the application form at the bottom of this page. Once you’ve completed it, email it to the Community Needs Committee for consideration. The committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the Club's Board of Directors. We generally review applications twice per year but depending on available funds we may accept applications at other times. The application deadlines is normally 31 August. If funds are available we will accept new applications until 31 January for a second round of awards. Applications during the year We will consider requests for funding at any time during the year IF: you could not have foreseen the need before our normal intake, and this is an emergency, which means that you need the money before June of next year Applications during our annual funding cycle We accept requests for funding anytime during the year, but will assess current applications and expect to finalize our decisions in November. If you have received funding from us before, we must receive a detailed report outlining how the money was spent on that earlier program. Please note the following regarding a new application: we must receive your fully completed application by the deadlines – August 31 or January 31 for round 2; we will acknowledge receiving your request as quickly as we can; we will make requests for additional information in a timely manner; we may ask you to make a presentation, answer questions or provide additional information before we make our final decisions; we will notify you of our decision within 3 months of the yearly application deadline; we may require that each funded organization complete a Funding Agreement with us; and we will normally invite a representative from each funded organization to attend a club meeting to receive the cheque. Who we fund We only fund societies that are either incorporated under the BC Societies Act and / or registered as a charitable organization under the federal Income Tax Act. We do not fund individuals. How much we donate How much we can donate varies from year-to-year depending on how successful our fundraisers and investments have been. We always receive requests for more money than we have to donate. We will not necessarily completely fund your request so it is important that you identify all sources of funds you are seeking and how partial funding will affect your proposal. What we fund We consider all requests and use these criteria in making our decisions. Proximity to our Club: We favour projects in Victoria, Esquimalt and Saanich, the other areas in the Capital Regional District being well served by other Rotary Clubs. Groups served: We favour social services for encompassing vulnerable individuals, families and groups, and services for those who are already at risk physically, psychologically, emotionally, and / or financially. We do not fund individuals. Impact: We favour requests that have a significant impact on those served, the size of the population that will be served, and the impact on the broader community. Ability to complete and sustain: We favour projects where there is a high probability that there will be sufficient funding to complete the proposed work and to sustain the services afterwards. Social volunteering: We favour requests where there may be specific opportunities for Rotary Club of Victoria-Saanich members to volunteer on the project or program or with the organization more generally. Ineligible expenses: We cannot fund your organization's operating costs (i.e. Salaries, rent, utilities, etc.). Your request Please keep your application brief and include a one-page budget. If we require additional information about your organization we will contact you but your application must contain sufficient information that it can be assessed. Questions and Application Form If you have any questions, please contact us at Community Needs: Questions Download the Application Form HERE This is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Try to keep the descriptive entries brief - target of 250 words. You can alter the heights of the boxes. Use 14 pt text for readability. If possible please send the completed Excel spreadsheet and budget page to: Application submission - communityneeds@rotaryvictoria.ca. Otherwise create a PDF version of the completed application (ensure all sections are readable and not truncated) and include electronic versions of all of the requested documents and submit via email. If email submission is not possible please mail documents to: Rotary Club of Victoria-Saanich - Community Needs c/o Union Club of Victoria 805 Gordon St. Victoria BC V8W 1Z6 We look forward to getting your request!