The Rotary Foundation’s first annual $2 million Programs of Scale grant supports a Rotarian-led effort to dramatically reduce malaria in Zambia. The Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia program will add thousands of community health workers to the country’s health system to test for, diagnose, and treat malaria in more communities. Read about how members formed a successful partnership to increase their impact.
How to apply for a Programs of Scale grant
Is your club or district service project ready to scale up to make a bigger impact? The Rotary Foundation’s new Programs of Scale grant model awards $2 million each year to a well-developed, evidence-based program with potential to expand and to attract experienced partner organizations. Learn more about how to qualify and apply for a Programs of Scale grant. The next application cycle begins in June. Also, watch for upcoming webinars with tips on strengthening your club and district service projects and creating a shared vision of program success with your partners.
Changes to The Rotary Foundation funding model
To better support the growth of global grants, The Rotary Foundation Trustees recently approved policy changes to help balance financial resources with program demands. You can read about these changes, which take effect 1 July, in an announcement on My Rotary. The change that will most directly impact grants is that the World Fund match of DDF for global grants will be 80%. For 2020-21, as long as funds remain available, DDF will continue to be matched at 100% for applications submitted by 31 May, 23:59 Chicago time (UTC-5), and approved by 30 June, 23:59 Chicago time (UTC-5). Applications that are not approved this Rotary year will need to be resubmitted with adjusted financing.
Rotaract involvement in grants
Beginning in July 2022, Rotaract clubs can apply for Rotary Foundation district grants or global grants to support their service efforts in their own communities or abroad. To be eligible to sponsor a global grant, a Rotaract club must have partnered previously with a Rotary club or district on a global grant-funded project and must be qualified to participate in global grants. When applying for a global grant, if the Rotaract club is the international or host sponsor, the other sponsor needs to be a Rotary club. Here are some things that Rotary clubs and districts can do now to prepare for this change:
- Appoint Rotaractors to a committee or subcommittee
- Partner with Rotaractors on grant-funded projects now
- Develop a system to keep track of which Rotaract clubs have participated in global grant-funded projects
- Ask Rotaractors to help organize a fundraiser
- Invite Rotaractors to the grant management seminar or other Foundation-related training
- Consider whether to change the way the district distributes DDF for global grants to facilitate Rotaract involvement
- Invite Rotaract clubs to participate in project fairs
- Work with Rotaract clubs in your district to ensure that their membership reporting to RI is up-to-date
Environmental global grants are coming soon!
Clubs and districts can apply for global grants to support the environment beginning 1 July. If you want to apply for a global grant, review the Areas of Focus Policy Statements carefully to make sure that the project you’re planning is eligible for funding. You can then apply for these grants through the Grant Center.
General resources
The following general resources are from Rotary International:
- The Rotary Foundation Reference Guide provides an overview of Rotary Foundation programs and services.
- A Guide to Global Grants is for members who are interested in applying for a global grant or developing more effective and sustainable service projects.
- The Learning Center offers a variety of material, including information about fundraising and participating in grants.
Adapted from a Rotary International Giving and Grants update. Image header from Rotary International.