Giving & Grants: Happy Birthday, Rotary

Give the Gift of Rotary

Rotary’s 112th anniversary is 23 February, and this year we celebrate The Rotary Foundation’s 100th year. Consider giving a birthday gift to The Rotary Foundation today. When you give to the Annual Fund, you empower leaders just like you to improve their communities and make a lasting impact.

Are you and your friends registered on My Rotary?

A special centennial promotion is coming soon. Register on My Rotary today and check announcements to stay updated.

Global grant funding for low-cost shelters and simple schools

For three years beginning 1 January, clubs and districts will be able to use global grants to build low-cost shelters and simple schools. The construction must be a part of a comprehensive project related to an area of focus. More information will be available on My Rotary soon.

Submitting global grant scholarship applications

Plan ahead for your scholars! If you’re sponsoring a global grant scholar who will begin studies in August, September, or October 2017, we need your application no later than 30 June. June, July, and August are the busiest months for scholarship applications, and each year, some students miss out on scholarships because their Rotary sponsors haven’t left enough time for the Foundation to review the applications. Speaking of scholars, did you know that Foundation staff can review candidates you’re considering for a scholarship before you submit their applications? Simply email your regional grants officer with pertinent information about the candidate to request a pre-review. He or she will help you avoid applying for a scholarship that isn’t eligible.

Rotary/UNESCO-IHE scholarships

The Rotary Foundation and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education have extended their collaboration for two more years and will offer up to 10 scholarships for graduate study at UNESCO-IHE's Delft campus in the Netherlands in 2017-19. For more information review the application toolkit and the scholarship terms and conditions.

Changes to grant terms and conditions

The Foundation periodically updates grant terms and conditions to clarify them and incorporate policy changes. See the current version, which reflects the following changes:
Section II

Section III

Section V

Section VI

Learn about the new Grant Center

In December, we debuted the new Grant Center, which features both a new look and a streamlined grant application. You can learn more about the new system in How to Use the Grant Center. We will host a webinar in April to introduce new users to the Grant Center. Register on the webinars page on My Rotary.
Did you know that you can use the Grant Center to find all of the grants sponsored by your district, whether or not your club is involved? It’s easy. First, sign in to My Rotary and navigate to the Grant Center. Click Grant Search, top right. That will take you to a page that has a search bar you can use to search by grant number or grant title. You can also search by area of focus. This search feature also lets you see your district’s district grant. Please tell others in your club about this, and let them know that learning about the district’s other grants is a good thing to do before beginning any new projects.
We hope you like the changes we made to the Grant Center. Watch for additional improvements in the coming months.

Join a moderated area of focus discussion group

Rotary discussion groups offer a place for Rotarians, Rotaractors, Rotary Peace Fellows, and alumni to share their experiences and ideas with members of the Rotary family from around the world. We invited members of the Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers, a group of volunteer Rotarians who provide technical expertise to Rotarians planning and carrying out projects, to moderate the area of focus discussion groups from 15 January until 30 June. Whether you want to pursue a global grant or learn how to do a community needs assessment, our experts can answer your questions.
You can get to all of the discussion groups on My Rotary once you sign in. Join an existing group or start a conversation today!

Resources & reference

Grant Center
Rotary Foundation Reference Guide
Guide to Global Grants
Rotary Ideas
Every Rotarian, Every Year club presentation

Giving & Grants is a quarterly publication with information to help you support Rotary's work through your contributions and grant-funded activities.

Send questions and comments to rotarysupportcenter@rotary.org.