|
|
|
|
|
|
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
To promote internationality through the interaction of clubs/districts on an international scale in order to help foster international friendship and understanding
To provide funding for relatively small, one-time-only humanitarian service projects of Rotary clubs and districts involving active, personal participation by Rotarians. (Matching Grants do not provide funds for the ongoing support of projects nor to continue projects funded under other Foundation programs which can be sustained after project completion).
To be a tool for club/district World Community Service but not the sole vehicle for such international service - * To provide support for those projects that are not supported through other Foundation or RI programs. * To help improve the quality of life of those less fortunate.
1.
Matching Grants projects are
international service projects. The Grant project must:
Provide for humanitarian needs to benefit the
economically disadvantaged, and provide assistance that is not being met by
local and/or other sources
Have significant Rotarian involvement
Have
visible Rotary identification
Demonstrably benefit no less than six individuals
directly
Benefit the recipient community as a whole. The
project must not be designed to help any individual(s) to obtain
an academic degree or professional
advancement, or for any individual(s) to attend a seminar, conference or
international exchange
Not involve the establishment of a permanent
foundation, trust, or permanent interest-bearing account
Involve participation and monitoring by Rotarians
of clubs/districts in at least two countries. One country will be the local
project country (benefitting country) and one will be the international
sponsoring country. Grant applicants are partners in the service project and
must work together closely to complete the project. To ensure this kind of
cooperation, each participating club/district must establish a committee of at
least three Rotarians to oversee and report both to each other every six months
and to The Rotary Foundation on the project's progress and completion.
NOTE:
Grant projects
can involve the establishment of a revolving loan fund, but must include
training and detailed information regarding recipient pay-back schedules
Not directly benefit a Rotarian; an employee of a
club, district or other Rotary entity, or of Rotary International; or a spouse,
life descendant (child or grandchild by blood or legally adopted child), a
spouse of a lineal descendant, or ancestor (parent or grandparent by blood) of
any living Rotarian or Rotary employee
Exclude any liability to The Rotary Foundation
or to Rotary International except for the amount of the grant
Be distinct, i.e. of a different type or category of project from any other projects for which the same applicants have already received a Matching Grant within the past five Rotary years (this does not prevent the replication of successful projects that benefit different communities)
2. Matching Grant funds (which includes club/district funds to be matched by The Foundation) cannot be used
For the purpose of land or buildings or the construction of substantial buildings (a substantial building is defined as any structure in which people live, work, or spend a great deal of time each day)
For the payment of salaries or other personal costs (other than necessary, one-time-only contracted technical expertise)
For individual travel expenses of any kind
To support the operating/administrative expenses of any organisation
3. Contributions from the participating clubs/districts must be at least equal to the amount being requested from The Rotary Foundation. In addition, at least half of the club/district contributions must come from outside the project country.
4. The Rotary Foundation will not use Matching Grant funds to reimburse clubs/districts for projects already undertaken and in progress, or for projects that are already completed. The Foundation will only match club/district funds for international service projects that have been reviewed and approved by the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation.
5. If a Matching Grant project will be conducted in cooperation with another non-Rotary organisation the following conditions must be met:
There must be significant Rotarian involvement
The project must have visible Rotary identification for the Rotary sponsored portion
The local Rotary club must have knowledge of and endorse the cooperating organisation as being reputable and responsible and have determined that the organisation is registered and acts within the law of the project country
Expenses for travel and related items, seminars, conferences and international exchanges will not be funded under the Matching Grant program.
APPLICATION PROCESS
An application form, available from the South West Pacific Service Centre, must be completed and returned to the Foundation in Evanston before the Trustees will consider a request. The District Governor in the project country must approve the application in writing even if it is a club sponsored project. Matching Grant requests for $20,000 or less are accepted and processed throughout the year, while funds are available. A completed application must be received by the Foundation at least 10 to 15 weeks before the proposed project is scheduled to begin.
Grant requests of $20,001 to $50,000 will be considered twice a year on a competitive basis, as no more than 20 percent of each year's total Matching Grant budget will be available for these larger grants.
| Application deadline | Trustee decision |
| 1st August | October/November Trustee meeting |
| 1st January | March/ April Trustee meeting |
Once a completed application is received, the Trustees
decide if the project meets all of the eligibility criteria and the objectives
of the Matching Grants program, whether to approve the application, and
how much shall be granted.
If the Trustees approve the request, the sponsors will be sent a formal announcement plus an agreement form to sign and return. By signing the agreement form, the sponsors accept the grant, excuse the Foundation from any liability arising out of the implementation of the project, and agree to conduct the project according to the stewardship and reporting policies established by the Trustees and to submit a report on the project after its completion. This form must be received by the Foundation before funds can be released.
The maximum amount of anyone Matching Grant is $50,000, and there is no minimum. approved Matching Grant may be eligible for Paul Harris recognition.
Districts that use SHARE District Designated Funds for the
sponsor portion of a Matching Grant should send in their applications before Ist
April, after which all Matching Grant applications will be considered on a
first-come first-served basis. Sponsor contributions for Matching Grants must
not be submitted to the Foundation until after the grant has been approved.
REPORTING ON MATCHING GRANT PROJECTS
If a Matching Grant is made, the sponsoring club(s) and/or district(s), in cooperation with the participating club in the benefiting country, will be required to submit a final report to the Trustees within two months after the completion of the project, using a form provided by The Rotary Foundation. This report ;should include a signed statement from the project treasurer accounting in sufficient detail for the receipt and disbursement of all monies connected to the project. Attach copies of receipts, invoices, etc. This statement is to be examined and certified by the sponsoring club(s) or district(s.) When a cooperating organization is involved in a Matching Grant project, the Rotary sponsors may have to request some of the information needed to complete the final report, including financial details, from the organization. For certain projects, the trustees may require that the treasurer's statement be audited at the sponsor's expense. All original receipts, invoices and other relevant financial documents should be retained for at least three years after submitting the final report. For accounting purposes, any unused funds must be returned to The Rotary Foundation, who will return each sponsors' portion in the proportion in which they were received. In cases when the project runs for more than six months, the Trustees may also request one or more interim reports in addition to the final report.
RECOGNITION FOR MATCHING GRANTS CONTRIBUTION
A policy on recognition for contributions to Matching Grants projects was adopted by the trustees in October 1985. This policy states, "the sponsor's contribution to The Rotary Foundation for an approved Matching Grant project will be eligible for all recognitions from the Rotary Foundation (including the Paul Harris and club recognition), except the reward units (former extra earned scholarships)."
Several steps must be taken by the sponsor of a Matching Grant project in order to take advantage of this opportunity for recognition:
Submit a Matching Grant application form in the normal manner.
If the Trustees approve a Matching Grant for the project, an Agreement form will be sent to the sponsoring club president(s) or district governor(s). It is to be signed and returned to the Foundation before grant funds can be released. The sponsoring club president(s) or district governor(s) will receive a Declaration of Contribution Method" form which must be completed, signed and returned to The Rotary Foundation. On that form, the sponsors will be asked to indicate how they will make their contribution to the Matching Grant project: either directly to the project or through The Rotary Foundation. If no recognition is desired, the sponsor's contribution may be sent directly to the project.
The sponsor's contribution to an approved project must be sent to The Rotary Foundation if recognition is desired. It may be sent to the Foundation in Evanston, or a branch office or to a fiscal agent (whichever is the usual method a club or district uses to make a contribution to the Foundation). The contribution must be clearly marked with the Matching Grant number given to the project at the time of approval. Only the amount specified at the time of approval as the sponsor's contribution to the project will be eligible for recognition.
When the contribution to an approved project is sent to The Rotary Foundation a list of amounts to be credited to each club or individual must accompany it. Please also include completed Paul Harris Fellow and/or Sustaining Member applications for each individual to receive recognition.