When it comes to District Grants, virtually anything goes. However, when grant committees come to review applications, there are things that they look for.

Article by PDG Nick Curry, Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator

When grant committees come to review applications, there are things that they look for. Amongst them will be longevity and utility. In other words, how long will the object of the grant continue to serve its purpose and benefit the community. Innovation and PR also play a part.

The Rotary E-club of Australia Nomads is an online club but with many members having motor homes or caravans – hence the name ‘Nomads’. This enables members to enjoy the occasional fellowship at what they call musters. Often, these musters also involve a project of community service and, sometimes, may even raise funds for the Club.

Four years ago, the Club was offered a chance to raise funds by cleaning the facilities at the Australian Camp Oven Festival, the largest of its type in the country. It is huge! Held in Millmerran; an hour west of Toowoomba; the showgrounds, alone, take in 1,200 caravans … and that means a lot of showers and toilets to be cleaned!

The Show Society had used a golf buggy to transport supplies and equipment, but its owner had died, and the buggy was no longer available. Hence the magic of a District Grant! The Club applied for a grant of $5,000 to towards the purchase a golf buggy (aka an Auxiliary Service Vehicle or ASV) to which the Club added a tray and storage unit, a flashing light, and other important items. The Club convinced the district that the buggy was necessary to carry essential supplies and equipment to the various facilities spread over a very wide area.

This grant has turned out to be a very successful investment. The club has raised $12,000 from the camp oven festivals; with more to come from this year’s festival. The club has also used the buggy at the Millmerran Show twice, raising a further $4,000. In addition, consideration is being given to taking the buggy to Chinchilla and Dalby for other fund-raising activities.

As for PR, the buggy is adorned with the Rotary logo and, with the team of workers in Hi-Viz vests, becomes a very visible example of Rotary at work, serving the community. In fact, the Festival Committee received many comments about the excellent job that Rotary was doing whilst club members also continually received compliments and thanks. Allen Hunter, from the Festival Committee, noted that, although the Committee had also contracted temporary bathroom facilities (maintained by the contractor), stallholders and the public were showing an obvious preference for using the Rotary maintained facilities as they were cleaner and better supplied.

A few eyebrows may have been raised in the district at the time of the grant, but the buggy has shown its worth. We can expect to see Rotary and the E-Club of Australia Nomads to continue to gain kudos and recognition for a long time yet - thus showing the longevity, utility, innovation, and PR qualities that were part of this grant.