I’m sure that at some point of our Rotary journey, every one of us has heard about how easy it is to ‘multiply our dollars’ with the Rotary Foundation, but when it comes to the day to day running of a Rotary Club, we can get easily sidetracked by other things.

Article by PDG Janne Speirs, Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator and President of Rotary Traralgon

However, we are all hearing of increased cost of living pressures in every aspect of our lives and so it behoves us to steward our fundraising dollars in the most efficient way possible, effectively doubling what we can do in the community, through the Foundation.

The Rotary Club of Traralgon has long applied for a District Grant each Rotary year. These have taken many forms, including currently, an Equine Therapy project in conjunction with local Police, to assist ‘at risk’ teenagers, who have suffered from abuse, bullying, witnessed serious crimes and more, but are not ‘in the Police system’ as such. The program is having a wonderful, positive effect on the kids and they are also being given extra assistance and support from a team of counsellors.

Recently, we have also received one of the District’s ‘Low level Scholarship’ grants for students in need in year 7. In each of the last two Rotary years we have been able to help six students with needs as varied as uniforms through to camp attendance.

What is so special about District Grant qualification is that attendance at a simple zoom meeting and signing an MOU is all it takes to be able to apply for one of these grants –there are some guidelines but the District Foundation Committee will assist to help your application succeed. Helping those who need it most is how we serve our Community and what better way to do so when, by using a District Grant, 50% of the cost of the Grant (up to a $4,000 project total) or a maximum of $2,000 reimbursement on presentation of a final report and the receipt for the Grant payment comes back into the Club’s coffers to be spent on more projects. (Note: These figures may change in different Districts.)

Let’s steward our funds wisely, make the best possible use of District Grants and in the words of this year’s Rotary International President, Gordon McInally “create hope in the World”.