Lead a Project With a Matching Grant

Your club is willing to put in the work to establish a relationship with a Host Rotary Club in another country, develop a project description, file the matching grant proposal and monitor the project during its term.

Identify Your Own Project

You know of a need and a project opportunity in a particular country and are able to find a Host Rotary Club to be your counterpart for the project.

Select a Project From Options Identified by Others

You need help in identifying a project and will consider possible projects identified by other sources.

Rotary International

RI has on its web pages lists of requests from other Rotary Clubs around the world for assistance in funding projects. This has the advantage that a Host rotary Club to act as your counterpart is already identified. The projects, however, may be in a wide range of development and there may not be any local implementing organization yet identified. Considerable work may be involved in arriving finally at a workable project definition and team.

Water for People (and Similar Organizations)

Water for People has an ongoing process to identify community water and sanitation projects in the 11 developing countries in which it operates. Selecting from a WFP or similar project opportunity has the advantage that WFP will be the non-profit organization that will dependably implement the project, removing the need to find and vet an implementing organization. It has the disadvantage that (with some exceptions) a willing Host Rotary Club is not yet identified and this may prove difficult.

Lead a Project Without a Matching Grant

You still have the choices as described above of identifying a project from your own resources or selecting from options identified by others (RI, WFP, etc.). The disadvantage is that without the RI Matching Grant the size of the project is more limited. The advantage is that the paperwork is reduced and you can proceed directly as you chose without waiting for approvals.

Support a Project

Your club wishes to support a project but does not feel that it has the human or financial resources necessary to undertake the complexity of leading a project. In general in supporting a project led by another Rotary Club or organization your club can be a part of a project with a much smaller contribution of club funds.

Contribute to a New Project Led by Another Rotary Club

Assuming that the other International Club is applying for a Matching Grant from TRF this will multiply your contribution and allow your club to feel part ownership in a worthwhile venture without taking on administrative and monitoring responsibilities. If the lead International Rotary Club is not seeking a Matching Grant then your club’s funds are not as leveraged, but there is still the sense of contributing to a worthwhile project.

Contribute to an Existing Project

The Rotary Foundation will not approve a matching Grant for a project which has already started, (i.e, any funds have been expended to implement any aspect of the project). However, there are many existing projects that still need support in order to bring them to fruition.

Existing Rotary Project

There are Rotary Clubs that have ongoing project that may have had an initial Matching Grant but which now need additional funds to meet unexpected expenses or to expand. They are generally not eligible for a new Matching Grant. They still represent valid humanitarian needs, with the disadvantage is that your club’s money is not leveraged.

Existing WFP Project

Because of rapidly rising expectations of recipient communities, WFP and similar organizations have difficulty waiting from the time a project opportunity is identified until Rotary can proceed through its requirements for approval of a Matching Grant. Consequently, many worthwhile project of WFP have already started some implementation and no longer qualify for a Matching Grant. However, they still need support, and a club can contribute directly to WFP with the funds either undesignated or designated for a specific project. The latter will bring more satisfaction to the donating club as it can track progress in the community receiving the assistance.

If you need more help, use the “TASK FORCE CONTACTS” or Task Force Leader, Gordon Lewis can be called at any time, 303-738-9989, or e-mail gel@lewishimes.com.