t he r otary f oundation of rotary international

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary InternationalFoundation eLearning 2005Foundation eLearning 2005

THE ROTARY FOUNDATIONof Rotary International

District GrantsBy Jerry Leech

Introduction

• District Grant Committee• Compare and contrast District and Global Grants• Focus of District Grants• Funding and the District Block Grant• District Grant projects• Some points to ponder• Terms and Conditions• Application• Reporting

District Grants Committee

• Officially according to TRF/RI• DG Ken McInerney• DRFC Brian Trenery• DGSC Jerry Leech

• Plus we have added• Stewardship Chair Eddie Loughnan

• Plus for next year• David Barkley• Jenny Acopian - Scholarships• ? - Vocational Training Teams (Group Study Exchange)

District Grants Committee

• Mentors • PP Stephen Lamont• PDG Chris Sims

• Plus – need to keep informed • DGE Geoff James• DGN Jane Cox

District - Global Grants

DISTRICT GRANTS GLOBAL GRANTSSupports the mission of TRF Supports an Area of FocusNo minimum budget Minimum budget US$30,000Short term impact Long term sustainable impactCan support scholars pursuing Can support scholars pursuing any level of study, locally or graduate level study inter- internationally nationallyActive Rotarian involvement Active Rotarian involvementAdheres to grants terms and Adheres to grants terms and conditions conditions

Measurable outcomes

Focus of District Grants

• District Grants are• Smaller than Global Grants• D9780 - available grants $300-$3000 USD/AUD• D9780 - at least 50% from clubs • Shorter term – about 9 months• Local or international• Should be sustainable

• Flexible and largely managed from within D9780• But still must meet TRF guidelines


• Applications for District Grants must support the mission of The Rotary Foundation

• Mission of the TRF• The Mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary

International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty


• Areas of Focus• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution• Disease prevention and treatment• Water and sanitation• Maternal and child health• Basic education and literacy• Economic and community development

• To be discussed under Global Grants

District Block Grant

• From donations to TRF 3 years ago• Three year interest funds TRF administration• 50% to Global Fund

• Only interest is used for grants• 50% to District Designated Fund (DDF) or Share Fund• Up to half that 50% is available for District Project Grants• At the discretion of the DG• Is that 25% or 50%?• It is 50% of DDF, it is 25% of donations to TRF 3 years

ago


• One Block Grant for each district each year• District Spending Plan has to be sent to

TRF by 15 May – DG, DRFC, DGSC• Can include a contingency allowance to account for

changes in exchange rate, or some changes in the project

• But change to the Spending Plan requires TRF approval• Funds are only available when the report of the

previous years District Grant is accepted by TRF


• TRF have devolved responsibility to districts• But still keep a pretty tight rein• Chair Stewardship Committee - Eddie Loughnan• We need to report annually• We need to make sure clubs also report • We need to meet the TRF Terms and Conditions• We can be audited by TRF• But ... It is basically under our D9780 control• A DRFC/DGSC task – not a club worry!

District Grants

• Think of them as Club Project Grants• More flexible than the old District Simplified Grants

• International and local• Applications by 15 April

• District must submit a Spending Plan to TRF by 15 May• May take us time to get the funds approved

• Reporting must be by 30 April the next year• Payment will be by reimbursement when the project

report has been accepted by DGSC• DRFC Brian and DG Ken can provide arbitration!

Examples from 2013/14

• Purchase books for a disadvantaged Primary School

• Purchase iPads for a disadvantaged Primary School• Fit out an early learning development centre in Fiji• Educate women in Timor Leste to establish a

community vegetable garden at a school

• Key issues are size of project, and timing• All meet Areas of Focus, Mission statement

Other possible examples

• Equipment for Rotary House• Bursary for VCE Summer school• Foodbank shelving• Mens health forum• Wetlands interpretative signage• Ramp for disabled access• Photocopier for skilled migrant group• Gopher safety program• Tube well in Ghana• Computers or iPads for a school overseas

Other possible examples

• Equipment for Rotary House *• Bursary for VCE Summer school• Foodbank shelving• Mens health forum• Wetlands interpretative signage *• Ramp for disabled access *• Photocopier for skilled migrant group• Gopher safety program *• Tube well in Ghana• Computers or iPads for a school overseas

Health Education Poverty

Points to ponder

• Think about whether a project can be managed• If international project than it can be quite challenging• May need to think in three currencies• Need a local champion• Need to be able to report, and that means must have

receipts etc. to justify any expenditure• Think about reporting BEFORE applying• Is the project feasible in the time frame?

• If in doubt talk it through with DRFC Brian Trenery or myself

Points to ponder

• A District Grant cannot fund an ongoing project• Make sure the project does not start before formal

approval from D9780

• Reporting• Overseas projects can be tricky as often 3 currencies to

deal with, US$, A$ and local currency• Need receipts – can be challenging overseas• Think about reporting before applying

Key issues

• Application date by 15 April • Reporting by 30 April the next year

• This is very important as it may affect the next years District Block Grant

• Payment will be by reimbursement when an acceptable report has been received

• Remember we are still on L plates

Resources

• Seminar booklet• District web site

• District Grant Application Form * Title• Notes * Updated• MOU for Clubs• MOU addenda (for D9780) * Bank A/C

• RI/TRF web site• grant_management_manual_en.pdf• grants terms and conditions_en.pdf * Updated

• Ring or email me (or DRFC Brian Trenery)

Terms and Conditions 1

• Read the TRF booklet carefully for all the detail• TRF interpret this very rigorously and very carefully• If in doubt check!

• Must relate to the Mission of TRF• Must include active Rotarian participation• Must be sensitive to cultural traditions• Must support local and international humanitarian

and service projects, scholarships, and vocational training teams


• Clubs must be qualified by TRF and by D9780• The two MOU will be discussed later• At least one member must attend this training seminar

• District must set up a committee to manage grants• Project must set up a small committee to manage

each grant project• Funds will only be released by TRF when the

reporting of last years grant is complete


• Local or international• Some travel can be funded, but restricted

• Need to read the rules carefully to check eligibility• D9780

• Range of grant $300-3000• But given $US it is possible this year to be maximum of

AUD$3150 for an international project• Clubs to provide ≥ 50% of total project funds

• India has some special rules• Read them very carefully


• Eligible projects (my spin – read the detail)• Infrastructure such as water storage, sanitation,

electricity, plumbing• Renovation and repair of buildings, including roofing• Equipment• Some local and international travel, but restricted• Direct costs related to project implementation


• Ineligible projects (my spin – read the detail)• Purchase of land or buildings in which individuals can live

or work• New construction• Fundraising, Public Relations• Activities or projects already in progress or complete• Excessive support for one beneficiary• Operating expenses of another organization• Activities primarily implemented by an organization other

than Rotary• So great projects can be ineligible!

DG Application 1a

Bank A/C

Date

Snail mail issues

DG Application 1b

The Mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world under-standing, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty

Really need a good, brief program titleWe will probably modify the application form to include a title

DG Application 2a

Basically a MOU, a Memorandum of Understanding

2 not the 3 required for Global Grants

DG Application 2b

If an overseas project then need to state exchange rate

RI have an official rate for many currencies, but not all

DG Application 3a

Important

Sustainability

DG Application 3b

Remember we have a small contingency allowance in the Block Grant

DG Application 4a

MOU register maintained by DRFC Brian Trenery

Not quite right

DG Application 4b

Needed as the applications now go to TRF together with the District Spending Plan

District Grants

• District Grants Committee • Accepts/rejects application• Checks against Terms and Conditions• May request changes• Agrees which projects will be supported, depending on

how much money is available• Prepares District Grant Spending Plan, submits to TRF• When last years District Grant report accepted• When TRF agrees with the spending plan• Funds from the District Block Grant released to D9780

Reporting

• District Grants must be reported on by 30 April• DGSC approves the report

• May suggest changes to make it easier for TRF• Project reports may go to TRF/RI (not 100% sure of this)• Approves reimbursement – separate to report• We need reporting to be complete and accepted in order to

get next years Block Grant• DRFC Brian Trenery and DG Ken McInerney can arbitrate,

also PDG Eddie Loughnan as Chair of Stewardship Committee

• If real problems – Bruce Allen at Parramatta

Reporting

• District must report amounts paid to clubs• District must provide bank statements• Reporting still not totally clear

• DRFC reports to TRF• Also signed off by Stewardship Chair (as Chair of the

D9780 Audit Committee)• Project reports, receipts are kept in D9780 by DGSC in

order to satisfy audit requirements• Not a club worry but we obviously need club support by

getting project reports in on time

District Grants 1a

Should be a Final Report

I can supply the District Grant #

District Grants 1b

If possible emphasize sustainability

District Grants 2a

Read item 9 carefully

Suggested reporting

• Expenditure • Ensure total is in excess of double that sought from DDF• Ensure it is relevant and supportable• Provide receipts to at least the DDF level• Possibly provide a bank statement

• Income• District Grant ≤ 50% of total income• Adjust club income• As total expenditure and income must be equal

• Basically ensure project can be audited

Report example

• Fit out an early learning development centre in Fiji• Expenditure • FJD$ 10787, AUD$ 6914

• Receipts include other project expenses, but total appropriate expenditure on equipment summarised

• Exchange rate – rirate – or known transfer rate• Income

• District Grant AUD$ 3150 (= USD$ 3000 at rirate) • Adjust club income to balance AUD$ 3764• Total AUD$ 6194

• Change requires TRF approval, but fairly easy

Reimbursement

• Need the completed report• Report may be sent to TRF/RI• TRF may audit project, question report – banking?

• Need copies of all invoices and receipts• I plan to accept photocopies• DGSC has to keep these for five years• Originals needed by clubs for audit reasons

• Need reimbursement form• Needs to be separate as this does not go to TRF• Required for D9780 auditing

Reimbursement 1a

• Think ofBanking changed

Need BSB and account details

Now bank transfer

Reimbursement 1b

All three approvals now needed

Now bank transfer

Reimbursement

• Plan to pay as soon as an acceptable report has been received by DGSC• Now need three authorisations• Then District Treasurer can act• May take this year to settle down into a system

Summary

• A lot of detail to absorb• Procedures now settling down• District Grants

• Are very flexible• Are quite powerful• Are basically quite simple for clubs• Make sure you can make the grant work, or we have to

return money to TRF• Complement Global Grants

• We are here to help – well as much as we can!

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary InternationalFoundation eLearning 2005Foundation eLearning 2005

ANY QUESTIONS?

Not certain I can answer them, but I will certainly try!

t he r otary f oundation of rotary international

Documents