1. Rotary District 5240 Overview of District Simplified Grants Process

2. Humanitarian Grants Program
Provides funding to Rotary clubs and districts to implement projects that help improve the lives of people in communities throughout the world.
All grants from TRF must:
Involve the active and personal participation of Rotarians
Assist in the development of stronger Rotary Networks
Address humanitarian needs that clubs have identified in their communities – with the aim of sustainable development.

3. 5240 District Designated Funds available 2012-2013
Our District contribution to The Annual Programs Fund (APF) of The Rotary Foundation (TRF) for was $559,312.
TRF held our contribution for 3 years. TRF pays their administrative expenses out of the interest derived from those contributions.
Our District is reimbursed 50% of that contribution after those 3 years in the form of District Designated Funds (DDF). Those are funds that are designated for the District.
This year we will receive $279,656 (1/2 of the $559,312) from our APF contribution from
20% of $279,656 = $55,391 for District Simplified Grants for the Rotary year

4. District Simplified Grants (DSGs)
DSGs support humanitarian projects
- Local community and/or international community
- Must have demonstrable humanitarian benefits/meet a demonstrated need
- Respect the wishes of the receiving community; understand and appreciate another country’s tradition and culture (if international)
- Comply with all TRF Humanitarian Grant policies and guidelines
- Comply with all District 5240 policies and guidelines.
Funded by District Designated Funds from our combined Annual Programs Fund contributions
Maximum award/project = $3,000/1 club and $4,000/2 + clubs
Require active, personal participation by the sponsoring Rotarians (International – both sides)
Requests July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013
Approved & processed by DGCC and DRFCC
Strict reporting requirements

5. District Simplified Grants
How This Works
The District will match Club Contribution dollar for dollar up to $3,000 per DSG if only one Rotary Club participates.
The District will match Club Contributions dollar for dollar up to $4,000 per DSG if more than one Rotary Club participates.
No limit on how many DSGs a club can submit, however…
The District will match a Club’s contribution dollar for dollar only up to $3,000 per Rotary Quarter. This $3,000 maximum per Club is for Q1 (July 1-Sept 30, 2012), and Q2 (Oct 1-Dec 31, 2012) only. After January 1, 2013 no restrictions except the $3,000 for one Club, $4,000 for more than one Club.
Each Club will have $3,000 available per Quarter for DSGs until we run out.
No more than 3 open DSGs at any one time.
Pro-Forma required for any single item or items from a single provider exceeding $1,000.

6. District Simplified Grants
To Clarify
Each and every club in District 5240 starts the Rotary Year (July 1, 2012) with $3,000 of District Designated Funds in the “bank” for DSGs.
That “bank” can be spent for as many or as few DSGs as the club chooses UP TO their $3,000 limit for the Quarter (July 1, 2012 – Sept 30, 2012). This must be within the District guidelines of $3,000 limit for one club or $4,000 limit for more than one club.
At the start of the 2nd Quarter (Oct 1, 2012 – Dec 31, 2012) that club “bank” is replenished with another $3,000. Same guidelines.
At the start of the 3rd Quarter (January 1, 2013) all restrictions are lifted except for the $3,000 (single club) and $4,000 (more than one club) limits.
No allocation restrictions for District Simplified Grants.
No TRF World Fund match. District DDF match only.

7. District Simplified Grants Committee
District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair (DRFC): Anil Garg
District Grants Subcommitte Chair (DGSC): Dan Giordano
District Simplified Grants Subcommittee Members:
Chair: Bruce Howard (RC Cambria)
Members: John Weiss (Eco-Club Los Osos)
Kim Bisheff (RC SLO Daybreak)
Erie Johnson (RC Kern River)
Max Copenhagen (RC Camarillo)
Ex-Officio: DRFCC Anil Garg
DGSC Dan Giordano
District Governor Frank Ortiz
DGE Jack McClenahan
DGN Loretta Butts
I.S. Chair: Daudi Kaliisa
All Grant Applications must be sent to the DGSC Chair, Dan Giordano;

8. District Simplified Grants Committee
Process:
Committee meets at beginning of year to review policies and procedures and provide orientation for new committee members
All grant applications must be sent to Dan Giordano (DGSC) – in electronic format
Dan will review all applications when received to determine obvious “shortcomings” (missing signatures, etc.)
Applications that pass this initial review are distributed via to DSG Committee members for review and vote. This can take several cycles if there are questions, etc.
Applications with “shortcomings” are returned to the club with suggestions on how to meet requirements.
Approval requires a majority.
Approved applications are processed in accordance with TRF and/or District procedures.
DSG Committee maintains all records and follows-up with all DSGs to make sure the Final Report is filed and the grant is closed.

9. Future Visions
Why
Matching Grants program was established in TRF awarded the 10,000th grant in 2000 (35 years later). In December 2008, TRF had awarded the 30,000th grant (8 years later).
In 2007, the Foundation was spending 20 percent of its annual program budget on large grants with high impact and 80 percent on short-term activities with minimal impact. The new grant model will flip these percentages so that 80 percent will support high-impact, sustainable projects.

10. Changes from Current District Simplified Grants Policy
Future Visions
Changes from Current District Simplified Grants Policy
Name change: From District Simplified Grants to District Grants.
Currently a District can allocate up to 20% of their District Designated Funds (DDF) to District Simplified Grants. With Future Visions a District will be able to allocate up to 50% of their DDF to the new District Grants. (This year that would mean an increase from $55,000 to $140,000.)
District Grants will be able to provide for both domestic and international projects (as it is now) PLUS scholarships, vocational travel, and removal of land mines… MUCH MORE LATITUDE THAN WE HAVE NOW, administered within our District.
District policies for District Grants (Future Visions) have yet to be established.

11. Future Visions
Why is this important for this upcoming year, ? From each Club we will need…
Each Club will be required to QUALIFY for the new program by having at least 3 Club members attend a Qualification Seminar (beginning October 2012… this year!).
Each Club will be asked to put together a spending plan based on that allocation. This plan must be submitted to the District Grants Committee Chair by April 2013 and will include a brief summary of ALL District Grant applications that will be submitted the following Rotary year ( ). YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOUR CLUB WILL BE DOING FOR THE YEAR BY APRIL 2013, PRIOR TO THE START OF THE YEAR.

12. Future Visions
Let me reiterate… if your club wants to participate in Grants… this next year ( )…
Your Club will be required to QUALIFY for the new program by having at least 3 Club members attend a Qualification Seminar (beginning October 2012).
Your club will have to submit a spending plan for the year by April 2013, BEFORE THE ROTARY YEAR BEGINS.
THESE ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES IN YOUR CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE VISIONS ( ).

13. Stewardship & Fiscal Responsibility
Treating TRF funds as sacred trust
Implementing projects as approved
Competent & thorough oversight of project
Reporting irregularities to District Simplified Grants Committee.
Fiscal Responsibility
Complete accounting & reporting
Keep receipts for at least three years
All expenditures must be within TRF and Distrtict Guidelines and as approved in the application

14. Final Thoughts Our goal for this year is to
Encourage new clubs and clubs who have never been involved in a DSG project to GET INVOLVED by creating opportunities for Club Service Chairs to exchange ideas and experiences
Encourage clubs to promote joint local and international projects on a larger scale
Promote Club cooperation on local and international projects via District Simplified Grants
Featuring/listing of projects on District website
The District Simplified Grants Committee is here to help you be successful in selecting and implementing your DSG Service projects.
We ask YOU to please
Be diligent in the preparation of your grant application and submit it to Dan
Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application. (July 1, 2012)
Communicate with the grants committee during and after the processing of your grant.
PLAN NOW for assembling your club goals for to submit to the Committee BY April 2013.
PLAN NOW to send 3 Club members to the Qualification Seminars.