May 15 (district grant application deadline) is around the corner

At least 50 clubs in District 7600 have qualified to apply for or participate in district or global grants this coming Rotary year.  These clubs had attendees at interactive Grant Management Seminars or Webinars (GMS) as required by The Rotary Foundation. The District Rotary Foundation Committee (DRFC) hosted one traditional seminar in late March and two webinars in April.  Rotarians could also attend the April webinars in person if they preferred to do so.

Now our clubs are submitting their final reports for 2016 -17 grants and working on their grant applications for the 2017-18 Rotary year. Both of these processes are totally electronic so some clubs are adjusting to the digital era of Rotary grants, as well.

The district grants guru

SuAnne – March 25 GMS

SuAnne Hardee Bryant has structured the Grant Management Seminars/Webinars to provide the low down on basic requirements, the best practices of the Rotary grants, and step-by-step instruction on the electronic tools (Grant Module on dacdb.com) for processing grant applications and grant stewardship documentation.  Whether her presentation was in person or via computer she was open to questions, provided suggestions, and made herself and her committee available to assist clubs with questions.

A short history of the Rotary grants model

The Rotary Foundation introduced the current Rotary Grants model in embryonic form in 2013 with ‘Future Vision’.  In our District, PDG Jim Probsdorfer was the District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair who steered the new grant vessel through the stormy waters of change and then passed the role to Chuck Arnason.  Bill Liepis served as the first grants chair in Future Vision, followed by DGE John Padgett,  and then by SuAnne Hardee Bryant.  Over those four years, the grant model has been tweaked and improved.

A bit about SuAnne

SuAnne is a litigator, a member of the Chesapeake club, a past-president of her club, and a strong supporter of The Rotary Foundation.  In March and April, she helped educate Presidents-Elect at PETS and was the primary presenter at three Grant Managment Seminars/Webinars. She and her team have dedicated themselves to taking the mystery out of the Rotary Grant process. They can even provide a matrix of how they evaluate the grant applications that come their way.

Screen shot of April 29 Grant Management Webinar

So what now?

If your club had a 2016-17 grant, please, please submit your final report with the required signatures.  This clears the way for you to be considered for a 2017-18 Rotary Grant. Submit your 2017-18 grant application via the dacdb grants module no later than May 15.