Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Matching Grants-But Were Afraid To Ask.

The Matching Grant program of The Rotary Foundation is a wonderful way for Rotarians in one country to work with Rotarians in another country to provide humanitarian aid. It is a vehicle which affords clubs to take-on projects they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. The rules about Matching Grants, (MG), have changed in the last year and this is an attempt to clarify those rules. For more help with MG’s go to the Rotary International website,

(www.rotary.org), and you will find information in the Rotary Foundation section under humanitarian aid programs.

In the past all MG’s were matched one to one by The Rotary Foundation, (TRF). As of 2003, ONLY MG’S WHICH ARE SENT TO TRF THROUGH THE DISTRICT WILL BE MATCHED 1 TO 1. Grants which are sent directly from clubs will only get a ½ to 1 match. To get the one to one match contact :

Joel Sullivan
jsullivan@buenavistainv.com
Office: 715-422-0700
Cell: 715-459-1513

There are different forms for requests up to $25,000 and those over $25,001. You can down load the matching grant request forms from the RI site mentioned above. (The site also mentions grant criteria which is important to become familiar with). The form that you need depends on the amount of money you are requesting.

The time period in which you can submit grants is July 1 to May 15th of the Rotary year. Grants will be approved on a rotating basis as they are received. DO NOT SEND MONEY IN WITH YOUR GRANT APPLICATION. Money is only sent in after TRF approves the grant and sends your club the proper paperwork. All money for matching grants from clubs should go to the district through Eric Paulsen. Eric will make sure all the paperwork is correct and money amounts are correct.

Once MG’s are approved, your club will receive a Matching Grant Approval Announcement Letter. This letter outlines the steps that are needed to get your money from TRF. You will also receive a Matching Grant Agreement Form which is a legal document stating the responsibilities of each participating club. Finally, you will also receive a Matching Grant Sponsor Contribution Form which lets TRF know how the Rotary clubs are sending their contributions for the MG.

It may seem overwhelming when you look at all the rules and forms that are needed to obtain a MG. The good news is that when all forms and rules are followed, the process flows smoothly and timely. You should plan ahead when asking for MG monies. It will take a few months of communications between clubs to get all the paperwork and signatures in order-however, it works and it can accomplish a lot!

Remember, Eric Paulsen is the district contact person who will help guide you through the process. Please contact him with questions or concerns and he will be more than happy to help you.

It all starts with foreign exchange students, GSE Teams, friends in other countries – and it all ends in making lives of people all over the world better and easier. Matching Grants are a wonderful way for clubs to share their wealth and knowledge with those less fortunate – please make the effort to tap into this wonderful resource and help someone around the world learn to help themselves.

Read the final report for the Matching Grant submitted for the Etta Projects