The District Simplified Grant (“DSG”) program supports service activities and humanitarian endeavors in which clubs in our District 7610 wish to engage.  DSGs are funded solely by District Designated Funds, which are funds that result from our contributions to The Rotary Foundation's Annual Programs Fund, and, true to its name, each district gets to set broad guidelines each year. The total for District Simplified Grants for the 2010-11 year will be $39,000. Remember, it is your contributions to the Annual Fund that make up the DSG funds – and we thank you for your support.

How do I apply, and what’s the process?

Applications are to be submitted between July 1, 2010 and August 15, 2010. Please submit the completed and properly signed DSG Application to Joseph A. Akkara, Chair for D7610 Simplified Grants, 7520 Walnut Hill Lane, Falls Church, VA 22042.

What are the criteria for District 7610 Simplified Grant?

In addition to the eligibility criteria that apply to ALL Rotary International grants, our District has set the following guidelines for RY 2010-11. This year, each Rotary Club in District 7610 may apply for DSG of up to $1,500, for a new community service project in our District, or for an international humanitarian project. We encourage you to get together with other Clubs in your community to put your resources together. Please note the Club 10% cost-sharing eligibility requirement detailed below.

Please survey your community to see what needs exist. Almost any project may have an element of humanitarian value, but consideration will be given to the extent of active Rotarian participation in developing and maintaining the project, the population and benefit to those served, the value to the community, and the project’s potential to increase the ability of groups or individuals to better participate in their society.

 New for this year’s District Simplified Grant Application- a 10% cost-sharing by the sponsoring Club.

As part of the eligibility requirements of the District Simplified Grant Application, the Clubs sponsoring DSG projects are required to contribute 10% of the amount requested from the District as part of the project budget. For example, if the requested amount from the District is $1,500, the sponsoring club is required to contribute $150 towards the project cost. This cost sharing amount should be clearly identified in the project budget of the DSG Application.

What are some of the issues when designing the project?

Project Final Report must be completed by May 1, 2011: DSG project must be completed within one year. For our District, we request that Final Report be submitted by May 1, 2011.

Project must be new: DSG project must be a new project, and not a project that your Club has done in the past, or has been doing annually.  For example, if you received DSG for a project last year, you cannot use the same project this year. However, in another example, you may have helped with distribution of math books to a school a few years ago, but this year’s proposed project will distribute English dictionaries this year to the same school – such a project would be considered “new.”  Please note however, that you may find a “new project” within the framework of an existing, ongoing, annual event. For example, you may hold a Dictionary Distribution during your annual community festival. That specific project would be considered new, even though it takes place within the bigger context of an annual event sponsored by your Club.

Project must involve ACTIVE Rotarian participation: funds cannot be used as pass-through to another organization. Rotarians must be actively engaged in various phases of the project. This may include project planning, item purchasing, execution of other parts of the project, publicity efforts, etc. The project must not be a simple pass-through, whereby grant funds are simply awarded to another organization.

Project must NOT fund the following:
Ø Building of any structures (houses, schools, work places, etc.), or any structures attached to such structures (hoses, plumbing, electricity lines, etc.);
Ø Administrative expenses of another organization;
Ø Stipends of any kind; or
Ø International travel costs (plane tickets, train tickets, etc.).

Rotary Club must file Progress Report by January 1, 2011, and the Final Report by May 1, 2011

Resources

Humanitarian Grant Eligibility

District Simplified Grant Fact Sheet and Application 2010 (pdf)

District Simplified Grant Application (Word)

District Simplified Grant Final Report (Word)

Please contact Joseph A. Akkara for more information