Applying for Rotary Grants

Rotary Grants

Rotary clubs can apply for Rotary Foundation grants to provide additional financial support for their anti-human trafficking projects. With the help of these grants, your club can amplify the monumental impact of Rotary’s work to ensure the rights and freedoms of all people in Canada.

Be part of the conversation in your club to advocate for grants for anti-human trafficking projects to help fund club projects in your community.

District and Global Grants are the two main types of The Rotary Foundation grants that clubs can receive to help fund their anti-human trafficking projects. Grants are a way Rotary expands the reach of service for projects that are initiated and funded first at the club level. To apply for and receive these grants, a Rotary club needs to be qualified.

Club Qualification

Before applying for either type of grant, Rotary clubs will need to meet the qualification requirements of their District in the Rotary year in which the grant is applied for. Please consult with your club executive to determine if your club is qualified. Qualification requirements include attending a Grant Management Seminar by members of the club, completing a club memorandum of understanding and meet any additional qualification requirements established by your District. These steps must be met annually to stay qualified.

District Grants

– Short-term (<1 year), smaller dollar
– Club are limited in the total dollar amount of District grants in a Rotary year
– Local or international
– Only one club involved (host club)
– One-off project
– Funded by clubs and District Designated Funds
– Sustainability not required
– Include active Rotarian/Rotaractor participation
– Relate to The Rotary Foundation mission (see below)
– Administered by the District

Global Grants

– Long-term, large scale projects/activities
– US $30,000 minimum budget
– International (can be local, but would require an international partner club outside of Canada)
– Rolling timelines
– Host and International Clubs are required
– If the project is in Canada, a Canadian Rotary Club is the Host Club and the International Club will be in another country (i.e., United States)
– Funded by Clubs, District and The Rotary Foundation World Fund
– Sustainable and Measurable
– Requires a Community Needs Assessment be done before an application is made (a Cooperating Organization often can help)
– Includes active Rotarian/Rotactor participation
– Support/align with one or more areas of Focus
– Anti-human trafficking projects fit in the Peace and Conflict Resolution area of focus

The Rotary Foundation’s Mission

The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. Anti-human trafficking projects certainly relate to the The Rotary Foundation’s Mission.

Cooperating Organizations

Rotarians need to work with organizations in their communities who are working to end human trafficking and assisting those who have survived it. These organizations may be the partner with either District or Global Grant projects. In the case of a Global Grant a Memorandum of Understanding is required with a Cooperating Organization as a condition of the grant.

Examples of a Memorandum of Understanding can be found on the My Rotary website.

Example of Grants

From Lezlie Murch of D7090

The steering committee, made up of 5 Rotarians from different clubs in US D7090, has met 6 times since January 2024. In addition, they have interviewed 3 different organizations that provide services dealing with human trafficking, attended various conferences to learn more about this significant issue, and have thoroughly researched the impact on our communities. As a result they are now prepared to develop the community assessment, which is the first step for developing a global grant application.

They have identified two co-operating organizations that are experienced in this area and are willing to collaborate in this project. The work on the production of the community assessment will continue throughout the month of July, with the intention of a grant submission in August or September. RC Lockport has stepped up to be the host club for this project and RC St. Catharines will be the international partner. The focus of the project: “End Human Trafficking” will be on education, awareness and victim restoration.

More Helpful Information

If you are seeking an international partner for your global grant, please contact us and a member of our team would be happy to help you.

If you have received a grant and you want to share your story, we’d love to hear from you! Stay tuned as we share more stories of successful grants and community partnerships on our website.

There is an abundance of useful resources located on the Rotary International website as well as through the District Rotary Foundation Chair. Consult with members in your individual club or contact us to get connected to those that can help with your specific questions or application.

For more information or support in applying for a human trafficking cause based Rotary grants, please click here.