From RI South Asia Office desk
Guidelines on Major Donor recognition / Global Grant beneficiariesGuidelines on Major Donor recognition / Global Grant beneficiaries
In view of several instances of non-compliance of guidelines for Major Donor and Major Gifts recognition in the region, the policy is being reiterated here:
m As contributions accumulate, donors may be recognised as they reach each successive level.
m Only outright personal contributions including Annual Fund, Endowment Fund, and other restricted gifts to The Rotary Foundation qualify for Major Donor recognition.
m Major Donor recognition is reserved for individuals, couples, non-Rotary-affiliated Foundations, and corporations. Contributions from donor spouses are typically combined for Major Donor recognition purposes, if they request in writing. A club or district is not eligible for this recognition.
Major Donor contributions, including AKS contributions are the personal gifts of donors and District Funds or contributions from any fundraising activities, beneficiaries/cooperating organisations should not be utilised to match contributions for major donor recognitions or providing/implementing global grant projects.
Additionally, clubs and districts should also keep following information in mind on beneficiary eligibility, activities, level of competence etc, while applying for a global grant:
l TRF will accept contributions for global grants submitted by Rotary clubs and districts, that are contributed by Rotarians, clubs and districts, and non-Rotarians and non-Rotary entities as long as there is no conflict of interest as defined in Rotary Foundation Code of Policies, Section 10.030, that project funds do not come from a beneficiary or cooperating organisation involved in the project, and provided that this funding is used for projects that are designed and implemented by Rotary clubs and districts, subject to Foundation stewardship and reporting requirements.
l Non-member cash contributions — donations to the project account or to TRF from other organisations or parties (not including cooperating organisations or beneficiaries of the project) are eligible to be matched 50 per cent by the World Fund for projects that are designed and implemented by Rotary clubs and districts, subject to Foundation stewardship and reporting requirements.
l Follow Rotary’s Privacy Statement for Personal Data outlined in Section 26.080 of the Rotary Code of Policies. Do not include personal data (name, age or date of birth, or other identifying information) of grant beneficiaries or images of them in grant applications and reports unless the Foundation requests it and you have a written consent of the beneficiary. Inappropriately including that personal data can cause delays in the grant process while we ensure compliance with Rotary’s Privacy Policy.
l Continuous or excessive support (defined as any cooperating organisation receiving $2 million or more in World Fund over a three-year period) of any one beneficiary, entity, or community should be avoided.
l Grant funds will be sent to the account listed in the Grant Centre and should be in that account until they’re used to directly pay project expenses. It means that a payment should be made directly to a project vendor or cooperating or beneficiary organisation. Project funds should not be paid to anyone before the actual expenses have been made or services have been delivered. Organisations being reimbursed for project expenses should give the Rotary project sponsors copies of the original invoice or receipt before they’ll be paid. The people with signing authority on the bank account must be members of the sponsoring club or district.
Provide beneficiary information, including photographs, newspaper clippings, or letters or appreciation from beneficiaries or beneficiary organisation along with the final report.
Pilot Project: Low-Cost Shelters or Simple Schools concludes
The Foundation began a pilot of constructing low-cost shelters or simple schools with global grants on Jan 1, 2017. That pilot concludes on Dec 31, 2019. No low-cost shelter or simple school applications may be submitted to TRF after Dec 31, 2019. The Trustees will decide in April 2020 on whether to retain these project types within global grants.
