Giving and Grants November, 2018 Take action to create positive change locally and globally     Saving babies’ lives Rotarians in California and Ethiopia worked together to save babies’ lives with the help of a global grant-funded vocational training team. The project was designed to address a critical shortage of hospital staff who are trained in certain lifesaving skills. Now dozens of health care providers teach classes for midwives, nurses , and medical students on resuscitation techniques and other care for newborns. GIVING UPDATES Club president establishes $14.7 million endowed fund Dakoju Ravishankar has established the Paola Dakoju Ravishankar Endowed Fund for Global Grants through his extraordinary gift of about $14.7 million to The Rotary Foundation. Ravishankar, president of the Rotary Club of Bangalore Orchards, Karnataka, India, says, “I am delighted to make a meaningful contribution of my life’s earnings toward the six areas of focus.” The gift will support high-impact, sustainable projects for generations. It also marks a significant contribution to The Rotary Foundation’s goal of building its Endowment to $2.025 billion by 2025. Support The Rotary Foundation in November In November, we celebrate Rotary Foundation Month and the contributions our members make to their communities and around the world. And 27 November is Giving Tuesday, a global online movement for charities and individuals to celebrate and encourage giving. This year, make The Rotary Foundation your charity of choice. Donations to the Foundation help supply vaccines to protect children from polio, train peacebuilders in conflict resolution, and build sustainable communities for a better future. You can make a difference. Extra funds available for district grants To make it easier for districts to spend their District Designated Funds, The Rotary Foundation Trustees raised the amount available for 2019-20 and 2020-21 district grants. Districts may use up to 20 percent of their uncommitted funds from past years (their “rollover DDF”) as calculated on 1 July 2018. The money will be split evenly between 2019-20 and 2020-21 district grants. Districts may apply for their 2019-20 grant starting on 1 January, and the maximum grant amount listed in the Grant Center will include the extra funds. Using district grant funds to attend project fairs District grant funding can now be used to pay for members’ travel to and participation in Rotary project fairs. Project fairs are regional events that Rotary districts host to encourage international friendship and collaboration. They give Rotary clubs a chance to showcase their service efforts to potential partners, and give international visitors the chance to find a project that meets their club’s goals. They’re also the perfect way for visitors to learn about the local community and build relationships with their international hosts.  Working with Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity is helping Rotary clubs carry out projects that provide housing and sanitation to those in need. This partnership particularly benefits the Foundation’s low-cost shelter pilot program. If your club or district wants to work with Habitat for Humanity to construct low-cost shelters, see these streamlined guidelines.    Rotary’s partners in service Working with other organizations helps us make a bigger impact by pooling our expertise, resources, and new ideas. Your community has many potential partners, including organizations that already have relationships with Rotary. Partners in service work with clubs and districts on existing programs or provide technical support and resources to Rotarian-led projects.    Updated authorizations in the Grant Center Are you wondering if your global grant application is moving forward? District officers and club presidents who took office in July can check My Actions in the Grant Center to see whether any application authorizations weren’t completed in the previous Rotary year.   Explore the Rotary Peace Academy Learn how to build and sustain peace through a free, self-paced training course offered by Rotary and the Institute for Economics and Peace. Find an introduction to issues in peace and conflict, and learn concrete ways to engage in Rotary’s work in peace and conflict resolution — at home, at your club, and in your community. Help address one of humanity’s greatest challenges: creating a peaceful world.