Community Grant: Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island Grant

The Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island has a long and proud history of providing grants to support diverse community projects, dating back to the Club’s founding in 1947.  Members of the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island are stewards of funds we raise at our yearly Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale.  We strive to manage funds in an effective, appropriate, and timely manner, and to ensure that grant awards result in positive impacts in our community.
To review past Community Grant recipients and descriptions of their funded projects, visit the Community Grants awards page.

Eligibility

To be eligible to receive a community grant, applicants must:

Be an entity with IRS tax exempt status.
Support the Bainbridge Island community or the wider community of which Bainbridge Island is a part.
Be asking Rotary to fund capital equipment or projects, such as equipment, tools, technology, facility improvements, and other items that are reusable and have a prolonged useful life. We do not fund the purchase of land, recurring operating expenses such as staff salaries and supplies, speakers, or conferences.
If your project involves construction which requires a permit, have applied for a permit by the date you submit your application and have at least two construction bids. Please include the bids with your application.
Either (1) be based in Kitsap County, or (2) be a chapter/division of a larger organization where the chapter/division is located in Kitsap County.

Please note:

The largest award possible is $15,000, and only a small number of grants awarded are in the $10,000 to $15,000 range.
Rotary International policy prevents us from funding any projects/purchases that promote a particular religious activity or viewpoint.
Recipients of grants made in prior years are eligible to apply. Grants made in prior years are not a guarantee of new grant funding.
Grants are intended to fund projects/purchases that will be completed in the calendar year the grant is awarded.

Application Instructions

Applications are accepted from October 1 through November 15. To submit an application, please follow the following instructions:

>> Download the application <<
Email your application to grants@bainbridgeislandrotary.org between October 1 and November 15.
Submit your application and financial statements as a single pdf document (not as multiple attachments.)
Please look for a confirmation email that acknowledges your application was received. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 3 days of submission, please email grants@bainbridgeislandrotary.org asking for a confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation, your application will not be considered.

Please note:

*Because Rotary is an all-volunteer organization and several levels of review are required, please be prepared for the process to take up to five months. If your needs are immediate, we may not be the best funding source for you.
*You may submit questions to the above email address.

Approval Process

Step 1: Committee Evaluation and Selection.

Your application will be reviewed by our committee. One or more committee members will be assigned to guide your application through the review process. We will contact you for additional information and to arrange a visit to your site.  Committee recommendations are forwarded to the Rotary Board of Directors.

Step 2: Board of Directors Approval.
The Board of Directors will review the committee’s recommendations, and vote to accept or decline each one.

Step 3: Membership Approval.
Grants approved by the Board of Directors will be presented at two consecutive club meetings for membership approval.

Step 4: Notifications.
Immediately following club membership approval, each applicant will be notified by e-mail of the result. Note: Denial of grant requests can happen at any step in the process. If denied, notification will be made promptly to the applicant by the committee chairperson.

Grant Conditions

We may only be able to fund a portion of your request. In this situation, we may award a grant as a “challenge” for you to raise the additional funds, or fund a stand-alone component of your project.
Rotary expects to work with each recipient organization on a suitable method to acknowledge our club’s contributions. This helps to inform our community of the ways in which we spend the money we raise.
We require a final report that provides an accounting of the grant money spent and verifies funds were used for the purpose set forth in the grant award.
Other conditions will depend on details of individual grant requests.