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District Grant Request
The Rotary Club of Anthem requests a District Grant of $3,000.00 to augment its annual scholarship program. The Chair of the Rotary Club of Anthem Foundation Committee, Rick Nollenberger prepared this District Grant request.
The president of the Rotary Club of Anthem is Jo-Ann Greenstein.
Background
The club established the scholarship program for graduating high school seniors shortly after receiving its charter in 2003. Beginning with a single $500.00 scholarship, the continuously expanding program now awards six, one-year $1,000.00 scholarships. All students who are permanent residents of Anthem are eligible to apply regardless of which high school in the region they attend. However, they cannot be related to a member of the Rotary Club of Anthem.
Students who exemplify the ideals of Rotary International are specifically encouraged to apply. An integral part of the application process is writing a cogent, concise essay, the topic of which varies annually and focuses on the Rotary motto of Service Above Self or the Rotary Four Way Test. The Scholarship Committee evaluates applicants based on academic merit, community involvement and extracurricular activities. Additional selection criteria include personal merit and leadership. Applicants need to be accepted for full-time, postsecondary enrollment at an accredited, community college, 4-year college or university, trade, vocational or proprietary school in the fall.
Implementation
This District Grant request will add $3,000.00 to the existing scholarship project for the 2014-2015 Rotary year (which coincides with the academic year in which the scholarships are awarded). The Rotary Club of Anthem budgeted $6,000.00 for the program; $1,000.00 of that amount represents the requisite 25% club contribution to be matched by the $3,000.00 District Grant. Six $1,000.00 scholarships will be awarded to the students at each high school's Annual Honors and Awards Ceremony in May 2014.
Under no circumstances will the Rotary Club of Anthem announce or notify scholarship recipients of any increase until after the District Grant is approved and the funds are received, which is projected for July 2014. At which time the recipients will be notified of the increase and appropriate print, electronic, and social media releases will be made and posted. That information will include the caveat that the increase is a result of a one-time District 5490 Grant to augment the program and may or may not occur in future years.
Each semester, when the Rotary Club of Anthem receives a verification of enrollment, half the scholarship is sent to the Office of Student Financial Services of the student's school. The $3,000.00 District Grant would enable the club to increase that amount $250.00 per student per semester for a total scholarship of $1,500.00. Disbursement of the scholarships begins in August 2014 for the fall semester and will be completed by late February or early March 2015 for the spring semester.
Benefits
• Rotary Club of Anthem Scholarships are developed, advertised, evaluated, and administered by Rotarian volunteers.
• The goals of the program are to support local youth seeking to further their education and exposed them to activities and programs Rotary offers specifically for children and young adults.
• Each year, Anthem Rotarians welcome the opportunity to present the scholarships at the respective high schools' honors and awards ceremonies, congratulate the recipients, and share relative facts about the Rotary Club of Anthem and Rotary International.
• Scholarship recipients are requested to visit the Rotary Club of Anthem between semesters in the year of their scholarship to relate their experiences and goals to Anthem Rotarians.
• Funding of scholarship is from the Rotary Club of Anthem sponsored events such as the Annual Golf Tournament and the Annual Rotary Round Up.
• Accompanying the scholarship award certificate to each student are pamphlets, flyers and reference materials about Rotary International, Rotoract, student exchange programs and potential graduate level Global Grant scholarships.
• In addition to announcing scholarship details, the media releases provide facts about the Rotary Club of Anthem, Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation's programs, projects, Areas of Focus, and charity rating that is the result of its funding model and financial oversight. The intent is to encourage the public to participate in Rotary events and contribute to Rotary Foundation programs and projects.
Addendum to Project Description (added after the project was signed)
Implementation Addendum:
This District Grant request will add $3,000.00 to the existing scholarship project for the 2014-2015 Rotary year (which coincides with the academic year in which the scholarships are awarded). The Rotary Club of Anthem will contribute $6,000.00 to the program as budgeted for 2014-15, making the total project $9,000.00. The Rotary Club of Anthem contribution will be 67% of the project. Six $1,500.00 scholarships will be awarded to the students at each high school's Annual Honors and Awards Ceremony in May 19, 2014.
Project Budget
Total Budget: $9,000 Club Contribution: $6,000 District Contribution (DDF): $3,000
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