Eligibility for New Projects

The Rotary Foundation decides of the eligibility rules for Matching Grant projects. If you do not follow these rules, your project will not be approved and will not receive matching funds from the Rotary Foundation. You will find more information on the Matching Grant section of the Rotary International website, and the specific eligibility rules. This includes the Guide to Matching Grants (4 MB), and the Terms and Conditions for Matching Grant Awards.

Note that most construction projects are not eligible for Matching Grants. Since July 2001, renovations of buildings are also not eligible. The only exceptions are separate utility building where people do not live or work, like latrines, poultry houses, or water related construcion.

If you want to make sure your project will be approved by the Rotary Foundation, look for example of completed projects in the Main List. The most commmon projects are to purchase equipment for a school or hospital, buy books or furniture, etc.

You must also be aware that Clubs must submit a final report to the Rotary Foundation within 2 months of the completion of the project. Failure to do so will earmark the Club as "delinquent" and the Club will not be allowed to participate to any more Matching Grant projects until all final reports are submited.

Minimum project size

Since July 2005, the minimum award amount that can be received from The Rotary Foundation for a Matching Grant is $5,000. This is the matching portion of the budget, so this means that the total project budget must be at a minimum of $10,000 to $15,000 based on the amount of DDF in the financing. If the financing is only from a Club, they need to give $10,000 to receive a $5,000 matching from The Rotary Foundation, hence a minimum project budget of $15,000. If the financing is only from District Designated Funds (DDF), they need to give $5,000 to receive a $5,000 matching, hence a minimum project budget of $10,000. Combinations in between are also possible.

See the FAQ on Minimum project size on the Rotary International website.