The District Foundation Committee is pleased to announce the projects supported through District Foundation Funds. As a result of District 7780 Rotarians’ past support of The Rotary Foundation, this year’s District Grant totaled more than $36,000. Recommendations of how to allocate these funds came from your input at our District Foundation Seminar in October 2012. Nine Club Foundation Chairs met in June, and again in September, to review applications and recommend which projects to fund.
 
Nearly $52,000 was requested by 15 clubs (20 applications) for the available $18,000 Community Grants. Congratulations to: Brunswick Coastal, Oxford Hills, Sanford Springvale, South-Berwick Eliot, Rochester, Saco Bay, Kennebunk, and Bath. Their grants will be used to begin new community projects.

Six clubs applied for the $9000 available in Springboard Grants (total requests of more than $18,000). Funding will support projects by Brunswick, Portland Sunrise, Saco Bay, and Sanford Springvale. These projects are opportunities to begin or explore an international project in anticipation of launching a much larger Global Grant in the future.

The remaining $9000 in our District Grant will support our Cultural Exchange with Uganda. This team of six Rotarians, sharing musical talents, will travel to Uganda for two weeks in March to experience the culture and musical traditions. More information and an application for the exchange is on the District website.

Thank you to John Atwood, District Grant Coordinator, for his leadership in promoting and coordinating the review of 
these grants. These funds are available only because of our support for the Rotary Foundation. The district grant 
process will open again in the spring, with applications due by June, 1, 2014. Information and applications are on our 
district website.