Posted by Daniel Joraanstad on Nov 23, 2021
The San Francisco Rotary Foundation (SFRF) Board met recently. Our invested funds continue their strong growth cycle. The funds are up $500K YTD, and now stand at the highest value ever, about $5.3 million. Also, the Colant Scholarship fund has risen to a record high of $509,000. Here is an update on our recent activities:  
 
2021-2022 GRANT REQUESTS
SFRF has been busy fulfilling the grant requests for 2021-22. Approximately $164,500 plus $28,000 in district-designated funds have been allocated to 19 projects. All Vocational and Community Service project requests to date have been funded. Up for consideration next will be requests for International and Youth Leadership projects.
 
GRANT PROCESS FOR 2022-2023
The Grant season for the coming fiscal year of 2022-2023 is upon us. New, fillable grant application documents will shortly be posted here. Thank you to Scott Plakun for making these documents available in electronic format. All members, especially newcomers, are encouraged to think of what new project they might have a passion for and to apply for a new Grant. Remember that the hallmarks of a strong Grant application are:  
  • Our funds will make a difference.
  • Our membership will be involved hands on with the project.
  • Our Club and SFRF will receive valuable publicity.  
Letter of Agreement: When a grant is approved in June, a letter of agreement goes out to the project leader from SFRF. The project leader signs the letter of agreement which confirms the following: the amount of funding, how Rotarians will be involved, the work which will be done, and the publicity and other details which will be forthcoming to our Club. The letter of agreement also describes how to request funds. Funds are not automatically sent; they must be requested. Usually, funds are not paid out until 60 days from the date of the project.  
 
UPCOMING PROJECTS 
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): RYLA is changing its schedule in 2022. Instead of the three-day conference in April, RYLA will be a five-day conference in August 2022. This represents an exciting opportunity to delve more deeply into leadership skills for youth.  
 
Emergency Services Day: Be sure to save this date - March 8, 2022 - for Emergency Services Day. This event has always been one of the highlights of the year for the Rotary Club of San Francisco. In 2022 we will honor heroes in Health Service along with our public safety: Fire, Police, Sheriff, and Coast Guard. 
 
MISSION STATEMENT
Over the last few months, the SFRF Board has held long and thoughtful discussions and come up with this straightforward mission statement: “To fund charitable projects embraced by the Rotary Club of San Francisco and to provide ongoing oversight.” 
 
NEXT MEETING
The next SFRF Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 12 noon via Zoom. Contact President Dan Joraanstad if you are interested in attending.