Community Grants

Applications will be accepted from October 1st through November 1st at 5pm.

Background

The Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island has a long and proud history of awarding 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 annual Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale. We strive to manage funds in an effective, appropriate, and timely manner; and ensure that grant awards result in positive impacts in our community.

Visit the Community Grants awards page to see past Community Grant recipients and descriptions of their funded projects.

Please carefully review all four sections below prior to starting your application:

Eligibility and Other Requirements

We invite all eligible organizations to apply!

1. Applicants must be one of the following:
   1. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization or foundation; a 501(c)(19) tax-exempt organization; or have a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)(3) designation. Religious organizations may be considered, but solely for non-religious, unrestricted public service projects.
   2. Bainbridge Island School District.
   3. Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District.
2. Your organization must support Bainbridge Island or the wider community of which Bainbridge Island is a part.
3. You must be based in Kitsap County, or be a chapter of a larger organization with the chapter located in Kitsap County.
4. Rotary is a non-political, secular organization. As such, we do not fund requests that support political or religious activities.
5. The grant request must be for capital equipment/project funding. Examples: equipment, tools, technology, facility improvements, and other items that are reusable and have a prolonged useful life. Click here for a detailed list (.pdf).
6. If your project requires a construction permit, the permitting process must be in process or approved.
7. Only ONE application per organization, per year, will be accepted.
8. Funding requests may range from $500 to $15,000.
9. Funds will not be awarded for purchases made prior to your application date. As well, your purchase/project must commence after your grant award, unless you have contacted us in advance to discuss an urgent need to proceed before awards are made.
10. If you received a grant in the last funding cycle, you may apply for another grant by the November 1st 5pm deadline, but your final report on the last grant must be submitted to us by December 31.

Please note:

• Grants are intended to fund projects/purchases that will be completed in the calendar year the grant is awarded.
• Our budget varies each year, based on the results of our annual fundraiser, the Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale.
• We award many grants each year, of which only a small number are in the $10,000 to $15,000 range.

Application Instructions

Rotary’s strategic focus is to positively impact health and well-being, equity, and the environment. Our grant application will ask you, the applicant, to describe how your grant request supports one or more aspects of this strategic focus.

Please follow these instructions:

• Download the application here (.pdf). 
• Your application must include a project/purchase budget, with both the expenses and revenue sources clearly identified. Click here to view a sample budget (.xlsx).
• Your application must not exceed 5 pages (not including attachments).
• Submit your application and attachments as a single pdf document, not as multiple attachments.
• Email your application to Grants@bainbridgeislandrotary.org

You will receive an auto-reply that your application has been received.

Approval Process

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 your organization.

Step 1: Committee Evaluation and Recommendations

• Committee members guide applications through the review process.
• A meeting (in-person, virtual, or by phone) is arranged with each applicant.
• Committee members discuss all applications and make final recommendations to the Rotary Board of Directors.

Step 2: Board of Directors Approval

• The Board reviews the committee’s recommendations and accepts or declines each one.
• The Board presents their approved list to all Club members for comment.

Step 3: Notifications

• Following final Club approval, each applicant is notified by email of the result.
• Denial of grant requests can happen at any step in the process. If denied, email notification is made promptly to the applicant by committee leadership.

Grant Conditions

• If we are not able to fund your full request:
  • we may fund a stand-alone component of your project;
  • or award a “challenge grant” (the funds will be released to you when you’ve raised the remaining money needed to complete the project/purchase).
• Rotary expects to work with each grant recipient on a method to acknowledge our Club’s contributions. This helps inform our community on how we spend the money we raise.
• We require a final report (using a report template we provide) which includes an accounting of grant funds spent, and verifies funds were used for the purpose set forth in the award.
• Other conditions will depend on details of individual grant requests.

QUESTIONS? Please email us: Grants@bainbridgeislandrotary.org