Who We Are

Rotary Charities is a 34-year old public foundation that was created by insightful Rotarians as they planned how to use oil and gas revenues from property that had been purchased by the Club for local camping activities in the 1920s. With foresight and a perpetual commitment to community, the foundation has grown to over $38 million. Since 1977 Rotary Charities has invested over $40 million in grants to the five-county Grand Traverse region.

What we believe….

Service above self is the underlying principal for Rotary. It is exemplified in everything we do as organizations and individuals at Rotary Charities, Rotary Camps & Services, and the Rotary Club.

Our Shared Vision

Rotary Charities and Rotary Camps & Services will the collaborative leaders of strategic efforts to achieve positive change in the five-county Grand Traverse Region.

Our Mission

Rotary Charities leads positive change in the region by assisting community organizations to better achieve their missions. We do this by:

• Providing grants and resources
• Providing leadership
• Providing a Management Support Program (MSP) for the nonprofit sector
• Facilitating strategic partnerships
• Promoting philanthropy

Rotary Charities Board of Trustees

Ed Downing, Chair
Bob Portenga, Vice Chair
George Powell, Treasurer
Mack Beers
Al Bonney
Dick Ford
Don Fraser
Sid Lammers
Gregg Smith
Elaine Wood

Staff

Marsha Smith
Executive Director
msmith@rotarycharities.org

Debbie McKeon
Executive Director, NorthSky Nonprofit Network
dmckeon@northskynonprofitnetwork.org

Becky Ewing
Program Officer
bewing@rotarycharities.org

Stacey Foster
Administrative Assistant
sfoster@rotarycharities.org

Howard King
Capacity Advisor
hking@rotarycharities.org

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for funding include 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, units of government and local school districts serving our five-county region.

Grant Categories

Capital Grants
To help with the renovation, expansion or construction of needed community facilities or acquisition of property for public use

Program Grants
To promote innovative, grass-roots approaches to community issues that represent new methods of delivering programs or services that have measurable impact

Organizational Capacity Building Grants
To assess an organization’s capacities and help strengthen the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, improving their ability to better meet the needs of their communities

Planning Grants
To assist nonprofits with developing successful strategies for capital and program grants

Review
Grant applications undergo a thorough review by the board, staff and, in some cases, a team of trained Rotarians from the five counties. Thank you to all our Rotarian volunteers who served on grant investigation teams, contributing expertise and time. You embody the principle of Service above Self!

We’re Here to Help
Rotary Charities’ staff is accessible by phone, e-mail and in person to field questions and provide guidance for submission of requests. For more information about our grants, visit www.rotarycharities.org or call 231.941.4010.