Community Service Grants

Each year in December and June, grants are awarded to community recipients. These awards are based on the following criteria:

• The organization must have a 501c3 designation and have an Aiken County location.
• Grants are only to be used to support a mission-based project. Funds may not be used for operational costs such as salaries, rent, supplies, etc.
• An application must be submitted by the deadline for review and must contain all the required collaterals listed on the application form,
• An organization may not receive funding twice in one Rotary year (July 1-June 30).
• Awards usually range between $1,000 and $3,000.

The following process will be utilized:

• The application will be posted on the Rotary website and announced to the general membership at Rotary meetings monthly requesting their help in identifying potential community recipients.
• The Committee with the Board may choose to select an annual theme for grants; i.e. year of the child, homelessness, hunger, literacy, etc.
  Each application will be distributed to each Committee member for review as received.
  Prior to the Committee meeting, the Club Treasurer will inform the Committee of the total available funds to be awarded.
• At a meeting after the deadline, the Committee will evaluate and rate the applications.
• The Committee will provide a list of recommendations to the Board for approval.
• Funds will be distributed each year in June and December.
• Recipients will be notified of the decision and invited to a Rotary meeting to receive the funds.
• Recipients are asked to informally share the results of their use of the funds.

Below is the link to the grant application form and the rating system used for classifying applications in as fair a manner as possible.

Hankinson Boxing Gym will use its $7,400 grant to cover the travel expenses for eight students who are scheduled to compete in the USA Boxing National Junior Olympics later this month in Wichita, Kansas.

Free Medical Clinic of Aiken County received $3,000 to purchase stock medications, flu vaccines, diabetic and hypertension management supplies, dental education tools and more.

The Children’s Place
will use its grant of $2,095.46 to buy an automated external defibrillator.

Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs received $2,000 to purchase art materials for approximately 60 summer camp participants.

Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons received $1,500 to purchase items related to resident’s’ employment and education (clothing, shoes, uniforms) and bed bug prevention equipment.

Rural Health Services, Inc. received $1,800 to purchase supplies needed for care packages (personal and dental).

Thank you to our CSG Committee Chair, Liz Stewart, and
its members for their hard work.

#ServiceAboveSelf
#ServeToChangeLives

Our club presented Community Service Grants totaling $11,200. The nonprofits that received the grants were:

• Aiken County Habitat for Humanity $2000
​​​​​​ ​​​ ​
• To support the Women Build house construction project
planned for 2025.

• Aiken Barnwell Recovery Foundation, Inc. $1000

• To create a vegetable garden to be maintained by young adults
served by the Roads of Independence program. Vegetables would be used in cooking classes.

• Aiken Senior Life Services* $2100
​
• To provide hot meals once a day for two people for one full year.

• Our Community Salutes* ​​ $3000​
​​
• 100% of the grant will bru d to offset the cost of the Midlands
Enlistee Gala for new military enlistees and their parents/ guardians.

• Public Education Partners* $3100

To improve literacy among Aiken County children by encouraging
the love of reading through book ownership. This grant will fund providing a book for each third-grader in three County schools through book fairs.

Thank you to our CSG Committee Chair, Liz Stewart, and its members (Tim Simmons, Karl Steene, Bill Molnar, John Dangler, and Nancy Marks)for their hard work.

#ServiceAboveSelf
#ServeToChangeLives