Rotary Offers $5,000 Grant to Local Nonprofits

The San Clemente Sunrise Rotary is offering a chance for local charitable organizations to compete for a $5,000 grant to be used on projects in town.

Sandy Beeler, a Rotary spokeswoman, said the club this year decided to consolidated all of its small donations and instead, allow groups to apply for the lump sum.

"In the past, we were giving to many different charities," she said. "We decided this time, we'd put all those smaller grants together. It's a more meaningful amount of money that someone could really do something with."

Beeler said the Rotary is keeping an open mind for creative local charity projects.

"We want them to come up with something new that addresses a need here in San Clemente," she said.

The current grant is considered sort of a pilot program. The Rotary has plans to continue the Arons-Oliver grant next year, named for two late Rotarians, Beeler said.

The following letter includes the parameters for competing for $5,000 from the San Clemente Sunrise Rotary. Attached to this article is a questionnaire from the Rotary that applicants can send in to the club to apply for the money.

The members of San Clemente Sunrise Rotary invite your organization to apply for our $5,000 Arons-Oliver Grant 2013. This grant is awarded to a nonprofit organization which needs financial assistance for their original project benefiting the greater San Clemente community.

Your organization need not be headquartered in San Clemente but the project must focus exclusively on the residents of San Clemente.

The project must be a specific project, new to your organization; ongoing projects will not be considered. Your project may continue with other funding beyond this 2013 grant award funding.

As a condition of the grant your organization will be required to recognize funding of the project as provided by San Clemente Sunrise Rotary’s Arons-Oliver Grant 2013 in all publicity for your project in media print and online. You are also required to provide a physical recognition plaque stating funding for the project as provided by San Clemente Sunrise Rotary’s Arons-Oliver Grant 2013.

Applications are due February 15, 2013. Applications which are incomplete or submitted after this date will not be considered.

Grant award recipient will be announced March 1, 2013.

A questionnaire is attached. Please follow the guidelines as detailed in the questionnaire and email your application to: scsrarons-oliver@cox.net

Or mail four copies in paper form to: Community Service, Arons-Oliver Award, PO Box 73156, San Clemente, CA 92673

You will receive email confirmation as receipt of your application.