Community Service
Committed to Community at Home and Abroad
For as long as there has been a Rotary Club of Etobicoke, there has been a Community Services Committee with a mandate to do as the name suggests: Serve our Community. Our local community is Etobicoke, our greater community extended in 2010/2011 to Arviat, Nunavut! This truly is the mandate for the 34,000 Rotary clubs around the World in virtually every country.
About Community Service
Here in Etobicoke, we have successfully achieved our goals year after year, but we strive every year to do better! We can only speak to our accomplishments to date, and these encompass donations to multiple local hospitals, health dare centres, neighbourhood parks, youth-related programs, both public and separate schools, women’s programs and recreational facilities.
Delivering a fun-filled family event at Toronto Ribfest on Canada Day weekend every year at Centennial Park is how we raise the money to return to the community. Your community and mine. Look around and you will find the Rotary Wheel on multiple projects throughout Etobicoke, Ontario, every province in Canada, and around the world.
Local community organizations or organizations that are delivering programs within Etobicoke are welcome to use our online donation application to request funding. Note: funding will only be considered for non-core, one-time requirements.
Hands-On Etobicoke
The Rotary Club of Etobicoke’s “HANDS-ON ETOBICOKE” initiative is the arm of the club that focuses directly on the needs of the immediate community.
The Hands-On Etobicoke is a committee that has been growing over the past few years to meet a need in our community to get out there and not only see what’s going on but ensure we are helping those who are making a real difference. Typically Rotary Etobicoke fills Community Service grant requests for local agencies with funding, which is of course necessary, but through HANDS ON we can “be there” for our partners if they need us. Here are a few typical endeavours:
-
Painting rooms and providing meals at Youth Without Shelter
-
Buying and providing necessities and gifts for women in the many shelters in Etobicoke
-
Packing baskets full of items needed for those women to get back on their feet and out of the shelter when they’re ready
-
Cooking meals at St. Margaret’s and St. Matthew’s Churches for the Lakeshore Out of the Cold Program
-
Working with social workers to visit and provide gift bags to seniors
-
Packing food in conjunction with Kids Against Hunger for local food banks
-
Helping clients choose furniture from The Furniture Bank or fixing donated items in their workshop
We not only learn a lot by getting inside each agency, but we also develop fantastic relationships. There are so many people doing wonderful things to help those in need. HANDS ON enables Rotarians to see the direct effect of our donations as well as get to know the changemakers and their challenges. It really helps make sure that Rotary serves those who will serve their clients and the community best.
Over the years, Rotary Etobicoke has benefited over 110 organizations, including After Breast Cancer, Anduhyaun Women’s Shelter, Arts Etobicoke, Dorothy Ley Hospice, Elisa House, Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, Etobicoke General Hospital, Franklin Horner, Haven on Queensway, Kids Against Hunger, Rexdale Community Centre, Salvation Army, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Trillium Health Partners, Women’s Habitat, and Youth Without Shelter.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
.png)
Grant Application General Guideline
Below you have a brief description of what the Committee and the Board Members will consider for your application.
Timeline for a project submission: once a submission is received, the Community Service Committe will analyse it and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors. The Board will vote for the funding or not. The Board meets once a month, at the beggining of the month. The result will be shared on the email submitted with the application. The grant can be done in person, by the members, or via e-transfer.
1. Purpose and Scope of the Grant
- The grant is aimed at supporting projects that align with Rotary’s mission of promoting peace, health, education, and sustainable development - making a positive impact in Etobicoke's Community.
- Funding will be provided for community-based projects, non-profit organizations, and individuals working in alignment with Rotary’s areas of focus.
2. Eligible Applicants
- Applicants must be non-profit organizations, registered charities, or community groups that are legally constituted in the country of operation.
- Individuals with a history of community service or expertise in Rotary’s areas of focus may also apply, provided they work with or on behalf of an established organization.
- Applicants must have no outstanding financial obligations or unresolved previous grants with Rotary.
3. Types of Projects Eligible for Funding
Projects that align with Rotary’s seven areas of focus:
1. Peacebuilding and conflict prevention
2. Disease prevention and treatment
3. Water, sanitation, and hygiene
4. Maternal and child health
5. Basic education and literacy
6. Economic and community development
7. Environmental sustainability
- Proposals must demonstrate sustainability and community impact.
- Applications for funding ongoing operational costs (salaries, rent, utilities, or core activities) will generally not be considered, except where these are directly tied to project outcomes.
4. Ineligible Applicants and Projects
- For-profit entities and political organizations are not eligible to apply.
- Applications seeking funding for religious purposes, and personal expenses will not be considered.
- Retrospective funding requests for projects already completed will not be accepted.
- Presenters or projects primarily focused on presentations are not eligible.
5. Grant Amount
The maximum total amount that can be requested is $5,000 (or more or less, depending on project needs).
For example, if your project needs $1,000, please just request this total, instead of more.
6. Application Requirements
A complete application must include:
1. A project proposal with a clear description of objectives, activities, and expected outcomes.
2. The project must be recommended by the Community Service Committee and approved by the Board Members for the year when the project was submitted.
7. Application Process
- Applications must be submitted via a formal application process through the provided link above (GRANT APPLICATION).
- Incomplete applications or those submitted after the deadline might not be considered.
- Applicants located in Etobicoke or those who have contributed to Toronto Ribfest (the main Rotary Etobicoke event to raise funds) will be given preference.
- The Community Service Committee will strive to distribute the grants equitably within the community, ensuring no preference is given to any one institution over another.
8. Social Media and Website Acknowledgement
- Successful applicants will be required to publicly acknowledge Rotary's grant support on social media platforms, including:
1. A thank-you post on the applicant's social media accounts within two weeks of receiving the grant.
2. Posts showcasing project progress and outcomes, tagging Rotary and using relevant hashtags.
3. An insertion on the institution website referring to the project and Rotary's Etobicoke grant.
4. If possible, help Rotary promote Toronto Ribfest in the institution's social media, sites, and internal communication.