Project Application Procedure

The Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende—Midday was chartered in June 2005. Our mission is to bring together U.S. and Canadian Rotary Clubs and local charitable organizations to enhance the well-being of families and communities in and around SMA. Rotary clubs take pride in their worldwide humanitarian projects. We seek to find areas of mutual interest among potential sponsoring Rotary clubs and the organizations here in SMA. Specifically, we are looking for projects that: •Benefit the Mexican population in the municipality of Allende, •Are "low risk," with a clear and achievable line of sight between the project itself and the ultimate goals the project seeks to advance, and •Are developed and carried out by a local organization with a strong track record. Of special interest are projects that: •Address the basic needs of families in poverty, •Improve the regional ecology, •Support education, and/or •Advance health. Projects that can be completed in a limited time frame are generally preferable to those that span a half-year or more. Also preferred are projects that visiting Rotarians can see post-completion. For some clubs, the opportunity for structured hands-on participation is a plus. Our members can generally provide housing for visiting Rotary volunteers; the local organization coordinates on-site activities. We recognize that there are many worthwhile endeavors that fall outside our criteria. These include projects that primarily benefit the ex-pat community, any payment of salaries and pilot (unproven) projects. There are additional limits to projects that involve matching grant funds from Rotary International, most significantly a restriction against funding construction. We have a need for both structured grant proposals and general project ideas that could be developed in conjunction with interested clubs. We invite organizations in SMA to contact our Community Service Committee for more information or discussion about next steps. Our Rotary club will assign a liaison for each project. We look to the local organization to also provide a single point of contact. Community Projects Committee Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende—Midday, Rotary District 4160

Projects administered by the the Midday Rotary Club of SMA are funded by Rotary Clubs in other countries, as part of their international service commitment.

All Rotary Clubs worldwide are supposed to undertake an international project each year (a project with a Rotary club in another country). If another Rotary Club decides to fund a project in San Miguel de Allende in conjunction with us, that Club does the fundraising and the paperwork for any matching funds, and submits the project at their District level. If their grant application is approved, then they will notify the Midday Rotary Club of SMA of the grant acceptance. The
grant monies are then sent to the Midday Rotary Club of SMA, which administers the funds under strict guidelines from Rotary International.

In addition to administering funds for projects initiated by clubs in other countries, the Midday Rotary Club of SMA also helps publicize needs in and around San Miguel de Allende. This process starts with a "champion" - a member of the Midday Rotary Club of SMA who helps
ensure that the project meets Rotary guidelines and reflects an area likely to appeal to Rotary Clubs outside of Mexico.

Because the Midday Rotary Club of SMA is relatively new and has limited resources to market projects, only projects championed by one of our members are considered for posting on our website.

Once submitted with all documentation to the project champion, and successfully reviewed by the Community Projects Committee, proposed projects are then reviewed by the Board of Directors. The Rotary Club of SMA then places the accepted project on its website and with the champion, markets the project to other Rotary Clubs in English-speaking countries.

Submitting organizations are also strongly encouraged to contact Rotary Clubs in the US, Canada, and elsewhere to interest them in the project.

For further information, click here to contact the Chair of the Community Projects Committee.