District Grants
District Designated Fund (DDF) dollars put to work — funding local Rotary service through District 5330’s Community Block Grants.
District Grants Chair
Questions about qualifying or applying for a Community Block Grant? Reach out to the District Grants Chair.
Funding good in our communities
District 5330 channels Rotary Foundation District Designated Funds (DDF) into local service. In our district, District Grants are awarded as Community Block Grants — small-scale, short-term club service projects that are usually more flexible than Global Grants. Clubs apply through the District (not directly to Rotary International), entirely online through DACdb. For larger international humanitarian, vocational-training, and scholarship projects, see Global Grants.
How Community Block Grants work
Community Block Grants help District 5330 clubs put Rotary Foundation dollars to work on local service projects. The entire process — application, reporting, and balance tracking — happens online in DACdb.
To qualify
- Your club must have no open grant from a prior year (close last year’s grant first).
- A current MOU on file with the District (see Resources below).
- Your club must commit at least $100 in the grant application to receive funds.
To apply
- Apply through the DACdb Grants Module (District tab → Grant Request).
- The District reviews and submits club applications to The Rotary Foundation.
- Projects must be completed and reported before payment is finalized.
- See Key Dates below for the full schedule.
Get your club qualified
To take part in any Rotary Foundation grant, your club must be qualified for the current Rotary year. Qualification is renewed annually and must be completed before a grant is submitted.
1. Attend the Grant Management Seminar
At least one club representative must attend a District Grant Management Seminar each year. It’s held annually — watch the District Calendar for the date.
District Calendar →2. Sign the club MOU
Your club president and president-elect sign the annual Club Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and return it to the District Grants Chair.
Club MOU (PDF) (opens in a new tab) →3. Steward & report
Use grant funds only as approved, keep records, and submit final reports by the deadline.
Grant Management Training (opens in a new tab) →Free online course through Rotary.org — required before your club can apply.
Key dates
Watch: how to fill out your application
A short walkthrough of completing a Community Block Grant request in the DACdb Grants Module.
What clubs spend the money on
A few examples of eligible Community Block Grant projects:
- Support for a food bank
- Educational programs or school repairs
- Wheelchair ramps for low-income families
- Senior or veterans’ center repairs
- Dictionaries or books for local schools
- Holiday meals for families in need
- PRYDE or RYLA support
Forms & documents
The MOU must be completed and returned to the District Grants Chair (see top of page).