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The Learning Fund provides financial support for changemakers and their teams to pursue professional development.
How it Works
The Learning Fund covers fees for professional development opportunities, trainings, workshops, conferences, and other related learning experiences. Individuals may apply up to $500. Teams of 4 or more are eligible for up to $2,000 per Rotary Charities' fiscal year (July through June). Matching funds are not required.
Topic Areas
Topics areas may include, but are not limited to:
- Board development
- Communications & digital marketing
- Evaluation
- Financial management
- Fund development
- Goal setting & strategic action
- Human resources
- Time management
- Collaborative skills
- Community development
- Decision-making
- Facilitation
- Leadership
- Partnerships & mergers
- Racial justice, diversity, equity & inclusion
- Systems change
Support through the Learning Fund is not available for programs already underwritten by Rotary Charities (ie. Leadership Learning Lab, Leadership Coaching Cohort, or other learning experiences and professional development opportunities that already receive support from Rotary Charities). Funding is not available for school tuition and material expenses, strategic planning, reimbursements, or travel and lodging expenses.
Eligibility
Applicants must be affiliated as a volunteer, board member, or staff of a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, Native nation, local unit of government, or school district serving Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, or Leelanau Counties.
Approval of Learning Fund requests will be made based on:
- Broad alignment with the mission, vision, and guiding principles of Rotary Charities
- Ability of learning experience to foster one or more of the following:
- Supportive capacities to help changemakers work better together
- Capacities to support systems change
- Capacities to support community development
- Ability of applicants to describe how the learning opportunity will increase their capacity to meet their mission, improve their work, or help create community impact
How to Apply
- Learning Fund requests are accepted throughout the year via the online application below.
- Applicants will receive notification of approval or denial within two weeks (typically sooner).
- Payments will be made in our next regularly scheduled check run at the middle or end of the month. Checks will be made to payable to organizations, not individuals.
- Participants must complete a brief Learning Fund Evaluation Survey within 30 days of completing the learning experience. Survey results will be used to help adapt the program.
Contact Kendra Luta with questions.
Learning Experience Resources
If you haven't found the right learning experience for you and your team yet, check out these Learning Experiences.