Some musings on my role as Grant Wrangler, by Tony Gilmore
 
Some weeks ago, after I had successfully applied for a $25,000 Rotary Disaster Grant, our incoming District Governor, Steve Puderbaugh, thought that I hadn’t received enough punishment, so he asked if I would be the lead on a Global Grant for us in Southern NH and VT. Caught in a moment of confusion about the immensity of this project, I said yes.
 
Rotary Global Grants require an international club or district to partner with the host district. The last global grant I did was for Mongolia. I worked with a wonderful host club in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar. This time Rotary rules allowed the international partner to be just that, without any financial support.
 
Bangalore West, a club that I had presented the Mongolian Grant to when I was in India, agreed to be our International partner.
In simple terms, District 7870 has $50,000 to match the total of all clubs’ giving. With assistance from the Rotary Foundation, every dollar given multiplies three and a half times. A total of $175,000 will be given to our communities for first responders, hospitals, and nursing homes to acquire Covid-19 protective gear and supplies, and to provide financial support for food banks in both states. The key is that $50,000 is the limit available to be matched.
 
We have had an embarrassment of riches. Our largest club has pledged more than half of the funds available for the match. Smaller clubs have pledged huge sums for their community support. The response is overwhelming.

Such is the magic of Rotary. When there is a challenge, we pitch in. Big time!