Kangaroo Mother Care
Posted by James A Dunny
The Story of RB Sunrise and International Matching Grant Success
Kangaroo Mother Care is the name of a program to help mother care for low birth weight infants. It is also the name of the first international matching grant project that Ranch Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club (San Diego) ever was the main sponsor.
Kangaroo Mother Care is the name of a program to help mother care for low birth weight infants. It is also the name of the first international matching grant project that Ranch Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club (San Diego) ever was the main sponsor.
This project began when RB Sunrise Rotarian, Sonali
Soni visited the host club, Delhi Chanakyapuri Rotary Club of District 3010 in
India. That was a little over
a year ago when she went back to India to visit her mother. Based on the contacts she established, we asked that club for a list of potential projects for us
to consider as a Matching Grant project. They submitted that list to us,
and we decided to sponsor the KMC project and partner with the New Dehli
Rotary. Our International
Serivice committee consisted of Sonali, Carl Kruse, and me, Paul Gorman.
Carl actually visited the Delhi Chanakyapuri Rotary Club and the site during
his trip to India last winter, as well.
Dehli Chanakyapuri initiated the grant request, and our committee, with the help and advice of Susan Thorning at our District 5340, edited it. RB Sunrise committed $3000, which was matched by District 5340. The total amount needed for the project was about $52,000. To gather the total funds needed, we needed other partners. Because the grant project was published on the District 5340 web site, this was one way to attract other sponsoring Rotary clubs. Because of the relationship our club has with the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise and their wheelchair projects, they agreed to help us with a contribution of $1000.
In January, Sonali Soni, Carl Kruse, and I met the 3010 District Governor when he was in San Diego for the District Governor's conference. I believe he may have connected with the Rotary Club of Halifax, Nova Scotia while he was here because that club and its district (7820) each committed $4000 to the project. This put us very close to our goal, but not close enough or soon enough. To help get nearer to the funding goal, RB Sunrise agreed to increase our club's contribution from $3000 to $4000, and District 5340 followed. The total funds committed was now $27,000.
Then things came to "all stop". In the spring of 2009 Rotary International halted all Matching Grants due to the global financial crisis. They were simply out of funds for FY 09.
During this time, we re-assessed the project and trimmed the total dollars required for the project to $47,000. Since we had already reached the funding level needed through the several clubs contributions, district matching grants, and Rotary International Matching Grants, the decision was to wait to submit the grant in FY 10. Each club carried over the money from last FY 09 to FY 10. With the help of Susan Thorning of our District 5340, we completed all paperwork and had it ready for submission at the start of FY10.
The request was submitted immediately in July, received District approval immediately, and was forwarded to RI well before their deadline. (RI had established an early deadline this year because of the shortage of grant funds for FY 2010.)
We had crossed the finish line! All funds were submitted, and all paperwork was completed in October. Rotary International gave final approval and with the grant by the Rotary Foundation of $20,000 the project was totally funded in November 2009 The project is now in progress and final chapter of the completion of this story can be written when the Rotary Club of Delhi Chanakyapuri completes this project.
Because of personal contacts initiated when a member visited another Rotary Club while on a family visit, our club was able to become involved in this important project that will benefit many low birth weight babies whose mothers can now better care for them. The financial support of other Rotary clubs and districts internationally, brought the funding phase of this project to a successful completion. Rotary clubs and districts working together will now be making a difference in the survival rate of babies in New Delhi, India.
Paul Gorman
Chairman, International Service
Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary
Dehli Chanakyapuri initiated the grant request, and our committee, with the help and advice of Susan Thorning at our District 5340, edited it. RB Sunrise committed $3000, which was matched by District 5340. The total amount needed for the project was about $52,000. To gather the total funds needed, we needed other partners. Because the grant project was published on the District 5340 web site, this was one way to attract other sponsoring Rotary clubs. Because of the relationship our club has with the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise and their wheelchair projects, they agreed to help us with a contribution of $1000.
In January, Sonali Soni, Carl Kruse, and I met the 3010 District Governor when he was in San Diego for the District Governor's conference. I believe he may have connected with the Rotary Club of Halifax, Nova Scotia while he was here because that club and its district (7820) each committed $4000 to the project. This put us very close to our goal, but not close enough or soon enough. To help get nearer to the funding goal, RB Sunrise agreed to increase our club's contribution from $3000 to $4000, and District 5340 followed. The total funds committed was now $27,000.
Then things came to "all stop". In the spring of 2009 Rotary International halted all Matching Grants due to the global financial crisis. They were simply out of funds for FY 09.
During this time, we re-assessed the project and trimmed the total dollars required for the project to $47,000. Since we had already reached the funding level needed through the several clubs contributions, district matching grants, and Rotary International Matching Grants, the decision was to wait to submit the grant in FY 10. Each club carried over the money from last FY 09 to FY 10. With the help of Susan Thorning of our District 5340, we completed all paperwork and had it ready for submission at the start of FY10.
The request was submitted immediately in July, received District approval immediately, and was forwarded to RI well before their deadline. (RI had established an early deadline this year because of the shortage of grant funds for FY 2010.)
We had crossed the finish line! All funds were submitted, and all paperwork was completed in October. Rotary International gave final approval and with the grant by the Rotary Foundation of $20,000 the project was totally funded in November 2009 The project is now in progress and final chapter of the completion of this story can be written when the Rotary Club of Delhi Chanakyapuri completes this project.
Because of personal contacts initiated when a member visited another Rotary Club while on a family visit, our club was able to become involved in this important project that will benefit many low birth weight babies whose mothers can now better care for them. The financial support of other Rotary clubs and districts internationally, brought the funding phase of this project to a successful completion. Rotary clubs and districts working together will now be making a difference in the survival rate of babies in New Delhi, India.
Paul Gorman
Chairman, International Service
Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary