This is part of Das Tor’s ongoing series, “Club Spotlight,” in which different Thunderbird clubs describe their mission, goals, and why students should consider joining their group.
One of the many clubs at our school is the Thunderbird Rotary Club. What is unique about our club is that it is the only Rotary Club that operates in a university, anywhere in the world. This is a unique opportunity that allows us to connect with the city of Phoenix and beyond on an intimate level.
With this article, I would like to draw your attention to the cool things happening at the Thunderbird Rotary Club and how you can help us realize these projects!
GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOCIAL IMPACT PROJECTS
Rotary is a mammoth of an organization. In fact, Rotary even has an office in the UN building! As a result, it has many opportunities for its members to fund their social impact projects. Rotary’s global grants program has been a tremendous success since it launched in 2013-14. That first year, the foundation awarded 868 global grants worth $47.3 million. By 2019-20, the number of global grants awarded increased to 1,359, worth $95.6 million. The minimum budget for this fund is $30K, with maximum being $400K. Of course, there are nuances and conditions, as there are with every grant out there.
The good news is that Tbird Rotarians participated in this process via the Mexico USA Friendship conference. We will be happy to help others apply for the funds and make the best use of available resources. These resources are available to paying members of the club; the information, however, is always available to everyone.
PROJECTS TO HELP REFUGEE POPULATION IN PHOENIX AND BEYOND
Phoenix has been welcoming refugees and has many active organizations taking decisive action to help resettle and assimilate this community. We have our members reaching out and helping the community with their conversation skills as well as building a “playbook” to translate cultural nuances for the refugees.
Tbird Rotary also has a seat on Phoenix Global Rising, a community focused on boosting Phoenix’s status as a global city. This opens a plethora of opportunities. 
FUNDRAISING : What’s your challenge?
One of the many challenges we face in our projects is how to fundraise. Beyond the discomfort of actually “asking for money,” there are the technicalities that come with it. We have an expert on the team that will lead a discussion session in the second week of April and help answer your questions about fundraising. Join our meetings and let us know what your challenge is. We just might have the answers!
COLLABORATION WITH ROTARY CLUBS AROUND THE WORLD
One of the major draws of Rotary is easy access to the clubs and the people around the world. It is a network that shares one very similar motivation: being part of a global community that wants to help! We are currently in talks with a Rotary Club in Ukraine to collaborate on creating programs that encourage financial literacy for kids.
THUNDERBIRD FOREST
One of our flagship projects for 2021 is to plant 21,000 trees (2021!) in a village in India. The cost of planting a tree is $2! The $2 goes beyond the activity of planting the seed; it funds the entire lifecycle of a tree and supports the workforce that plants them! The location of the village is phenomenal, a self-sustaining ecovillage that checks not one or three but all of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals! Check out our Tbird Rotarian Juily sharing information about the village here (passcode: i!+A7=rZ).
Please consider supporting this worthy cause by clicking here.
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO LEAD YOUR OWN PROJECT
See a problem that you wish to solve, have a plan for it, or an even outline maybe? Looking for resources and connections in the community? We are looking for you. Bring us your ideas and your needs, and we will help support the project.
JOIN TEAMS THAT VIBE WITH YOUR INTERESTS!
Really want to work on something exciting and impactful but not really sure what it looks like? Don’t worry–join one of the existing projects and get inspired!
Tbirds are doers; we believe in this principle. Over the semester, our club has worked on setting up projects, competed for a global grant, attended leadership seminars, and initiated fundraisers for our Tbird Forest. It’s time to take it to the next level. Join us as we continue our adventures.
P.S. The fact that Thunderbird and the Rotary Foundation have a partnership can be very helpful for us Tbirds! A global institute that connects to another global organization can only lead to opportunities. Join our meetings or drop us a message to learn more.
For questions, reach out to us at : rotary@global.t-bird.edu
In addition, join our general meeting on Monday, 29th March 2021, at 7:30 p.m. Arizona time. Register by clicking here.