rotary community corps: community solutions for community challenges

Rotary Community Corps: Community Solutions for Community Challenges

Rotary International 30 March 2016

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Welcome to the webinar

Zuhal SharpService and Networking Programs Specialist Rotary International Headquarters USA

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You will learn:

• What are Rotary Community Corps (RCCs)

• How to sponsor and grow a successful RCC

• How to leverage RCCs to– Strengthen Rotary’s network– Develop future leaders – Conduct effective service projects – Ensure project sustainability

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What are Rotary Community Corps?

• Teams of non-Rotarian men and women who work in partnership with Rotary clubs to improve their communities.

• They meet regularly and plan and implement local projects.

• Their projects address a wide array of needs in their community, such as illiteracy, lack of safe water, hunger, pollution, inadequate housing or vocational skill development.

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RCCs: flexible partners in service for Rotary clubs

• Each RCC is sponsored by a Rotary club. As with Rotaract and Interact clubs, the sponsor club acts as its partner in service.

• RCCs may exist for the duration of a single project or go on indefinitely to address various local needs.

• RCCs are active in urban and rural communities, in both developed and developing countries.

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Who can join a Rotary Community Corps?

• RCC members can comprise an entire village, neighborhood, or community association that wants to work together, or a diverse group of service-minded individuals.

• RCCs also offer disadvantaged and underrepresented groups an opportunity to empower themselves and their community.

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Benefits of working with RCCs

Identification of local needsCommunity members take the lead in deciding what their community needs and what service activities to pursue.Develop Leaders Working in partnership with Rotarians help RCC members develop leadership skills.DedicationAs representatives of the community being served, RCCs are motivated to produce real, lasting results — not just a quick “feel good” exercise.SustainabilityRCCs can exist beyond the duration of a single project, ensuring that progress is maintained even if the sponsoring Rotary clubs are no longer directly involved.

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How to a start Rotary Community Corps

• Tell your club about the RCC program and its benefits

• Research the need for and feasibility of establishing an RCC

• Guide the process of forming an RCC once the club(s) has agreed to sponsor one

• Identify and recruit at least 10 members for your RCC who reside, are employed, or study near your club’s community

• Introduce the RCC members to your club and discuss ways of collaboration on service projects

• Register your RCC with Rotary InternationalFind resources and application materials at:www.rotary.org/rcc

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How to maintain an effective RCC?

• Provide ongoing guidance and support to the RCC in developing its service projects

• Establish an RCC Committee in your club• Have this committee work closely with the RCC and

update the club on the RCC’s activities• Invite RCC members to your club meetings• Provide RCC members leadership and/or fundraising

training • Publicize RCC success stories (and share them with

RI)- Club and district newsletters, website,

Facebook- Rotary Showcase- Rotary Service Connections blog- Rotary Voices blog

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Our Panelists

Kam BreitenbachAdvisor to the Parker Rotary Community CorpsRotary Club of Parker, District 5450 in Colorado, USA

Steve Townsend Regional Grants Officer The Rotary Foundation, Evanston, Illinois, USA

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Growing a Successful RCC

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Understanding the community need

• Many organizations are in need of volunteers.

• The need for:o The developmentally disabled to

become involved in their community and not be forgotten or hidden away at home.

o Continued learning and making friendships.

o New members of the community to find others with disabilities.

o Feeling valued.

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The Rotary Community Corps of Parker

• When young adults turn 21, their education comes to a halt.

• For many, that means that their development, their socialization, and their friendships are in jeopardy.

• We wanted them to continue to learn and be involved in their community.

• The RCC introduces leaderships skills, learning about Service Above Self and the good feeling you get when you help someone else.  

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The goal of the Rotary Community Corps of Parker

• Help the developmentally disabled understand that they are important in their community, that they have the ability to help others, and they too can be A Gift to the World.

• A way to get the developmentally disabled population involved in service projects.

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How it began- outreach to parents

• While talking to parents of the developmentally disabled, we learned that they had few, if any opportunities, to volunteer in their community.

• Friendships are important for everyone.

• The Rotary Community Corp was formed in January 2010 with just $50 for nametags and a few supplies.

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Have there been challenges?• We have one set of parents

that don’t follow directions and don’t work well with other parents.

• Transportation is a constant problem. Members are able to arrange to get to our monthly dinner meeting, but some can’t get to the projects.

• Membership has been limited to the developmentally delayed and often other people want to come and help.

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RCC of Parker project examples• Purchased backpacks and school supplies through district

funds. Worked with members of the Rotary Club of Parker to assemble 75 bags for distribution at Parker Task Force, a local food bank.

• The RCC of Parker started a book blub with the understanding that you do not have to be able to read to enjoy books. Rotarians and parents read out loud each week and answered questions. The RCC has even published two books!

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RCC of Parker project examples (continued)

• Sponsored PROM-Us and homecoming dances for the special needs community. Rotary and community volunteers set up an amazing evening of dinner and dancing. 92 special need teens and adults danced the night away to music from their favorite DJs.

• In 2015, the RCC of Parker was invited to be a keynote speaker for District 5450’s Annual Conference, speaking in front of 200 attendees.

• In January 2016, some members gave a special program for Rotary International President Ravi.

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Incorporating RCC in Global Grant Projects

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Problem: Rotarians are busy professionals, so they don't have much time.

• Problem: Some potential projects are distant from the club, making it difficult to monitor the project.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Principle: Every successful professional knows that they must delegate; they cannot do it all by themselves.

• Resource: Every community has people of capacity with a passion to improve their community.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Scenario: – A club wants to sponsor a project in a

community 100 km away. – They have a cooperating organization

working in the community, but:– Rotary grants are for Rotary service

projects, not to fund the projects of other agencies.

– Rotarians should control the project.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Solution: An RCC can serve as a remote tool to monitor the project and to monitor the cooperating organization.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• The RCC members are not necessarily the beneficiaries, but they can benefit as well.

• The RCC members should not be members of the cooperating organization; the RCC should represent the Rotary Club, to work with and monitor the cooperating organization.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Global Grant projects should be sustainable

• For TRF, sustainability means – providing long-term solutions – to needs that the benefiting community

identifies– and can maintain after grant funding ends

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RCCs and Global Grants

Six elements of sustainability:

1. Community Needs Assessment2. Appropriate Materials/Technology3. Local funding continuity 4. Training and behavior change5. Community motivation and ownership6. Monitoring and Evaluation

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RCCs and Global Grants

An RCC can help with all six:

1. Assessing community needs2. Finding local suppliers 3. Handling funds for ongoing expenses4. Supporting training and behavior change5. Serving as local advocates6. Conducting before and after data collection

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RCCs and Global Grants

Three case studies:

• GG1420679 - Colombia, sanitation• GG1532156 - India, water and

sanitation• GG1526946 - Philippines, water

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RCCs and Global Grants

• GG1420679, to provide sanitation facilities to improve health conditions of the Leticia community near Cartagena, Colombia.

• RC Cartagena de Indias• 24 km away

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Community education and behavior change are critical to the success of the project.

• The Rotary Community Corps, with volunteers and students, will provide educational programs with RC guidance.

• The Rotary Community Corps will collect monitoring information through direct observation on site, and report to the RC.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• The Rotary Community Corps is composed of 10 women leaders of the Leticia Community who will work in coordination with RC Cartagena de Indias to ensure the success of the project. The club has an ongoing relationship with this community, visits frequently, and is in regular contact with the community leaders.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• GG1532156, to provide safe water and sanitation to the villages of Adkhadak and Bejpada in Maharashtra, India.

• RC Mumbai Green City• 127 km away (3 hours)

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RCCs and Global Grants

• A new RCC is being formed.• The RCC and community will be consulted in

deciding items, priorities and locations of storage, community toilets and washing basins.

• The RCC will help the Club’s project committee in monitoring and evaluation.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• GG1526946, to provide year-round piped water supply for the upland Indigenous Peoples of the Barangay Tuquib, Municipality of Villaviciosa, Philippines.

• RC Bangued• 40 km away (1-2 hours)

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Before the project Rotarians spent 10-days in the community organising community meetings, selecting diverse community members (young, old, women, traditional elders, local-elected leaders, etc).

• Training took several days, covering the principles, objectives and methods of self-organising into a Rotary Community Corps.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• The RCC was empowered to spear-head community building, implementation and monitoring of the project.

• In a wider context they are undertaking other longer-term community development projects which Rotarians will support in the months and years ahead.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• The main responsibility of the Rotary Club is to guide and mentor the RCC, which will be the main partner in the community.

• The sponsoring Rotary clubs are committed to regularly visiting Tuquib to mentor and help the RCC to provide safe water, related sanitation and hygiene in the community.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• The RCC will organise the community to provide construction, transportation assistance, and raise funds for community-level participation not paid for by Rotary funding.

• The RCC will report directly to the Rotary Club during monthly consultations and through the RCC’s Facebook Page.

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RCCs and Global Grants

• Households supplied by the new Water Supply project will pay a maintenance fee to the RCC which will be used to pay for monitoring, maintenance, repairs, etc, and make the project sustainable.

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RCCs and Global Grants

Conclusion:• The Rotary Foundation looks for community

participation and sustainability in Global Grants.• Rotary Community Corps are the perfect way to

ensure these important elements.

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Questions?

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Rotary Community Corps Resources

REMINDER: a link to the recording of this webinar will be emailed to you within two days. Feel free to share it as a resource with your clubs and fellow Rotarians.

Other resources: www.rotary.org/rcc • RI Staff support: Rotary.Service@rotary.org • Rotary Community Corps informational brochure• Rotary Community Corps organization form• Rotary Community Corps constitution and bylaws• Rotary Community Corps presentation

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Thank you!

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