Community Service

Rotary clubs determine top priorities for service projects by first learning about a community's needs and assets, and then developing a response that addresses them.  The Service Projects Committee organizes an annual blood drive, works with the Edina Morningside Rotary Club to put together food baskets at the holidays and sends volunteers to Jeremiah House. Service Projects also organizes a number of projects directly benefiting the youth of the community such as tutoring and mentoring programs developed with several local area schools, including Cornelia and Bethune elementary schools. Director Joe Christenson oversees all of these activities.

The Committee also provides grants for local, regional, state and national projects. Director Mary Younggren oversees the funding arm of the Club through the Service Projects Funding Committee.  The Local Service Project Funding Committee is chaired jointly this year by Bill Jadkowski and Mike Krmpotich.

The Service Projects Funding Committee responds to the needs and grant requests of the local community. Our areas of service include Edina and its contiguous communities, (Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield and south Minneapolis). The Committee also provides grants for regional, state and national projects. Our service funding vision framework is to create partnerships with other organizations and clubs and to increase our participation in sustainable projects as well as funding for smaller grant requests. Our club focuses on funding for tangible items, rather than funding designated for operating expenses.

Contact Director Mary Younggren for more information on grants. The process involves submitting a request form, which is then assigned to a committee member who visits the organization and makes recommendation to the committee. All grants are approved by the committee and the Edina Rotary Foundation Board of Directors.

 

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Request Form	Download the grant Request Form.

The local organizations and programs we have supported are many and varied and include programs focused on such areas as education/literacy, youth, elder care, women’s issues, people with disabilities, child abuse, the arts, recreational and hospice along with many others. Organizations receiving recent grants include:

 

Minnesota Wheelchair Athletic Association	Uptown Food Shelf
Lakeville Sled Hockey	Edina High School
Soujourner Project	Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People
San Miguel School	H.O.M.E.
Southdale YMCA	Treehouse
Plymouth Christian Youth Center	Cornerstone
Camp Courage