The SHARE System
SHARE is the system through which Rotary Foundation program awards are distributed, worldwide. SHARE transforms contributions to The Rotary Foundation into Ambassadorial Scholarships, Matching Grants projects, Group Study Exchanges, and more. Through the SHARE system, at the end of each Rotary year, each district's contributions to the Annual Programs Fund are divided into two funds: 50 % is credited to the World Fund (WF) and 50 % to the District Designated Fund (DDF).
The system is called SHARE because of the following: (1) Rotarians SHARE their resources with their fellow Rotarians around the world. TRF uses the 50 % of annual giving credited to the WF to fund the programs to which every district / club may apply, regardless of its own contribution levels, (2) The Trustees SHARE some decision-making with the districts by giving each an opportunity to use the 50 % of its contribution credited to its DDF to fund the programs in which it chooses to participate, and (3) Foundation programs are a tangible, effective means of furthering understanding and friendly relations among peoples of different nations.
The Three Year Funding Cycle. The Rotary Foundation operates on a unique funding cycle, using contributions from Rotarians for program activities three years after they are recorded. The three-year cycle gives districts time for program planning and participant selection, and allows The Rotary Foundation to invest the contributions to pay for administration and fund development costs.
District 5300 can choose to use its District Designate Funds or DDF (50% of the contributions by District Rotarians three years earlier) in the following ways:
Humanitarian Grants (DDF may only be used for TRF-approved projects):
- Matching Grants
- District Simplified Grants
- Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants
Educational Programs (Educational options are spent in the program year the scholar, university teacher, or GSE team travels):
- Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholarship
- Group Study Exchange Team
- Additional Group Study Exchange Team
- Additional Neighboring Country Group Study Exchange Team
Any unused DDF at the end of a program year will automatically be included in the total DDF available the next program year. Districts will be notified in August of any unused DDF available from the previous year.