Rotary Club of Spartanburg Awards $30,000 in Youth Opportunity Grants
Monday, September 14, 2020
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Youth Opportunity Grants (YOG) is one of our club’s signature projects; these competitive grants benefit hundreds of students every year. Among the current uses of funds are camperships, educational enrichment, leadership training, financial literacy training, pediatric dental referrals, and drowning prevention classes. In 2020, we received 24 requests totaling $96,509. We funded nine requests for a total of $30,000.
award recipients of the Youth Grant Awards
Rotarians and representatives from organizations who received grants from the Spartanburg Rotary Club.

For decades, the Rotary Club of Spartanburg has awarded up to $30,000 annually to organizations that serve young people. Funded projects traditionally occur during the summer. Among the current uses of funds are camperships, educational enrichment, leadership training, financial literacy training, pediatric dental referrals, and drowning prevention classes.
end users from the grant award for Healthy Smiles Spartanburg
Beneficiaries of a program sponsored by the Youth At Risk grants.

The process begins early in the calendar year, when the Rotary Club of Spartanburg issues a Request for Proposals. The call is distributed through the United Way, the Spartanburg County Foundation, the Spartanburg Academic Movement, the Mary Black Foundation and our club members.  Applications are received, and committee members read and score them. Grants are awarded based on aggregate scoring. Applicants are notified about funding decisions in April.  

In 2020, we received 24 requests totaling $96,509. We funded nine requests for a total of $30,000. We planned to recognize each organization at a regular meeting on Giving Tuesday in May, but COVID intervened. Some of the planned programs were altered or delayed because of COVID, but participating organizations were given the latitude to adjust their plans as needed as long as they used the funds to benefit youth. 

Organizations funded in 2020 include:

ARCH Ministries

Big Brother Big Sister

Bethlehem Center

Boys and Girls Clubs

Healthy Smiles

Middle Tyger Community Center

Spartanburg County Foundation Citizen Scholars

Woodruff Community Center

YMCA

healthy smiles collage from grant award
Beneficiaries of a program sponsored by the Youth At Risk grants.

Youth Opportunity Grants have been a line item in our club budget for many years. Part of the funding comes from the annual Spartanburg Sings event, which brings together middle school students from across the county for a one-afternoon musical performance. Spartanburg Sings has been another way our club serves youth, and it has become very popular among middle school administrators, faculty and students.