E-138 · Detailed guide · Theme 2

Alumni Project Funding Circle

Use Alumni Project Funding Circle to offer former members a respectful way to reconnect without assuming that they want to rejoin.

Where this idea came from

Playbook entry: E-138 · Alumni Project Funding Circle
Theme: Theme 2: Engagement & Belonging · Subtheme 8: Past Member Re-Engagement
Source material: Current playbook index title and category plus an internally authored detailed-guide draft

Initiative-specific development wave

How this draft was developed

These sources support general principles for formal Rotary grant eligibility, jurisdiction-specific fundraising and fair South Australian charitable-collection practice; they are not an endorsement of the named Alumni Project Funding Circle and do not authorise any solicitation, entity, tax statement, grant, project or transaction.

Primary references consulted

Grants (Rotary International)
Used for: Rotary Foundation grants have defined purposes and eligibility, and applying for a grant requires Rotary or Rotaract club membership.
Charity fundraising and the public (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission)
Used for: Fundraising is regulated by states and territories and organisations need to comply with the requirements in every jurisdiction where they raise funds.
Charities Code of Practice (Consumer and Business Services South Australia)
Used for: South Australian charitable collections require practices that support informed donation decisions, privacy and respect for a decision not to donate.

Candidate District material consulted

These records remain draft evidence and still need a human source decision.

Club Playbook - Theme 2
Candidate records 81 Project-Only Participation for Alumni and 99 Ideas Marketplace Night provide related alumni participation and project-pitch concepts. Neither is a literal current-title match or supplies legal-entity, fundraising, no-investment, donor, partner, due-diligence, conflict, banking, receipt, reconciliation or accountability controls.

Theme 2 source-assurance wave

What has been checked

3 current primary pages used by this guide were reopened on 9 August 2026.
3 attributed source claim(s) were mapped to their bounded use in this initiative.
Candidate District material remains separate and does not establish this result.

See each source's scope and limit

Grants
Supports: A high-level distinction between Rotary Foundation grant types, purposes, scales and outcome expectations for renewal-related service opportunities.
Does not establish: Eligibility, funding availability, approval, compliance, project quality or the suitability of a particular grant proposal.
Charity fundraising and the public
Supports: The 1 attributed Theme 2 claim attached to this source, limited to the implementation elements and supporting documents named in each initiative-level claim mapping.
Does not establish: Whether a law, duty, licence, registration, governing rule or regulator requirement applies to this club; whether a person or supplier is suitable; or whether a local design is compliant, authorised or approved.
Charities Code of Practice
Supports: The 1 attributed Theme 2 claim attached to this source, limited to the implementation elements and supporting documents named in each initiative-level claim mapping.
Does not establish: Whether a law, duty, licence, registration, governing rule or regulator requirement applies to this club; whether a person or supplier is suitable; or whether a local design is compliant, authorised or approved.

What still needs a person to confirm

Confirm the member, prospective-member, past-member and community needs, preferences and consent that the local design assumes.
Confirm which privacy, safeguarding, incorporated-association, charity, work health and safety, food, liquor, copyright, licensing, screening and other duties apply to the club and the activity.
Test accessibility, cultural safety, belonging, language and alternative participation routes with affected people and recognise First Nations cultural authority rather than inferring suitability from the guide.
Confirm every local fact, starting point, cost, role, current service contact, measure, stopping condition and platform capability before the club decides to proceed.
Confirm the authority and current scope of each primary source, resolve login-gated or moved-page references and keep any candidate District material attributed and unapproved until its source decision is made.

The source-verification release gate remains closed.

Checks still on hold

No invitation, solicitation or money handling may begin until the club has written current entity, jurisdiction, licence or notification, banking, receipt, tax and Rotary approvals.
The circle is discussion and advice only and cannot pool funds, offer returns, lend, invest, award grants or substitute for club, district or Foundation authority.
Donation amount cannot affect access, recommendation, recognition, project choice, membership or leadership influence, and a decision not to donate must be respected.
Project authority, safeguards, financial controls, donor privacy, conflicts, reconciliation, reporting and unused-fund treatment require normal accountable governance.

Still an internal draft: source interpretation, local suitability, accessibility, governance and editorial approval remain open checks.

Why a club might use this

It turns member energy into visible, organised action that is easier for other people to join.

It may suit: Former or less-connected members, and the club members reaching out to them.

Use it when

Consider Alumni Project Funding Circle when past members may value news, friendship or a limited service opportunity but have not been offered a suitable route back.
A club with confirmed legal entity, licence or notification, bank, receipt, tax, Rotary, district, Foundation and partner arrangements for the exact project and fundraising jurisdiction.
A small set of project briefs showing community authority, need, alternatives, budget, safeguards, outcomes, risks, conflicts and what happens if the target is not met.
Participants who may learn, ask questions, advise, decline or donate individually through an authorised channel without public amounts, benefits, voting weight or repeated solicitation.

Before the club starts

Written board, legal-entity and treasurer approval plus confirmation of applicable South Australian and any other jurisdictional fundraising, licence, notification, banking, receipt, tax and record obligations.
A circle charter separating discussion, advice, recommendation, individual donation, club decision and any Rotary Foundation or district grant process, with no pooled or investment activity.
A project due-diligence brief approved by the community partner and authorised club process, covering need, alternatives, scope, budget, safeguards, outcomes, evidence, risks, conflicts and contingency.
Fair participant terms, conflict declarations, donor privacy, no-pressure and vulnerable-person controls, accessible information, authorised payment channel, reconciliation and public reporting plan.

Capacity guide

Likely cost: Low; mainly personal contact, event access and simple alumni communications.
Lead time: About three weeks to check records, prepare options and make first contact.
People: Three to five people, including a records contact, connector and relevant activity hosts.

A useful club conversation

Questions worth asking

Who is legally receiving and controlling money, and what exactly is this circle authorised to do?
Would the project and decision remain the same if the most vocal participant donated nothing?
What evidence will donors and non-donors receive about decisions, progress, changes and unused funds?

Common traps

Trying Alumni Project Funding Circle when Pooling money in a member account, promising returns, offering units or investments, making loans, awarding grants, issuing tax claims, using Rotary Foundation branding or bypassing club and district approval.
Proceeding with Alumni Project Funding Circle when Ranking donors, selling access, allowing contribution size to influence project decisions, pressuring former members or fundraising for a proposal without community and legal authority.
A project is promoted without community authority, evidence or a plan for changed circumstances. — Require partner-approved due diligence and publish contingencies, decision changes, progress and unused-fund treatment through the authorised process.

A practical 90-day path

Three milestones for Alumni Project Funding Circle
When	What the club does	Evidence to keep
Days 1–30: Agree the local design	Obtain written advice and approvals for the club entity, fundraising jurisdictions, licence or notification, bank, receipts, tax statements, records and any Rotary, district or Foundation requirements. Approve a circle charter that prohibits pooling, investment, returns, donor influence and grant authority and defines discussion, recommendation, donation and decision roles.	A confirmed lawful operating boundary A governed non-investment funding circle
Days 31–60: Run and adjust the first version	Prepare partner-approved project briefs with comparable need, scope, budget, safeguards, evidence, risks, conflicts, contingencies and authorised funding routes. Invite through an authorised route with no-pressure terms, full privacy and conflict information and equal choices to attend, advise, decline or donate nothing.	Evidence-backed project options Informed voluntary participation
Days 61–90: Review the evidence and decide	Facilitate evidence and conflict review, record questions and recommendations without donor weighting and transfer every money decision and transaction to the authorised club process. Reconcile and acknowledge funds through the approved entity, report decisions, progress, changes and unused-fund treatment, close solicitation and data and review pressure, conflicts and compliance.	A bounded advice record and lawful payment route Transparent financial and project accountability

Fit it to the club you have

Small club

Use one approved project briefing and the club's existing authorised donation channel; do not create a separate account, fund name or committee when governance capacity is limited.

Larger club

Use independent conflict review, comparable project briefs, central finance controls and a separation between project recommendation, donor relations, authorisation and reconciliation.

Regional or rural club

Protect donor privacy in a close network, check community-partner authority and avoid public contribution lists or local pressure tied to business and family relationships.

Metropolitan, hybrid or online club

Use accessible digital briefs and a secure approved payment service, minimise analytics and donor data and never collect card or bank details in meeting chat, email or a club-built form.

Learn, adapt and know when to stop

Evidence worth keeping

Written entity, jurisdiction, fundraising, banking, receipt, tax and Rotary approvals completed before solicitation or money handling.
Every considered project carrying partner authority, full budget, safeguards, evidence, risks, conflicts and contingency.
Participants able to attend, advise, decline or donate nothing without ranking, repeated contact or loss of access.

Change course when

The circle operates as an unauthorised pooled fund, investment or grant body. — Prohibit pooling, returns, units, lending and grant authority; use only approved individual donation routes and normal club decisions after legal and regulatory confirmation.
Fundraising breaches jurisdictional, licensing, receipt, tax or Rotary requirements. — Obtain written current advice for every jurisdiction and entity, stop solicitation until requirements are met and keep complete financial and operational records.
Donation size buys influence or access. — Separate advice, recommendation, authorisation and donation, declare conflicts, record reasons and prohibit donor weighting, benefits and public rankings.

How to put it into practice

Detailed implementation steps for Alumni Project Funding Circle
Step	Action	Suggested owner	Timing	Evidence or output
1	Obtain written advice and approvals for the club entity, fundraising jurisdictions, licence or notification, bank, receipts, tax statements, records and any Rotary, district or Foundation requirements.	Club board, treasurer and authorised legal or compliance contact	Before inviting a circle	A confirmed lawful operating boundary
2	Approve a circle charter that prohibits pooling, investment, returns, donor influence and grant authority and defines discussion, recommendation, donation and decision roles.	Club board sponsor	Before project selection	A governed non-investment funding circle
3	Prepare partner-approved project briefs with comparable need, scope, budget, safeguards, evidence, risks, conflicts, contingencies and authorised funding routes.	Project and partner leads	Six weeks before the session	Evidence-backed project options
4	Invite through an authorised route with no-pressure terms, full privacy and conflict information and equal choices to attend, advise, decline or donate nothing.	Authorised alumni and fundraising contacts	Four weeks before the session	Informed voluntary participation
5	Facilitate evidence and conflict review, record questions and recommendations without donor weighting and transfer every money decision and transaction to the authorised club process.	Independent facilitator and treasurer	Circle session	A bounded advice record and lawful payment route
6	Reconcile and acknowledge funds through the approved entity, report decisions, progress, changes and unused-fund treatment, close solicitation and data and review pressure, conflicts and compliance.	Treasurer, project lead and club board	Monthly and at project close	Transparent financial and project accountability

Controls and safeguards

Check the idea with the people affected and confirm its purpose, owner and practical limits before putting it into use.
Protect member choice and privacy, make participation accessible, and do not infer belonging or satisfaction from attendance alone.
The circle operates as an unauthorised pooled fund, investment or grant body. — Prohibit pooling, returns, units, lending and grant authority; use only approved individual donation routes and normal club decisions after legal and regulatory confirmation.
Fundraising breaches jurisdictional, licensing, receipt, tax or Rotary requirements. — Obtain written current advice for every jurisdiction and entity, stop solicitation until requirements are met and keep complete financial and operational records.
Donation size buys influence or access. — Separate advice, recommendation, authorisation and donation, declare conflicts, record reasons and prohibit donor weighting, benefits and public rankings.
A project is promoted without community authority, evidence or a plan for changed circumstances. — Require partner-approved due diligence and publish contingencies, decision changes, progress and unused-fund treatment through the authorised process.
No invitation, solicitation or money handling may begin until the club has written current entity, jurisdiction, licence or notification, banking, receipt, tax and Rotary approvals.
The circle is discussion and advice only and cannot pool funds, offer returns, lend, invest, award grants or substitute for club, district or Foundation authority.
Donation amount cannot affect access, recommendation, recognition, project choice, membership or leadership influence, and a decision not to donate must be respected.
Project authority, safeguards, financial controls, donor privacy, conflicts, reconciliation, reporting and unused-fund treatment require normal accountable governance.

What to measure

After 90 days, review Alumni Project Funding Circle. Look for respectful reconnections made with consent, chosen next steps and follow-up that honours people who decline further contact.
Written entity, jurisdiction, fundraising, banking, receipt, tax and Rotary approvals completed before solicitation or money handling.
Every considered project carrying partner authority, full budget, safeguards, evidence, risks, conflicts and contingency.
Participants able to attend, advise, decline or donate nothing without ranking, repeated contact or loss of access.
All funds reconciled through the authorised entity and decisions, progress, changes and unused-fund treatment reported on schedule.

Follow-up: At the 90-day review, compare the recorded measures with the starting point, resolve the listed governance holds and tell participants whether Alumni Project Funding Circle will change, continue or stop.

Made for this initiative

Tailored supporting documents

These working documents use the decisions, safeguards and evidence needs of this initiative. Complete them with the people affected and keep the agreed version with the club's project record.

Funding Circle Legal and Governance Boundary

Confirm what the club and circle may do before any invitation or money handling.

Open supporting document

Partner Project Funding Brief and Conflict Check

Give participants comparable evidence without transferring project or funding authority.

Open supporting document

Funding Session, Reconciliation and Accountability Record

Separate advice from donations and report every authorised financial outcome.

Open supporting document

Related playbook entries

E-137
E-139

Supporting worksheets

Before your club says yes

Does the idea fit?

Talk with the people it is meant to serve and check that the need is real.

We have checked this

Who can say yes?

Name the person or group that can approve the work, spending and any safety arrangements.

We have checked this

Are people protected?

Check privacy, consent and safety. Collect only the information you genuinely need.

We have checked this

Can everyone take part?

Check the language, format, place, technology and cost for barriers.

We have checked this

Are the facts and permissions right?

Check names, claims, images, quotations, partner references and Rotary branding.

We have checked this

How will we learn?

Note where things stand now, check in at 30, 60 and 90 days, and decide what to do next.

We have checked this