Community Impact Grants Program
Community Impact Grants support Rotary clubs and committees in malaria endemic regions to take direct action to control the spread of malaria in communities and reduce severe health outcomes. We believe that Rotarians are best poised to lead community projects that combat malaria at the household level. By working together, Rotary will build a future where no one suffers from malaria, embodying Rotary’s ethos of service above self.
What is the purpose of Community Impact Grants?
MPI awards grants to Rotary-affiliated clubs or committees in malaria-endemic countries to support community action in controlling malaria. Grants are used for new projects or to increase funds for an existing Rotary project. Projects may include broad community health interventions but must include malaria as a focus.
These grants are designed to:
- Support Rotarians who are engaged in hands-on work to prevent malaria in their communities
- Build capacity and leadership within Rotary Clubs
- Position Rotary as a trusted partner with NGOs, local governments, health centers, and;
- Reduce severe health outcomes from malaria
Elements of a strong application:
MPI funds projects that demonstrate strong local leadership, clear planning, and measurable malaria-related outcomes. All applicants must be Rotary-affiliated clubs, committees, or districts in good standing with Rotary International.
Successful applications show:
- Active Rotarian involvement, including leadership, oversight, and volunteer engagement. The more clubs and Rotarians that are involved, the higher likelihood of a successful application.
- Activities that reflect up-to-date malaria control practices and follow guidelines from the country’s national health ministries and the WHO.
- Clear and measurable objectives that are realistic for the requested funding amount. Each application will be evaluated on how closely the detailed budget supports the activities.
- A completed Outcome Framework and Budget, using MPI’s required Excel templates provided in the application.
How much financial support will MPI provide?
MPI encourages projects that vary in scope, duration, and activities, and funding requests should reflect those differences. Applicants may request funding at different levels based on the scale and complexity of their proposed work.
- Smaller requests (up to $2,500 USD)
For an activity, or a limited set of closely related activities, implemented over a short period. Examples include World Malaria Day events, community education activities, community clean-ups to remove mosquito breeding grounds, or equipment purchases addressing a defined need.
- Mid-range requests ($2,500–$5,000 USD)
For projects that include multiple related activities, often implemented over several months. This may include Community Health Worker refreshers, indoor residual sprayings, and community engagement events.
- Higher-range requests (up to $7,000 USD)
For projects that include multiple related activities, often implemented over several months. These projects may include the training and equipping Community Health Workers, targeted community-level implementation activities, procurement of supplies or equipment, and follow-up monitoring to understand the impact of the work within the community.
What is the timeline for application review and funding?
The average review timeframe is three (3) months from the time of application submission to approval or rejection. Length of time varies depending upon the completeness of the application, the number of grants in our review queue, and the speed at which applicants can respond with additional information as needed.
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- If approved, the applicants are required to obtain signatures for a memorandum of understanding and open a bank account before MPI can transfer funds.
- If rejected/denied, the applicant may choose to reapply based on the feedback given in the rejection letter.
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Additional FAQs
How do I fill out the Outcome Framework?
The 'Purpose or Goal' column states what you want to achieve in plain language, such as increasing consistent use of bed nets in your community. Your project can have one or multiple goals.
The 'Activities' column is where you will explain how you will achieve the goal. What will you do. Each goal likely has several activities. Include specific details for each activity, such as quantities, locations, and/or frequency.
'Who will conduct the activity' identifies the person(s) or team that will carry out each activity.
The 'Activity Performance Indicators: This indicator states how you will define success for this activity. You will put in your goal - is it the number of households you have reached with your activity? Or perhaps the number of people you intend to train, or an event that you successfully completed? Define your goal here. Your final report will ask you to show whether you met that goal. If not, why? What were the challenges to meeting the goal. This learning is as important as the goal itself.
Ex: 25 CHWs trained, 150 household visits conducted, 500 nets distributed.
The Outcome Indicators should make you think about the effect your activity may have on the people or neighborhood where you are working. What is the change in practices that you hope to acheive. This indicator looks at more than just the completion of the activity and tries to answer the ‘why’...why is this activity important?
Ex: “Follow-up at 25 of the 100 participating households after 6 months showed that 40% percent had the net properly hung and/or reported consistent net use”
The Evidence / Documentation column specifies what you will collect to verify that each activity was conducted.
Ex: training registers, distribution logs, survey forms, supervision checklists, or dated photos with captions.
How do I fill out the Budget Template?
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- In-kind donations include funding or support that is outside of the money collected by the applicant club.
- For example, if the District Health Office offers a venue or Trainers to support your project.
- Please monetize and insert your in-kind contributions separately from financial totals.
- Do not add in-kind amounts to the total budget.
- Please make sure to convert local currency costs to U.S. dollars (USD) where requested.
- You must include the currency exchange rate and the date (day/month/year) of the exchange rate in the fields provided.
- In-kind donations include funding or support that is outside of the money collected by the applicant club.
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- Be specific for each expense item. Clearly show the number of units needed, and cost per unit for each expense
- You may need to describe what a “unit” means (for example, per person trained, per RDT, per bicycle, or per classroom session). Use the first and last columns to give more description
- The Budget should show a direct connection from each expense to one of your planned activities described in the Outcome Framework. You may provide as much detail/comments as you like in the Project Expense Worksheet.
Does MPI fund Rotary Global Grants or Programs of Scale Projects?
- Larger projects may have multiple health related objectives. MPI funding must be clearly tied to malaria-related activities and outcomes project.
- If the project is an intended Global Grant or Programs of Scale, MPI will accept the Rotary International/Rotary Foundation application as a substitute for the MPI application.
- Non-Rotary donor-funded projects are also encouraged, and applicants are required to complete the MPI application form.
What are the reporting requirements for approved grants?
Reporting
MPI will require grant awardees to complete a final reporting form within 60 days of project completions. Details on reporting requirements are shared with grant recipients once we have approved the project for funding.
More questions?
Past Grant Recipients
2022 | Uganda
Equipped 70 village health team members (VHTs) and used district health data to measure malaria reduction outcomes
2024 | Zimbabwe
Provided malaria case management trainings for 73 Community Health Worker (CHWs)
2023 | Kenya
Assisted local health authorities in training 160 Community Health Workers (CHWs)
2022 | Timor Leste
Participated in funding a scoping analysis to bring this island nation to zero malaria cases.
2022 | Uganda
Promoted proper waste management and disposal in local market, community sensitization events, and trained 22 VHTs
2019 | Zambia
Supported Phase I of the Copperbelt Zambia Malaria Elimination Global Grant by working with nationally certified facilitators and district health offices to train CHWs.
2022 | Uganda
Implemented wastewater cleanup, insecticide-treated bed net distribution, and community education activities.
2020 | Ghana
Conducted indoor residual spraying in Acra. The club later led outreach to other Ghanaian Rotary clubs and initiated planning for a 2021 Global Grant.
Your Rotary Club can fund a
Community Impact Grant
Rotary clubs and Rotary-affiliated foundations can support locally led malaria control projects.
If your club is interested, please contact grants@malariapartners.org
Hear from Grant Awardees - Project Updates & Stories
Transforming Lives: Malaria Impact Reduction Initiative in Ngora District Progress Report
Malaria Control & Prevention Through Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) Project Final Report
The Malaria Control and Prevention Through Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in Bwerenga project was implemented in Bwerenga, Wakiso District, Uganda, from January to May 2026. The Community Impact Grant project was led by the Rotary Club of Bwerenga, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Kigo and the Rotaract Club of Bwerenga.
The Rotary Clubs also worked alongside Malaria Partners Uganda and Katabi Town Council, with support from the Wakiso District Health Office, local LC1 leadership, and Village Health Teams (VHTs).