By Brandi McGrath Kong, Director of Member Services and Conferences

Sertoma clubs and members are proud of the partnerships they have with other community nonprofit organizations and the work that they do for local charitable programs. Recognizing that, Sertoma established the Club Grant Program in 2021 to help its clubs further their Service to Mankind.

While nearly one-third of clubs chose to participate in this year’s program, many clubs did not apply for a grant in 2021. For those clubs still considering participation in our grant program, keep in mind three reasons why the program should matter to our clubs:

1. Free money! Okay, well not exactly totally free as you do have to be an active club In Good Standing. However, there is no additional cost to apply for the grant, you do not have to pay it back, and your club could walk away with as much as $2,000 to support your favorite 501(c)(3) organization or program. Note: other qualifying criteria does apply
 

2. Expanding your reach. While the grant is a drop in the bucket for some organizations, it can be a gamechanger for others. Offering financial support to local causes helps to expand your scope of influence and potential membership base. It can also draw new donors and volunteers to both your club and the nonprofit you’ve chosen to support.
 

3. Easy publicity. Most local media love to tell stories about people doing great things to help in the community, so your check presentation makes an easy sell to your town newspaper or city blog. You can also easily post your story and pictures to social media and encourage members and partners to help share the message far and wide.

In its first year, your national organization was proud to grant dozens of grants toward the many things that our clubs do! We remind those recipients to submit their required summary by October 1, 2022, to ensure they are eligible for this year’s program. Learn more about the Sertoma Club Grant Program here.