Five Facts

Five Things You Need to Know About Us

 

1. The Four Way Foundation (formerly known as The Petaluma Sunrise Rotary Foundation) was created and incorporated in the State of California on April 22, 2010.

2. The Foundation’s role is to fund grants to qualified non-profits including those requested by the Rotary Club of Petaluma Sunrise, and to protect the Foundation’s tax-exempt status.

3. In order to adhere to IRS rules, the Foundation updated its grant request process so that the Foundation will approve qualified requests for funds then distribute the funds.

  • The foundation receives a grant request from a non-profit.
  • The Foundation Board approves the request or asks for further information.
  • Upon approval the funds are distributed with a letter outlining the responsibilities of the grantee.
  • The grantee is now responsible for managing, applying and reporting on the use of these funds to the Foundation as per the terms of the letter.
  • At the close of the project, or at the end of the year, the Foundation must receive a report on how the funds were spent.

4. Any unused funds are returned to the Foundation.The Foundation also manages Restricted Funds (Donor Designated Funds, or DDFs) for the Rotary Club of Petaluma Sunrise. The Club may request those funds at any time, as long as they will be spent on a project that matches the specified purpose of that fund. Those funds include:

  • 20/30 Back to School (shopping for underprivileged children in partnership with the Petaluma Active 20/30 Club)
  • Fred Rodgers Vocational Grants
  • International Projects (including literacy, water and sanitation, maternal & child health, and economic & community development)
  • Kenya Empowerment (Rotary Global Grant)
  • Kurt Schau Leadership Development
  • Lend A Hand to Education (mini grants to teachers)
  • Monarch Butterfly (growing milkweed for habitat)
  • Petaluma Egg Hunt (free annual community event for children 1-13 years)

Establishment of Restricted Funds (DDFs) is at the discretion of the Foundation Board and there is a $5000 minimum amount required to start a Donor Designated Fund.

5. The Club can send an annual grant request in early July for a predetermined amount set by the Foundation. By July 15th of the following year the Foundation will need an accounting of how those funds were used and will ask for any unused funds to be sent back to Foundation. The Club selects the projects they want to fund. The Foundation Board has discretion to accept grants as long as they meet IRS requirements. They may also deny grant requests or ask for more information before approval.