Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview

The Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview is a community-based service club located in Edmonton, Alberta and part of Rotary International’s global network. Through fundraising and member engagement, the club channels both financial and volunteer resources into a range of local and international initiatives in health, education, community development and youth leadership.

At the local level, the club provides ongoing financial support to inner-city schools and social agencies. Its Community Service activities include donations to Delton and Norwood schools, Edmonton’s Food Bank, Operation Friendship Seniors Society, the Youth Orchestra of Northern Alberta (YONA), a music program for people living with dementia (Music Mends Minds), Prosper Place, and a program delivering dental services to Métis settlements. These grants are complemented by organized volunteer efforts from club members.

Internationally, the club raises and contributes funds to medical and livelihood projects. Members organize, volunteer and donate money to cataract surgery and optometry missions and an orthopedic mission in Ecuador, as well as to a sewing cooperative in Belize. The club has also raised money to provide scholarships enabling veterinarians from Africa to complete a master’s degree in wildlife health and management and to purchase equipment used in gorilla care, illustrating its role in specialized education and conservation funding.

Youth and education are key funding priorities. The club sponsors the High School Model United Nations at the University of Alberta and the Centennial Interact Club at Ross Sheppard High School, and supports student participation in Rotary Youth programs such as RYLA, RYLE, RYPEN and various adventure programs. It also backs WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology) opportunities for Grade 6 students.

The club provides at least two scholarships annually to students graduating from Eastglen High School. A featured story describes recent $1,000 scholarship recipients and outlines the selection criteria, which include academic performance, financial need, school and community involvement, and a clear post-secondary plan. Although school staff choose recipients, the awards are funded by the Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview, positioning the club as a recurring scholarship provider in the local education ecosystem.

Through its three main service areas—Community, International and Youth—the Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview supports seniors, people facing food insecurity, individuals with mental health challenges, students from elementary grades through university, and professionals pursuing advanced training abroad. Funding is typically project-based and discretionary, aligned with Rotary values of service, peace and community building, and is reinforced by strong volunteer engagement from members.