Ruritan Club and District Officers' Handbook

Ruritan National Foundation

Build Your Dollars (BY$) Program The Foundation Build Your Dollars Program grants are a great way to increase your club’s support of higher education. All club checks must be postmarked by September 1 of each year to be eligible for the following year’s grant. The BY$ Deposit Form and the BY$ Scholarship Claim Form are available on the Ruritan Foundation page under the Foundation Forms link of the Ruritan National website. • Participating clubs must send a club check for $300 to the Foundation with the BY$ Deposit Form starting in January until the deadline, which must be postmarked on or before September 1 for the club to be eligible. Ruritan National Foundation will notify the participating clubs after receiving the club check confirming the club is in the program. Clubs must complete the BY$ Deposit form found on the Foundation web page or request one from the Ruritan National Foundation office. Each club that makes a $300 BY$ deposit by September 1 must then complete the BY$ Claim Form and send the form to the Ruritan National Foundation office by email or USPS postmarked on or before June 30 of the following year. Upon receipt of the completed BY$ Claim Form, the Foundation office will make the BY$ scholarship check payable to the club and mail the check to the BY$ club contact beginning in April of the program year. The BY$ Claim Form can be found on the Foundation page of the Ruritan National website, or one can be requested from the Ruritan National Foundation office. • Up to a thirty-day extension is allowed if contacted on or prior to the June 30th deadline. • If a BY$ scholarship is not claimed, options are (1) request a $300 refund returned to the club, (2) carry over for one year to the Build Your Dollars program, or (3) leave as a donation to the Ruritan National Foundation. • There is a maximum of one application and one scholarship per club. The club selects the scholar ‑ ship recipient. In selecting applicants, clubs should consider financial need, character, scholarship, academic promise, and desire. • The Foundation’s Build Your Dollars (BY$) contribution is to be shared equally among program par ‑ ticipants and is at the Trustees’ discretion. The contribution from the Foundation is not to exceed ei ‑ ther the three-year trailing average of the Foundation’s total assets, less normal operating expenses, or $200,000, whichever is greater. The Build Your Dollars deposits from clubs will be recognized as Deposits and Recorded as Liabilities on the Foundation Books and will not be counted as funds in any fund account.

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Revised 8/2024