Westerville Rotary Foundation
The Westerville Rotary Foundation is a part of The Rotary Club of Westerville-Noon and was founded in 1964 by several club Rotarians that had a goal in mind of helping the community.
Helping Westerville kids pay for college since 1964
Since 1964, the Rotary Club of Westerville has awarded more than $500,000 in college scholarships to local high school graduates.The community tradition began with a single $500 scholarship to one student, to attend nursing school at what then was Otterbein College.
In recent years, the club has awarded three smaller, four-year college scholarships. But 2020 marked the first time going to a single, larger award, making our Rotary Scholarship one of the largest local awards available to Westerville high school grads.
The 2026 scholarship will award $20,000 to one or more students, paid out in two installments to the winners’ college or university.
Scholarship Applications Available Now for 2026!
The Class of 2026 deadline to apply is March 21, 2025.
Any student from the community attending Westerville Central, Westerville North, Westerville South or DeSales high schools is eligible to apply.
2026 Student Scholarship Application
Applications can be obtained at all Westerville high school guidance offices, or downloaded from the link below. All Applications must be submitted online. The Committee plans to announce its 2026 winner/winners in early May 2026.
—The Rotary Club of Westerville Scholarship Committee
Foundation Matching Grant (Charitable Giving) Overview
- The Grant was established as a means for the Foundation to provide donations for charitable causes. To diversify Foundation’s giving beyond current Scholarships awarded to high school students
- This was created as a Matching Grant limited to the Westerville community area and its local 501c(3) organizations, needing special funding for new or unique projects.
- Its focus is to attract applicants with community-based projects having micro needs and not the funding of ongoing payroll, nor administrative expenses of established organizations.
- Intent is to award grants that are meaningful, make a difference, and are significant to the requesting organization, rather than the “drop in the bucket’ of a larger organization.
- Grants range from minimum of $1,000, up to maximum of $5,000.
- A committee of Foundation board members is charged with receiving the grant applications, providing due-diligence, and making a recommendation to the Foundation Board.
- The amount of money available for matching grants each year is determined and approved by the Rotary Foundation Board. Currently, we have approx. $15,000 available in this account.
- Since its inception, The Foundation has awarded $18,500 in matching grants:
The Big Bus Organization
Church of the Messiah (fiduciary)
Star House — operates Central Ohio’s only drop-in center for youth, ages 14-24, who are experiencing homelessness. Westerville Rotary has been actively involved with Star House for many years.
- a) Matching funds requested to support the purchase of winter clothing and other items for its residents
- b) Awarded $1,000 for this project
My Very Own Blanket
My Very Own Blanket was awarded $5,000.00 to help with the purchase of a delivery van. Foundation board member, Dan Stanley presented Jessica Rudolph, Founder of My Very Own Blanket with the $5,000.00 check at a local Westerville Rotary Club meeting.
The Big Bus Organization – Mobile Learning vehicle increases access to resources, opportunities, and learning by meeting students and families where they are. Their approach is focused on academic and English language support for neighborhoods in Westerville, Ohio and surrounding areas.
- Request was to update the bus seating and install equipment to facilitate needs of adults working with the kids onboard
- They were awarded $6,000 for the project
Church of the Messiah (fiduciary) – at the Olde Methodist Cemetery, individuals under took the cleaning of over 160 head stones and removed overgrowth from the fencing and among trees. Also created a database of all the burials, combining known information from the City of Westerville 
records and the Westerville Public Library records.
- Requested financial assistance to purchase a ‘Remarkable Ohio’ plaque from the Ohio History Connection for this site
- Awarded $1,500 to help fully fund this $4,100 purchase
Students of the Month
Westerville Rotary Foundation
