Jessica F. Cobbs

Regional Grants Officer, South Asia @Rotary International

Chicago, IL, US

As a Regional Grants Officer, I directly oversee grant activity in South Asia (primarily in India and Indonesia) and liaise with Rotary\'s global volunteer membership base to facilitate humanitarian development projects, graduate-level scholarships, and vocational training across 7 key areas of focus- This includes basic education and literacy; community economic development; disease prevention and treatment; maternal and child health; water, sanitation, and hygiene; peacebuilding and conflict prevention; and environment- Holistically evaluate 75-150 applications annually, totaling US$3 million in funds; make approval and decline decisions in accordance with Rotary’s policies and eligibility criteria, providing detailed feedback and coaching to grant sponsors on their application submissions- Educate and train grant applicants (through video conferences, written communications, webinars, presentations, etc.) on key project design strategies to enhance impact, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation efforts- Authorize disbursement of grant payments ranging from to Travel to Asia to deliver training workshops focused on Rotary Foundation grant program requirements and elements of sustainable project design. Conduct site visits, evaluating the impact and success of awarded projects- Selected to complete a special staff assignment at Rotary International Convention in Singapore, supporting event attendees, while promoting and providing guidance on the organization’s key programming and initiatives.

Cuauhnáhuac Spanish Language Institute (Cuernavaca, Morelos, México)

Study Abroad, Spanish Language and Latin American Culture

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Instituto San Joaquín de Flores (Heredia, Costa Rica)

Study Abroad