The Rotary Foundation
Rotarians worldwide have an opportunity to make a difference in the world through their monetary donations to The Rotary Foundation. In return, they receive personal satisfaction and recognition knowing they have put “service above self.” Also, by contributing to the Rotary Foundation, they are helping to facilitate a way for their local Rotary Club to originate and financially support humanitarian projects through local district or global grants.
The Rotary Foundation transforms donations into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. As the charitable arm of Rotary, the foundation taps into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money, and expertise to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The world becomes a more intimate place through The Rotary Foundation.
Contributions to the Annual Fund are the primary funding source of grants. The Rotary Foundation offers multiple types of grants to serve the wide variety of projects that Rotarians are doing around the world. Contributions to The Rotary Foundation are invested for a three year term with the investment earnings paying for operations and the funding of grant money. Fifty percent of the funds distributed are designated for District Designated Funds and fifty percent are designated for the World Fund that fund Global and Packaged grants. The actual amount of grant money available for distribution to Clubs in each District depends on the giving level of all members in each respective District Club.
District Grants
District Grants fund smaller, short-term activities that address needs in your community and communities worldwide. Each Rotary district gets to choose which projects it will fund with these grants. Rotary Clubs from your district or around the world can co-sponsor district grants.
Global Grants
Global Grants support large international activities that have sustainable, measurable outcomes in one or more of our areas of focus. Rotarians create their own projects and carry them out. Minimum funding for these large projects is $30,000.
Packaged Grants
Packaged Grants are designed by Rotary and our strategic partners. They fund activities that are similar to those for global grants, but the work of designing the activity’s general framework has already been done.
Paul Harris Fellow
To recognize and thank Rotarians who support the Annual Fund, PolioPlus or other approved Foundation grant programs, The Rotary Foundation awards points for each dollar given. The most recognizable award for giving is the Paul Harris Fellow. A Paul Harris Fellow has contributed thru giving a total of 1,000 points. Each time they exceed another 1,000 points, they receive the recognition of Paul Harris Fellow plus One all the way to the highest level of giving, Paul Harris Fellow plus Eight. Often as points are accumulated, Rotarians award their Paul Harris Fellow award to other deserving members. Points can also be transferred to other members to assist them in accumulating enough points to receive their Paul Harris Fellow award. There is nothing like a Rotarian “passing it forward!”
After that level of giving, a Rotarian can become a member of the Paul Harris Society contributing $1,000 every year.
Local Rotary Clubs are also recognized for their collective level of annual giving in support of The Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Foundation recognizes a Club for having every member giving every year by designating those Clubs as an “Every Rotarian Every Year Club.” If every member contributes $100 per year to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund, PolioPlus or other approved Foundation grant project, the Club is designated as a “100% Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member Club.” The goal of every Rotary Club is to be designated as a “100% Paul Harris Fellow Club” with every member being a Paul Harris Fellow.
Rotarian Alan Wilson is coordinating our club Rotary Foundation giving. For more information, please contact Alan at alan.wilson@frostbank.com.
