District committees
District governors appoint district committees to help reach district goals and to support the work of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. The District Leadership Plan outlines nine standing district committees that address ongoing administrative functions:
Governors-elect must submit a District Committee Appointments Form through Member Access to ensure that committee appointees receive additional support, resource materials, and information about special projects and opportunities from RI and the Foundation. District committee chairs may also communicate about projects and opportunities with each other using their program's worldwide directory, provided by RI.
Qualifications Qualifications for appointment to a district committee include active membership and good standing in a club within the district. Specific committees may require additional qualifications. For example, when appointing the district public relations committee, district governors should give preference to individuals with media, public relations, or marketing experience.
Responsibilities All district committees share these duties:
- Provide support and guidance to clubs
- Work with RI and Foundation committees and resource groups
- Collaborate with the governor-elect to help establish district goals
- Meet with district leaders to achieve club and district goals
- Promote and attend district training meetings and the district conference
- Manage communication between RI and the district
Training Back to top
District conference committee
Under the direction of the governor, the district conference committee plans and promotes the district conference.
Committee members
- Recommend a district conference venue and manage logistics
- Coordinate conference finances to ensure maximum attendance
- Encourage conference attendance, particularly among new Rotarians and clubs, striving for representation from every club in the district
- Promote the conference among external audiences, such as the media, community leaders, and Rotary program beneficiaries
- Attend the district team training seminar along with assistant governors
- Work with the district trainer to arrange a district leadership seminar before or after the conference
Many districts hold district leadership seminars to develop leaders within the district beyond the club level. Attendance at the district leadership seminar is voluntary.
Committee resources
Back to top
Extension committee
The district extension committee works under the direction of the governor to develop and implement a plan to organize new Rotary clubs within the district.
Committee members
- Identify communities without Rotary clubs that have a population capable of meeting the requirements for chartering a new club
- Identify communities where additional Rotary clubs could be established without detracting from existing clubs
- Assist in organizing and establishing new clubs
- Attend the district team training seminar
The chair and as many committee members as possible should attend a regional membership seminar.
Committee resources
Back to top
Finance committee
The district finance committee supervises district funds and ensures transparent financial practices with clear oversight by club and district boards, while working closely with district governors and clubs.
Committee members
- Review the per capita levy and district administrative expenses
- Prepare a district budget in cooperation with the district governor
- Ensure that income and expense records are kept according to district operating procedures, RI guidelines, and local and national laws
- Prepare the yearly financial report presented at the district assembly
- Ensure all local and national laws pertaining to service clubs are followed, including tax codes for fundraising
- Attend the district team training seminar along with assistant governors
Committee resources
Back to top
Membership development committee
The district membership development committee identifies, markets, and implements membership development strategies.
Committee members
- Plan, market, and conduct a district membership seminar in consultation with the governor-elect and district trainer
- Focus on smaller or weaker clubs in membership recruitment efforts
- Encourage clubs to represent their community's business and professional demographics
- Encourage clubs to use RI membership tools, participate in RI membership development recognition programs, and create a membership recruitment plan
- Work with the district governor and club leaders to meet district membership goals
- Coordinate districtwide membership development activities with other district committees
- Assist club membership committee chairs in carrying out their responsibilities, and distribute the Membership Development Resource Guide (417) to club committees
- Visit clubs to speak about effective membership development strategies
- Attend the district team training seminar
The committee chair and as many committee members as possible should also attend a regional membership development seminar.
Committee resources
Back to top
Programs committees
District programs committees provide support to club service projects, ongoing district projects, and RI programs and presidential initiatives.
To provide committees with guidelines and resources, RI collects and maintains contact information for district chairs of the following programs:
All committee members should attend the district team training seminar along with assistant governors.
Special district committees Special district programs committees support local projects, including ongoing community and international service efforts, multidistrict activities, and other projects coordinated locally without RI resources.
Refer to your district's directory or website for more information.
Committee resources
Back to top
Public relations committee
The district public relations committee promotes Rotary among external audiences such as the media, community leaders, program beneficiaries, and potential volunteers, donors, and members and fosters support for the organization.
Committee members
- Encourage clubs to make PR a priority by using materials from RI, such as Humanity in Motion public service announcements and RI News stories
- Work with the district governor and committee chairs to stay informed about district projects and activities
- Contact the media with newsworthy stories of district projects and events
- Train clubs on how to enhance their PR outreach
- Attend the district team training seminar and PR workshops held in conjunction with RI meetings, whenever possible
Committee resources
Back to top
RI Convention promotion committee
The RI Convention promotion committee is responsible for promoting attendance at the annual RI Convention throughout the district.
Committee members
- Attend club and district meetings to promote the convention
- Serve as a local resource for convention materials and information
- Create or expand the district website with links to the Convention page of the RI website
- Identify and target potential registrants by e-mail, letters, and other methods of communication
- Coordinate promotional activities with zone-level convention promotion committee members
- Register for the convention
- Translate important convention information into local languages
- Attend the district team training seminar along with assistant governors
Committee resources
Back to top
The Rotary Foundation committee
The district Rotary Foundation committee assists the governor in educating, motivating, and inspiring Rotarians to participate in Foundation programs and fundraising activities. The district governor is an ex officio member of the committee.
Please note that Future Vision pilot districts use a different district leadership structure.
Committee members
District Rotary Foundation committee chairs receive instruction, support, and guidance from RRFCs . They also report on their committee's activities to the district governor and RI as well as to the assistant governors and RRFCs, as requested.
The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees ask that the three governors whom the chair will serve during the three-year term agree upon the appointment. The current district Rotary Foundation chair may be reappointed to an addition term if the appointment is agreed upon by all the governors.
Download the District Rotary Foundation Chair Appointment Form for 2012-15 and 2013-16.
For questions about the DRFCC appointment please e-mail a TRF administrator.
Foundation subcommittees Subcommittee chairs are members of the district Rotary Foundation committee appointed by the governor according to the District Rotary Foundation Committee Manual (300). Subcommittees include:
Committee resources
Back to top
Training committee
The district training committee, chaired by the district trainer, works closely with governors-elect to coordinate training for incoming officers and works with governors to arrange for continuing education.
Committee members
- Conduct and evaluate needs assessments
- Coordinate logistical arrangements and manage meeting budgets
- Select and prepare training leaders and manage training registration
- Prepare and distribute training materials
- Analyze meeting evaluations
- Attend the district team training seminar and zone-level training seminars, when available
The district training committee may be involved in the following seminars:
For a summary of RI Board-recommended topics, time frames, and participants, see the RI leadership development training cycle. Find out what additional resources are available for district trainers by visiting Events and Training.
Committee resources
Back to top