Rotary Basics

 The Rotary Foundation

T he Rotary Foundation of RI is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

Financial Support

In the year ended 30 June 2008, The Rotary Foundation received contributions totaling US$245.7 million and spent $227.5 million in support of humanitarian and educational programs implemented by clubs and districts and global polio eradication activities. Contributions go into one of three main funds:

• Annual Programs Fund , which provides grants and awards through Foundation programs
• Permanent Fund , an endowment from which only a portion of the earnings are spent in support of Foundation programs, ensuring the long-term viability of the Foundation
• PolioPlus Fund , which supports Rotary's goal of a polio-free world

Every dollar contributed to the Foundation funds its humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs and program operations. Clubs and districts apply for and receive Foundation grants to carry out many worthy projects worldwide. The Every Rotarian, Every Year initiative, designed to encourage worldwide annual per capita giving of $100 or more, supports vital Foundation programs.

Educational Programs

These programs promote international understanding by bringing together people from different countries and cultures.

• Ambassadorial Scholarships , an international program for university-level studies, sends about 800 students each year to serve as ambassadors of goodwill while abroad.
• Rotary World Peace Fellowships are awarded to individuals for study in master's degree and professional certificate programs at one of the seven Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution.
• Group Study Exchange is a short-term cultural and vocational exchange program between districts in different countries for non-Rotarian professionals ages 25-40.

Humanitarian Grants Program

Humanitarian grants enable Rotarians to increase their support of international service projects that provide water wells, medical care, literacy classes, and other essentials to people in need. Rotarian participation is key to the success of these projects.

• Matching Grants assist Rotary clubs and districts in carrying out humanitarian projects with clubs and districts in other countries.
• District Simplified Grants enable districts to support service activities or humanitarian endeavors that benefit local or international communities.
• Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants fund long-term, self-help, and sustainable development projects that use an integrative approach to address humanitarian needs.

PolioPlus

The PolioPlus program provides funding for mass immunization campaigns as well as support for social mobilization, surveillance, and laboratories to help carry out the final stages of global polio eradication. Rotarians have raised funds that will amount to more than $1.2 billion in support by the time polio is eradicated and have provided hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours. Rotary is a spearheading partner with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the initiative to eradicate polio worldwide. As a result of their efforts, two billion children under age five have received the polio vaccine, five million people who might otherwise be paralyzed are walking today, 500,000 new cases of polio are prevented each year, and the number of polio cases has declined by 99 percent worldwide.

The Rotary Foundation Future Vision Plan

To increase efficiency and develop a more strategic focus, The Rotary Foundation Trustees adopted the Future Vision Plan . The plan's three-year pilot will begin July 2010 and involve about 100 Rotary districts worldwide. Clubs in these districts will not participate in current Foundation programs, which will be phased out by 2013. Pilot districts may apply for Rotary Foundation District Grants , which will enable them to carry out local and international projects of their choice, and Rotary Foundation Global Grants , which will support projects in the following areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. During the pilot phase, the Foundation will develop strategic partnerships with a range of organizations that share Rotary's service interests and will refine the plan for participation by all Rotary districts in July 2013.