Highlights from the 2007-08 Rotary Foundation Trustees meetings
June 2008
June 2008, Trustee minutes
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met on 19-20 June 2008 in Los Angeles, California, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken by the Trustees.
Administration
At its June 2008 meeting, the RI Board looked with favor upon all aspects of the Future Vision Plan for The Rotary Foundation, which will begin its pilot phase on 1 July 2010.
Recognizing that Rotary zones are established primarily for the purpose of selecting RI directors and the RI president, the Trustees agreed that, beginning 1 July 2009, the geographical territory assigned to each regional Rotary Foundation coordinator and other regional Foundation appointees should reflect the new zones alignment and the allocation of zones and sections of zones to Rotary institutes, where appropriate.
The Trustees encouraged all TRF-funded travelers to take advantage of airline advance purchase discounts whenever possible.
Fund Development
The Trustees endorsed a 2008-09 worldwide Annual Programs Fund goal of US$125,000,000.
Programs
Following the success of the first Rotary Alumni Celebration held just before the Los Angeles Convention, the Trustees looked forward to receiving detailed plans for the next celebration to be held at the 2009 (Birmingham) Convention.
The Trustees approved the plan for integrating the Rotary Center at Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) into the Rotary Centers for International Studies program, and agreed that there shall be no limit to the number of Rotary Peace Fellow applications a district may endorse for selection
The Trustees approved PolioPlus grants for Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Task Force for Child Survival and Development.
Foundation Facts
- Paul Harris Fellows: 1,126,784
- Foundation Benefactors: 77,776
- Major Donors: 10,105
- 30 June 2008
April 2008
April 2008, Trustee minutes
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 21-25 April 2008 in Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A. The following are highlights of actions taken.
Administration
During an open forum, the chairman of the Future Vision Committee presented a lengthy update to the Trustees on all aspects of the Future Vision Plan. The Trustees approved several decisions on the Future Vision Plan. The specific decisions included areas of focus, grant criteria, strategic partnerships, distributable funds, Rotary Foundation programs and activities transition plan, grant names, implementation plans, pilot operations, and training and communication plans. The Board of Directors will consider these decisions at their June 2008 meeting. More information will be provided on the RI Web site pending approval of the Board.
The Trustees received a preliminary report from the Centennial History of The Rotary Foundation Committee regarding plans to produce a written history of The Rotary Foundation for its centennial in 2017.
Fund Development
The Trustees received a report from the Rotary Centers Major Gifts Initiative Committee and were pleased to acknowledge the generosity of donors who have already provided approximately US$32.2 million towards the final goal of US$95 million to endow this program.
Rotary’s US$100 Million Challenge Committee reported on the proposed usage of zone challenge coordinators to facilitate this fundraising effort. The Trustees agreed to match contributions at the rate of US$0.50 from the World Fund for every US$1.00 of District Designated Funds contributed to the Challenge. This match will be effective 1 July 2008 and continue through 31 December 2010 on a first-come, first-served basis and will be capped at US$3 million annually.
Programs
After a thorough evaluation of the pilot program, the Trustees approved the Rotary Center at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, as a short-term peace studies option of the Rotary Centers for International Studies program. The number of Rotary Centers now stands at seven.
The Trustees:
- Approved 17 Matching Grants involving Rotary clubs and districts in Brazil, Canada, Central African Republic, Dominican Republic, England, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, India, Italy, Korea, Liberia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United States, and Zambia.
- Approved 19 3-H Grants involving Rotary clubs and districts in Belgium, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroun, Canada, Denmark, England, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States.
Stewardship
The Trustees thanked clubs and districts for their progress on improving reporting compliance for Humanitarian Grants worldwide in 2007-08. While clubs and districts are expected to be 100 percent compliant, the Trustees, on an exception basis, agreed not to suspend districts for failure to meet the reporting compliance of 70 percent after two consecutive semiannual report analyses until April 2009, but did suspend six districts for failure to meet the reporting compliance of 70 percent for three or more consecutive semiannual periods.
Finance
The Trustees approved a budget for total program award expenditures of US$153,002,000 in 2008-09. They also adopted a budget of US$44,680,000 for program operations, fund development, general administration, and PolioPlus program operations of The Rotary Foundation during 2008-09, for a total budget amount of US$197,682,000.
Foundation Facts (as of 30 April 2008)
- Paul Harris Fellows: 1,108,848
- Foundation Benefactors: 77,298
- Major Donors: 9,720
January 2008
January 2008, Trustee minutes
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met on 12-13 January 2008 in San Diego, California, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.
Fund Development and Recognition
Forty-two Rotarians were chosen to receive the Distinguished Service Award for their outstanding service to The Rotary Foundation. The Trustees also chose a winner of The Rotary Foundation Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award, which will be presented at the 2008 (Los Angeles) Convention.
Programs
Upon the recommendation of the International PolioPlus Committee, the Trustees approved a series of opportunities designed to motivate the continued interest, support and participation of Rotarians in achieving the objectives of the PolioPlus program. Detailed information on these opportunities may be found on www.rotary.org
Effective 1 July 2008, fundraising for PolioPlus Partners will be deferred for three years in order to concentrate on matching the US$100 million Gates Challenge grant. However, PolioPlus Partners projects will continue to be funded from the PolioPlus Fund, up to US$5 million per year.
The Trustees awarded the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World to the following Rotarians:
- Dee C. Boswell
- Luis Vicente Giay
- Rudolf Hilker
- Deepak Kapur
- Stan Socha
- Ezra Teshome
The Trustees also:
- Approved PolioPlus grants for Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
- Looked with favor on the plans for alumni events to be held in conjunction with the 2008 (Los Angeles) Convention.
Foundation Facts (as of 31 January 2008)
- Paul Harris Fellows: 1,092,425
- Foundation Benefactors: 76,315
- Major Donors: 9,388
October 2007
October 2007, Trustee minutes
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 22-26 October 2007 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.
Administration
The Trustees elected Trustee Mark Daniel Maloney as vice chair for the remainder of 2007-08.
The Trustees elected Trustee Glenn E. Estess Sr. as chair-elect and Trustee Ron D. Burton as vice chair during 2008-09. The Trustees’ annual meeting will be held 27-31 October 2008 in Evanston. The chair will decide the dates of all other 2008-09 meetings.
During an open forum, the chair of the Future Vision Committee presented a lengthy report to the Trustees on grant structure, strategic cooperative relationships, distributable funds, and Foundation recognition plans for the future. The Trustees agreed to a series of recommendations that will be phased in during a three-year pilot program. Detailed information on the characteristics of the proposed models will be available on the RI Web site and in the Rotary World Magazine Press in the near future.
The Trustees reaffirmed the three-year term for the district Rotary Foundation committee chair to ensure stewardship and continuity within districts, but agreed that the signatures of both the district governor and the committee chair will be required for the use of the District Designated Fund, effective 1 July 2008.
Fund Development
The Trustees continue to seek the improvement of tax benefits for donors worldwide and are reviewing two of the top-giving countries where benefits do not currently exist.
Programs
The Trustees:
- Approved 26 Matching Grants involving Rotary clubs and districts in Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroun, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, England, France, Greenland, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mexico, Montenegro, Norway, Peru, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia.
- Changed the deadline for submission of competitive Matching Grant applications from 1 January to 15 December, effective 1 July 2008.
- Approved PolioPlus Grants for Afghanistan, India, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the World Health Organization.
- Received the list of candidates approved for the 2007-08 second session of the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Pilot Program. Received the list of candidates to be awarded 2008-10 program year Rotary World Peace Fellowships and allocated World Fund moneys to supplement District Designated Funds and restricted gift funds for 60 2008-10 fellowships.
- Requested regional Rotary Foundation coordinators to work with their zones to increase the number of applicants to the Foundation’s peace programs.
- Congratulated the Rotary Center at the University of Queensland for being awarded the 2007 Celebrating International Education and Training Industry Showcase Award by the Queensland State government.
- Agreed to conduct a Rotary World Peace Symposium as an official preconvention event at the 2009 (Birmingham) RI Convention, and to conduct such symposiums on a three-year schedule, subject to a favorable review of the Birmingham symposium.
- Supported the development of a worldwide Rotary Foundation alumni association to be called the Rotary Foundation Alumni Network (formerly the Global Alliance of Rotary Foundation Alumni), and requested organizers of club, district, and zone events to include as many Foundation alumni as possible, especially when Foundation trustees are invited to participate.
Stewardship
The Trustees noted a decrease in world reporting for Humanitarian Grants in the September 2007 analysis and expect that districts will improve their reporting percentages by the semiannual analysis in April 2008.
Finance
The Trustees received the Foundation’s 2006-07 audited financial results as submitted by Deloitte & Touche. The results will be published in the Foundation’s annual report.
The Trustees also appointed Deloitte & Touche to audit the books of The Rotary Foundation for the fiscal year 2007-08.
Foundation Facts (as of 31 October 2007)
- Paul Harris Fellows: 1,080,267
- Foundation Benefactors: 75,537
- Major Donors: 9,001
June 2007
June 2007, Trustee minutes
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met on 21-23 June 2007 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken by the Trustees.
Administration
The Trustees agreed to an additional Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for Zone 6B, to be effective in 2008-09.
Fund development
The Trustees approved a 2007-08 worldwide Annual Programs Fund goal of US$120,000,000.
Programs
Following the success of the first Rotary World Peace Symposium held just before the Salt Lake City convention, the Trustees agreed to produce and distribute a Findings Report from this meeting. They also requested the Rotary Centers Committee to explore the feasibility of conducting another Rotary World Peace Symposium in 2008-09.
In continuing efforts to provide long-term funding for the Rotary Centers Program, the Trustees approved an updated plan and budget for the Rotary Centers Major Gifts Initiative to raise US$95 million in named and endowed support for the program by 30 June 2015.
The Trustees amended the Humanitarian Grants policy to provide that grant funds cannot be used as a contribution to The Rotary Foundation or as a contribution for any Humanitarian Grant.
The “Whatever Happened to Polio?” exhibit will be filmed in mid-July 2007 and made available on the RI Web site as a “virtual tour.” This former Smithsonian Institution exhibit will open in August at the Warm Springs Rehabilitation Institute (Georgia, USA) as a permanent exhibit.
The Trustees approved PolioPlus Grants for Afghanistan and Pakistan. They also approved a matching grant for Haiti.
Foundation facts
- Paul Harris Fellows: 1,068,741
- Foundation Benefactors: 74,791
- Major Donors: 8,707
Profiles of the Rotary Foundation Trustees