Highlights from the 2010-11 Rotary Foundation Trustees meetings

May 2011

May 2011, Trustee minutes

April 2011

April 2011, Trustee minutes

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 11-14 April 2011 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Programs

The Trustees:

• Approved four Matching Grants involving Rotary clubs and districts in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Moldova, Nepal, New Zealand and Zambia.
• Agreed to accept Matching Grant applications for projects related to disaster recovery after the 31 March 2011 deadline, due to the amount of funding that is still remaining in the Disaster Recovery Funds for Chile, Haiti, Pakistan and Western Africa.
• Removed the deadline for spending the Disaster Recovery Funds to provide additional time for Rotarians to plan their humanitarian projects in disaster affected areas as well as the deadlines for all other disaster recovery funds currently active.
• Approved issuing Disaster Recovery Funds for Matching Grants and Global Grants without requiring additional cash or District Designated Funds to be contributed by the project’s host and international partners, while maintaining the minimum project cost of US$10,000 for Matching Grants and US$30,000 for Global Grants in order to expedite the expenditure of funds generously donated by Rotarians to the various Rotary disaster recovery funds.
• Agreed to establish a new Rotary Peace Center at Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, with an initial three-year agreement.
• Approved a new strategic partnerships with Mercy Ships and authorized the general secretary to make global grants available to Future Vision pilot clubs and districts.

Stewardship

The Trustees noted an increase in the world reporting percentage for humanitarian and Future Vision grants for the April 2011 analysis. However, five districts were suspended for failure to meet reporting compliance of 70 percent for two or more consecutive semi-annual reports and for having more than one grant overdue in both of the analyses.

After discussing the background to the relationship with FINCA International, the Trustees agreed to lift the suspension of FINCA and its affiliates as a cooperating organization. FINCA and its affiliates are now able to work with Rotary clubs and districts on Matching Grants, District Simplified Grants, District Grants and Global Grants, effective with the 2011-12 program year awards. An initial pilot period of two years has been set and the Trustees agreed to consider the status of FINCA as a cooperating organization beyond the two-year pilot period.

Finance

The Trustees approved a budget for total program award expenditures of US$89,830,000 in 2011-12. They also adopted a budget of US$68,511,000 for program operations, fund development, general administration, and PolioPlus program operations of The Rotary Foundation for 2011-12, for a total budget of US$161,913,000.

The Trustees also approved Permanent Fund spending rates, spendable earnings and the allocations to programs awards, program operations, fund development and general administration for 2011-12.

Foundation Facts (as at 31 March 2011)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,282,920

Foundation Benefactors: 85,580

Major Donors: 13,711

January 2011

January 2011, Trustee minutes

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met on 15-16 and 21 January 2011 in San Diego, California, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Administration

The Trustees noted that the Japanese government has approved the Japan Associate Foundation to operate as a public interest incorporated foundation to provide tax benefits to donors.

Fund Development and Recognition

As of 14 January 2011, Rotary’s US$200 Million Challenge has received cash and commitments of US$161,167,000 toward the challenge, US$20.3 million of which have been major gifts. This does not include US$3.5 million from Google.

Forty-one Rotarians were selected to receive the Distinguished Service Award in 2010-11 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 2011 (New Orleans) Convention.

Programs

The Trustees:

• Reduced the minimum award amount for packaged global grants from US$50,000 to US$20,000 for Future Vision pilot districts
• Approved the use of district and global grants to support immunization activities, including the purchase of polio vaccines, as long as polio vaccine is not the only vaccine that is being purchased
• Revised guidelines relating to the contribution of term gifts from donors in Future Vision pilot and non-pilot districts
• Approved a Matching Grant involving Rotary clubs in Mongolia and Korea
• Agreed to redirect the unused balance of District Designated Funds allocated to the Scholarships Fund Pool for Low-Income Countries to award one scholarship to a low-income country candidate, and the remainder to the 2010-11 budget for the Rotary Peace Centers Program
• Approved ten nominations for the 2010-11 International Service Award for a Polio-Free World
• Approved PolioPlus Grants for Angola, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan and WHO

Foundation Facts (at 31 December 2010)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,266,626

Foundation Benefactors: 84,962

Major Donors: 13,557

Arch C. Klumph Members: 298

October 2010

October 2010, Trustee minutes

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 25-28 October 2010 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Administration

The Trustees elected Trustee Wilfrid J. Wilkinson to serve as chairman-elect and Trustee Samuel A. Okudzeto as vice-chairman during 2011-12. The Trustees’ annual meeting will be held 19-23 September 2011 in Evanston. The chairman will decide the dates of all other 2011-12 meetings.

Fund Development

The Trustees received a progress report on Rotary’s US$200 Million Challenge and were advised that as of 22 October, US$149,222,000 had been raised. The Challenge will conclude on 30 June 2012 as planned, with no extension contemplated beyond that date.

The Trustees acknowledge and deeply appreciate the generosity of donors who have provided approximately US$45,700,000 toward the goal of US$95,000,000 to endow the Rotary Peace Centers programs.

Programs

The Trustees:

• Approved eight Matching Grants involving Rotary clubs and districts in Chile, Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Lesotho, Lithuania, Malawi, Mexico, Taiwan, and the United States.
• Approved the first Global Grant request involving Rotary clubs and districts in Sierra Leone and the United States.
• Approved PolioPlus Grants for Afghanistan, Chad, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sudan.
• Recognized that The Rotary Foundation and its grant programs are better aimed at providing longer term disaster recovery rather than immediate disaster relief, and agreed in concept to establish a partnership with an international organization that specializes in disaster relief. Rotarians are encouraged to utilize the existing Foundation grants offered for disaster recovery efforts.
• Received the list of candidates to be awarded 2011 Rotary Peace Fellowships. Allocated funds for 50 master’s degree and 33 certificate Rotary World Peace Fellowships in 2011-12.
• Agreed to commemorate the tenth class of Rotary Peace Fellows with the publication of an academic journal article and a separate article in The Rotarian and regional Rotary magazines, both to be published in 2012-13.
• Noting that the objective of the Rotary Peace Centers program is to produce skilled practitioners in mediation and conflict resolution, agreed to expand the program to include funding for doctoral students to conduct field research toward a Ph.D. related to peace studies and conflict resolution.
• Looked with favor on the tentative draft program for the 2011 and 2012 Rotary alumni events in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, and Bangkok, Thailand.
• Beginning in 2011-12 on a pilot basis, up to 100 Rotary Foundation alumni association stipends will be offered to enhance the effectiveness of alumni associations.
• Agreed to establish a Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of the Year Award for presentation starting in 2011-12.

Stewardship

Noting a decrease in world reporting for Humanitarian and Future Vision Grants in the October 2010 analysis, the Trustees expect that districts will improve their reporting percentages by the semi-annual analysis in April 2011.

A regional training seminar for the Humanitarian Grants Cadre of Technical Advisors is being planned in conjunction with the 2011 (New Orleans) International Convention, and a one-day training event will be held before the 2012 (Bangkok) Convention.

Finance

Subject to review and approval by the Audit Committee at its November 2010 meeting, the Trustees accepted the draft audited financial statements and report for 2009-10 on The Rotary Foundation. The results will be published in the Foundation’s annual report.

Foundation Facts (as at 30 September 2010)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,251,714

Foundation Benefactors: 84,102

Major Donors: 13,105