Highlights of Actions Taken by the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation

March 2012

March 2012, Trustee minutes

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 19-21 March 2012 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Programs

The Trustees

• Reaffirmed that global polio eradication is the urgent priority of The Rotary Foundation and that continued support is essential.
• Adopted changes to the Guidelines for Construction of Low Cost Shelters for Matching Grants.

With regard to the Future Vision pilot, the Trustees

• Reaffirmed the minimum US$15,000 award amount for global grants, and that at least 30 percent of contributions to fund global grants exclusively for humanitarian projects must come from outside the project country.
• Agreed that packaged global grants shall be named “packaged grants” and club and district developed global grants shall be named “global grants” effective 1 July 2013. “District grants” nomenclature remains unchanged.
• Approved in principle “area of focus” policy statements that will define funding parameters for global grants.
• Approved a project enhancement process within the water and sanitation area of focus, and agreed that up to then Future Vision pilot districts shall test the concept during 2012-13.

Stewardship

The Trustees agreed that Foundation-approved global grant scholarships shall be exempt from payment and processing restrictions that are a result of suspensions from participation in Foundation programs.

The Trustees suspended three clubs and one district from participation in Foundation programs, all for noncompliance with Foundation reporting requirements or misuse or mismanagement of grant funds.

Finance

The Trustees approved a budget for total program award expenditures of US$146,087,000 in 2012-13, US$80,572,000 of which will come from the unrestricted annual programs fund. Consideration of the 2012-13 budget for revenues and operating expenses was deferred to the Trustees’ June 2012 meeting.

The Trustees also agreed to the continuation of the match currently provided to PolioPlus contributions, which is US$0.50 from the World Fund for every US$1.00 of District Designated Funds (DDF). This is an incentive for districts to contribute DDF until the certification of the eradication of polio.  This match will be applied on a first come/first served basis and capped at US$3.5 million annually for the next five fiscal years.

Foundation Facts (as of 31 March 2012)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,329,827

Foundation Benefactors: 86,714

Major Donor: not available

Arch C. Klumph Society Members: not available

January 2012

January 2012, Trustee minutes

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met on 14-15 January 2012 in San Diego, California, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Administration

The Trustees rescinded an earlier decision that created a separate travel policy for The Rotary Foundation Trustees.

Fund Development and Recognition

As of 17 January 2012, Rotary’s US$200 Million Challenge had been met. US$24.9 million of this was in major gifts. However, the challenge will continue through to 30 June 2012 as originally planned.

Forty-five Rotarians were selected to receive the Distinguished Service Award in 2011-12 for their outstanding service to The Rotary Foundation. The Trustees also chose a winner of The Rotary Foundation Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award to be presented at the 2012 International Convention, and a winner of The Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of the Year Award, to be presented at the 2012 Rotary Alumni Celebration, both in Bangkok.

Programs

The Trustees:

• Acknowledged the supplementary grant of US$50 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, noting this is not a matching grant
  
• Approved funds to support production costs for a film on the achievement of one year without any polio cases in India
  
• Approved ten nominations for the 2011-12 International Service Award for a Polio-Free World
  
• Approved PolioPlus Grants for Afghanistan, Chad, DR Congo, Horn of Africa, India, Nigeria, and Southern Sudan
  
• Suspended a previous decision to select a new Rotary Peace Center and appointed a subcommittee to consider a full range of options for future development of the Rotary Peace Centers program

Foundation Facts (at 31 December 2011)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,315,836

Foundation Benefactors: 85,936

Major Donor: not available

Arch C. Klumph Society Members: not available

September 2011

September 2011, Trustee minutes

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 19-23 September 2011 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Administration

The Trustees elected Trustee Dong Kurn Lee to serve as chairman-elect and Trustee Stephen R. Brown as vice-chairman during 2012-13.

Fund Development

The Trustees agreed to offer donors the ability to designate Annual Programs Fund contributions to any of the six areas of focus, effective October 2011. Such contributions will qualify for the same donor recognition as gifts such as Every Rotarian, Every Year; Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member; Paul Harris Fellow; Major Donor and Arch C. Klumph Society, and will be included in club and district goal and per capita calculations.

Programs

The Trustees:

• Recognizing that Rotarians wish to immediately come to the aid of communities impacted by disasters, agreed to accept restricted contributions and District Designated Fund donations for special accounts that will be forwarded to a committee of Rotarians to carry out disaster recovery and relief projects identified locally. Donors will have the ability to make online contributions for more than one disaster fund at any given time.
  
• Approved a strategic partnership with UNESCO-IHE and agreed that Future Vision pilot clubs may use packaged global grants with UNESCO-IHE beginning 1 July 2012.
  
• Approved PolioPlus Grants for Afghanistan, Angola, Chad, DR Congo, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, and WHO/CORE.
  
• Increased the 2011-12 PolioPlus Program Awards budget from US$63,510,625 to US$95,440,625.
  
• Looked with favor on the tentative draft program for the 2012 and 2013 Rotary alumni events in Bangkok, Thailand and Lisbon, Portugal.
  
• Agreed to discontinue sending any new Rotary Peace Fellows to the Rotary Peace Centers program at Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina, effective immediately. A search for a new Rotary Peace Center university is underway.
  
• Agreed to allow Rotary clubs and districts not participating in the Future Vision pilot to utilize Matching Grants to fund low cost shelter projects, and to pilot this initiative throughout 2011-12 and 2012-13.
  
• Concurred with the RI Board on a new partnership model and guidelines for working with other organizations.

Stewardship

Noting a decrease in world reporting for humanitarian and Future Vision grants in the July 2011 analysis, the Trustees encouraged districts to improve their reporting percentages for future analyses.

Regional training seminars for The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers will held at the 2012 (Bangkok) International Convention and before the 2013 (Lisbon) Convention.

The Trustees authorized approval of grants where Rotaplast International serves as a cooperating organization, based on the agreement that grant funds are used in a manner that is consistent with The Rotary Foundation Code of Policies and the terms and conditions of TRF grants.

Finance

The Trustees received the 2010-11 audited financial statements and report on The Rotary Foundation. The results will be published in the Foundation’s annual report.

Foundation Facts (tentative, as at 30 September 2011)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,324,823

Foundation Benefactors: 86,930

Major Donors: 14,982

Arch C. Klumph Society Members: 339