Disaster relief and recovery funding

In response to Rotarian reactions to recent disasters, the RI Board and The Rotary Foundation Trustees created a master Disaster Recovery account to facilitate contributions for disaster relief. From the master account, subaccounts may be opened at the discretion of the general secretary, in consultation with the RI president and the Foundation trustee chair. When considering a new account, they will reflect on public and Rotarian interest in providing relief, as well as the disaster’s economic and human impact.

The main focus of the program is disaster recovery (long-term reconstruction) rather than disaster relief (immediate aid). If an account is not opened, Rotarians may still work with RI Programs to publicize their efforts on www.rotary.org. Rotarians are encouraged to contact RI Programs with disaster relief inquiries.

The Rotary Foundation will collect donations for disasters on a temporary, restricted basis, and these contributions will support Rotary’s relief efforts. Contributions to the subaccounts will be accepted for a maximum of six months.

Committees

Once the general secretary opens a specific account for a disaster, a committee will be appointed. Disaster Recovery committees comprise Rotary leaders in the affected areas who are appointed by the Foundation trustee chair. The committees

• Oversee the management and stewardship of funds, including the maintenance of a separate bank account for these funds
• Identify the needs of the affected communities, along with appropriate projects to be supported and funded
• Use the funds exclusively for charitable, educational, and humanitarian projects and in a manner consistent with the grant agreement

Guidelines

Disaster Recovery funds must be used in accordance with the Disaster Recovery terms and conditions. Payments from Disaster Recovery accounts may be made in installments if contributions exceed US$25,000. An appropriate spending plan will be requested before funds are released. Additionally, committees must submit reports to the Foundation detailing the use of the funds every 12 months for the life of the grant. A final report is due within two months of the project’s completion.

Since 2004, The Rotary Foundation has collected $7,584,748 for four specific disasters: the South Asian tsunami, Hurricanes Stan and Wilma in Guatemala and Mexico, Hurricane Wilma in the United States, and the earthquake in India and Pakistan. If you’re in one of these areas and need help, contact the committee that has been formed to distribute donations.

Watch the Disaster Recovery  PowerPoint presentation for more information about disasters.