Highlights of Actions Taken by the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation

October 2012

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 22-26 October 2012 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The Trustees reviewed seven committee reports and recorded 52 decisions. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Administration

The Trustees elected Trustee John Kenny to serve as their chairman-elect during 2013-14. They deferred the election of a 2013-14 vice-chairman to their January 2013 meeting.

A restated Rotary Foundation Code of Policies was adopted for grant activity under the Future Vision Plan. It will be effective for all pre-award grant activity for grants to be awarded after 30 June 2013, while the current Foundation Code will be effective only through 30 June 2013 (and thereafter, to be effective solely for grants awarded pursuant to programs discontinued on or before 30 June 2013).

Fund Development

The Trustees noted that a total of US$228,698,000 was received from districts, clubs, alumni, Rotaractors, Interactors, Rotary Fellowships, and individual Rotarians to End Polio Now, and thanked Past Trustee John Germ for his outstanding leadership in surpassing the goal of Rotary’s US$200 Million Challenge.

The Trustees acknowledged and deeply appreciate the generosity of donors who have provided approximately US$73.4 million for the Rotary Peace Centers Major Gifts Initiative as of 30 June 2012.

The Paul Harris Society was approved as an official donor recognition program effective 1 July 2013. The Society recognizes those who personally contribute US$1,000 or more each year to the annual fund, polio, or an approved Rotary Foundation grant.

The Trustees approved several changes to the fund development volunteer structure as follows:

• 41 major gifts advisors will be appointed by 1 June 2013 for a three-year pilot period;
  
• A network of Rotarian “allied professionals” will be established to enhance planned giving efforts;
  
• Regional Permanent Fund committees will be discontinued effective 1 July 2013;
  
• The Foundation’s Fund Development Committee will be increased from four to nine members, with six non-trustee Rotarians appointed for multi-year terms.

Programs

The Trustees approved PolioPlus grants for Afghanistan, Chad, DR Congo, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Southeast Asia region, Southern Sudan, Sudan, West and Central Africa, and WHO/UNICEF for research activities.

All individuals receiving direct funding from district grants, global grants and packaged grants, including participants in scholarships, vocational trainings and travelers for humanitarian projects, will now be recognized as Rotary Foundation alumni. Districts are requested to share the names and contact information of district grant alumni with the general secretary in order to facilitate ongoing communication and involvement with RI.

Stewardship

One-day training and recruitment seminars for The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers are scheduled to take place before the 2013 (Lisbon) and 2014 (Sydney) conventions.

Finance

The Trustees accepted the 2011-12 audited financial statements and report on The Rotary Foundation. Results will be published in the Foundation’s annual report.

Foundation Facts (as of 15 November 2012)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,366,162

Foundation Benefactors: 88,421

Major Donors: 17,069

Arch C. Klumph Society Members: 399

June 2012

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

Fund Development

The Trustees were advised that as of 19 June 2012, Rotary’s US$200 Million Challenge had received US$221,394,000 toward the target of US$200 million, which included 472 major gifts totaling US$29,123,854.87. The US$3.5 million gift from Google was not included in the major gift total.

The Trustees endorsed a worldwide Annual Programs Fund goal of US$120 million for 2012-13.

Programs

The Trustees:

• Agreed to provide funding for the PolioPlus Partners program through 30 June 2013 to continue support for social mobilization and surveillance activities of National PolioPlus Committees in polio-endemic, high-risk, and importation countries.
  
• Approved PolioPlus grants for Chad, DR Congo, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, and the Polio Research Committee.
  
• Approved a World Fund match for cash contributions made by non-Rotarians and non-Rotary entities, where the contributions form a part of the financing of projects initiated by Rotary clubs and districts.

With regard to the Future Vision pilot, the Trustees:

• Modified vocational training team and humanitarian project travel requirements, which will offer more flexibility to sponsors of global grants when the Future Vision Plan launches in July 2013.
  
• Modified the maternal and child health area of focus policy statements to allow lifesaving surgeries that lack capacity building.

The Trustees agreed that disaster relief is not a Rotary Foundation role, but will continues to encourage Rotarians to support disaster recovery efforts through the new Future Vision grants structure. The Rotary Foundation will no longer establish special accounts for receipt of disaster relief and recovery funds. Local committees may continue to establish such accounts, as the need arises.

Finance

The Trustees approved the 2012-13 budget for revenues and operating expenses, the Permanent Fund spending rates, spendable earnings and the allocations to program awards, program operations, fund development and general administration. In addition, they approved a change in the methodology for calculating the spendable earnings.

Noting that temporarily restricted cash contributions received for global grants and term gifts are not part of the Annual Permanent Fund three-year investment cycle, the Trustees agreed to utilize 5 percent of these funds to support TRF operations effective 1 July 2013.

Foundation Facts (as of 30 June 2012)

Paul Harris Fellows: 1,351,589

Foundation Benefactors: 87,428

Major Donors: 16,787       

Arch C. Klumph Society Members: 391

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