Foundation Moment Stories
Bruce Gray, President Elect and Foundation Chair, kicked off his monthly Foundation moment with brief comments i ntroducing the Rotary International Foundation.
The mission of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International (RI) is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and alleviation of poverty.
At the 1917 Rotary convention outgoing RI President Arch Klumph proposed setting up a foundation for the purpose of doing good in the world. The initial contribution was $26.50, setting in motion a power force that has changed millions of lives around our world.
The RI Foundation is a charitable trust governed by a independent board of trustees of the RI board. The two entities are linked with two current members of RI’s board of Directors serving on the RI Foundation.
In 2019 the Foundation received $420 million from all sources and allocated $375 million toward grants and scholarships that promote the goals of Rotary. Since 1947 $4.7 billion has been funded by the foundation.
For 12 years in a row the RI Foundation has received the “highest rating” from Charity Watch as 92% of the funds received are expended.
Major areas of expenditures are:
- Polio Plus accounts for almost ½ - matched $2 for $1 by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Peace Fellowships given to 100 recipients to study how to create peace in our world.
- Grants – District, Global, Disaster Response – Our own district 5790, with 74 clubs, Rotary District 5790 raised more than $160,000 in only 10 days for COVID-19 relief efforts in North Central Texas. In Wichita Falls, funds were delivered to Wichita Falls Area Food Bank, to the Hendrick Medical Center for the purchase of a non-invasive bentilator and also to United Regional. Full Story https://www.rotary5790.org/Stories/the-rotary-foundation-approves-district-5790-reverse-global-grant-for-covid-19-response-in-our-district-communities
Next month we will review how our foundation is funded and how the RI Endowment money flows. Future summaries will discuss Paul Harris Fellows, Paul Harris Society and explore RI Global Grants and District Grants.
Our club is blessed in that our members follow the Every Rotarian Every Year with our club’s per capita Rotary International funding over many years remaining above the targeted level of $100 per member.
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