The Rotary Foundation celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2016-17. Former Rotary International President Arch Klumph’s idea for an endowment fund dedicated to ‘Doing Good In The World’ planted the seed for The Rotary Foundation in 1917.
That one idea and an initial contribution of $26.50 set in motion a powerful force for good that has transformed millions of lives around the globe over the decades. Over the last 100 years, the Foundation has spent over $3 billion on humanitarian programs across the world. This includes spearheading the movement to eradicate polio across the world, as well as facilitating projects, which address Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus.
Celebrating Our Centenary
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of creating a better world. This support is essential to make possible projects, funded with Foundation grants, that bring sustainable improvement to communities in need.
What do we do? – Rotary’s Six Areas of Focus
The work of Rotary begins in the community, and every community has its own unique needs and concerns. While we serve in countless ways, we’ve focused our efforts in six key areas to maximise our impact. These areas encompass some of the world’s most critical and widespread humanitarian needs, and we have a proven record of success in addressing them.