November is Rotary Foundation Month

The Rotary Foundation – Foundation Month November 2013

In 1917 RI President Arch Klumph initiated the establishment of an endowment fund with the purpose of “Doing Good in the World”, and in 1928 this fund was renamed The Rotary Foundation and became a distinct entity within Rotary International.

From the first donation of $26.60 in 1917 the support of the Foundation has grown tremendously with contributions totalling more than US$1 billion.

The Rotary Foundation, Rotary’s charity, is a not-for-profit corporation supported by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation. It has as its mission “to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty”

From 1985 until the present, the eradication of Polio has been and remains Rotary’s top philanthropic priority. We are “this close” and we must continue the fight.

Past Rotary International President John Kenny has said “For if we fail now, we fail all those who have gone before us, and every child to whom we made a promise. If we fail we risk our own good name, and the good name of all the Rotarians who came before us”

The new Rotary Foundation grants program of District and Global Grants offer clubs and districts the opportunities to address immediate needs in our communities and abroad, and/or participate in large scale international humanitarian and educational projects aligned with the six areas of focus.

It is proposed that the Torquay Rotary Club will access these grants to support the forthcoming International project.

The ongoing support of The Rotary Foundation by Rotarians and Rotary clubs is essential to  make possible Foundation grant-funded projects that bring sustainable improvements to communities in need , and to continue “Doing Good in the World”

Chris Sims

November 2013