As we continue to recognize Rotary Foundation Month, I want to share with you some additional information about the works of the Foundation. We know already that the Foundation has been instrumental in the worldwide fight against polio and other diseases. We also know from Rich Kaye's email this week that the Foundation supports emergency aid to areas devastated by natural disaster, such as Haiti and Indonesia.
 
But, did you know that the Foundation supports directly several education initiatives? The following are just a few of the programs you support when you give to the Foundation:

Ambassadorial Scholarships: The Foundation supports the largest non-governmental and most international scholarship program in the world. Scholars study in a country other than their own where they serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill. Since 1947, over 37,000 scholars from some 110 countries have received scholarships at a cost of almost $446 million.

Group Study Exchange (GSE): These annual awards are made to paired Rotary districts to provide travel expenses for a team of non-Rotarians from a variety of vocations. Rotarian hosts organize a four- to six-week itinerary of educational and cultural points of interest. Since 1965, almost 48,000 individuals in more than 11,000 teams from more than 100 countries have participated at a cost of $85 million.

Rotary Peace Fellowships: Each year up to 110 fellows at the master's degree level are sponsored to study at one of the six Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. In 2003-2004, 62 new scholars from 26 countries received grants totaling $3.9 million for the two-year program.

When I speak to non-Rotarians about gifts to the Rotary Foundation, I suggest they use one of the many on-line investigative tools to research charitable organizations. What they are surprised to see is the ratio of the donated funds used for administrative costs to those directed to our causes. The reason for the impressive ratio is that a great deal of the work required of the Foundation is done through volunteers like you and I.

As Rotarians, we can be proud of the work done by our Foundation. Thank you for your continued support of The Rotary Foundation!

Have a fruitful week.

Yours in Rotary,

Steve Walden