INDIAN PANDEMIC APPEAL

On 28 May, we were advised that the Rotary Foundation Australia had to delay the proposed Indian Pandemic Appeal.  This was planned as a joint activity of Rotary Foundation Australia and the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s Community Enterprise Foundation.  The delay was unfortunate but beyond their control.  The situation in India remains dire, with about 50,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths daily.  This is the time of a crisis when Rotary typically plays its part by helping communities to respond and recover.  The Chair of RFA is pleased to advise that the Foundation and Bendigo have agreed to resume the efforts to help fund this relief.
Correspondence from Maurie Stack, Chair, Rotary Foundation Australia....
 
As I mentioned, a coordinating group of senior Rotarians in India has been identifying areas of greatest need, and clubs and districts in those areas have been creating global grant projects that are both sustainable and meet critical community needs.  There are two ways in which you may wish to encourage people to support these projects: 
  • Bendigo has created a bank account into which people can make tax deductible contributions, either in-branch or by EFT – donors immediately receive a Bendigo tax receipt,
  • You can either create your own project by application for a Global Grant to address Covid 19 needs in India or you can contact Mark Anderson or Rob Byrne at the RI Parramatta office (RISPPO) to obtain the details of one of the existing applications for a Global Grant. You can invite community donations into a bank account you establish and once the project has been locked, you can transfer those funds, naming the donors, to the Rotary Foundation Identifying the Global Grant Number.
What are the advantages of each approach?
  • Bendigo provides simplicity – people make a contribution, receive a tax receipt, and Bendigo handles the admin (see details below),
  • By forwarding funds from your own bank account, donors receive Foundation recognition (not available through Bendigo) – this is important to Rotarians and clubs but not to members of the public.
 To minimise your admin, you may want to direct contributions from members of the public to Bendigo and direct Rotary contributions to your own account.  To discuss the opportunity, please contact me, or alternatively Rob Byrne or Mark Anderson at RISPPO.  Please note that Bendigo will not immediately be launching their own public appeal.
 It would be greatly appreciated if you could let your clubs and members know of the opportunity to support the Indian Pandemic Appeal.  This is a major humanitarian crisis and an opportunity for all of us to help Indian Rotarians to deliver desperately needed relief.
 Generally
 I should draw to your attention a very positive development which has arisen from these negotiations with the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. We are expecting that the bank will establish an ongoing bank account to receive funds for joint appeals by the bank and Rotary Foundation Australia. That will provide the infrastructure to enable us to quickly work together in joint appeals usually arising from natural disasters within Australia, be they drought, flood, fire or whatever.
Also a reminder that as of November last year we have established a Public Benevolent Institution. That enables us to provide tax-deductible receipts for projects within Australia as well as overseas. In turn, that provides the opportunity for Rotary to work with Corporate Australia and wealthy individuals, who mainly want to support charities within Australia. That is particularly important for those companies and wealthy individuals with their own private charities with Deductible Gift Recipient 2 status, which can provide tax-deductible receipts but have to pass their funds onto a charity with DGR 1 Status – like our PBI.
You and your members can help by using your contacts to provide us with introductions to community minded companies and wealthy individuals – please contact Mark or Rob – and by letting us know of your projects which you think might be attractive to corporate Australia.
Best wishes  
Maurie Stack
Chair
Rotary Foundation Australia
 
 
CONTRIBUTIONS VIA BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK
 
Electronic Funds Transfers:
Account Name – Rotary Foundation Australia - Indian Pandemic Relief
BSB: 633000
Account Number: 184515286
 
It’s also imperative that donors email foundation.mailbox@bendigoadelaide.com.au to provide details and receive a tax receipt:
 
Name:
Date of transfer:
Amount:
Email:
 
In-branch contributions will receive a tax receipt at the time of deposit.  To find your nearest Bendigo Bank branch, visit www.bendigobank.com.au/locate-us/
 
CONTRIBUTIONS DIRECT TO A GLOBAL GRANT
 
You can apply for a Global Grant or support an existing one and then create a bank account to collect contributions and forward funds to the Foundation in Parramatta:
  • noting the grant number of the approved global grant, and
  • providing an Excel list of donors and, where the donor is a club or member, providing their Rotary ID.
Once a global grant has been approved, contributions can also be made on My Rotary, by selecting the Global Grants menu and inserting the grant number: