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The Rotary Foundation – Our “Seed Bank” for Tough Times
Your Club Presidents and Foundation Directors have already heard of my description of The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund as our “Seed Bank” to enable our clubs to grow their ideas into significant projects that do good in the world. A share of your contributions to the Annual Fund each year are set aside for three years, and then returned to our District for use in new District and Global Grants to support your club’s projects. These funds are the seeds to help you grow a bigger project!
This year we have already received applications for over $100,000 in District Grants that will double the size of 30 club projects. These have been submitted to The Rotary Foundation for approval, and we hope to make the funds available within the next month.We have also received approval from The Rotary Foundation for our first Global Grant this Rotary year! This project will provide 10 oxygen concentrators to hospitals in the Kathmandu region of Nepal, worth over $US 30,000. This is a project sponsored by the Rotary Club of Northlakes Toukley. Club President Jan Pryor learned of the urgent need in Nepal and partnered with...
... a Rotary Club in Nepal to develop a project plan. A total of $US 18,000 in support from the “Seed Bank” was available if her club could raise at least $US 10,000. This was impossible for her club alone. But within days, Jan had commitments of financial support from 12 other clubs in our District. The club in Nepal was also able to contribute.
This is a wonderful example of clubs working together to raise what seems to be an impossible amount of money for one club to raise. If you have an idea for a major project that will do good in the world, please contact me or Grants Committee Chair, Haran Ramachandran. We have sufficient funds to magnify the impact of at least five more global grant projects this year.
Our “Seed Bank” needs to be continually refilled to support future projects. Already, clubs and their members have contributed over $AUD 25,000 to the Annual Fund in the first month of the new Rotary year. Congratulations to those of you who have already donated $100 to the Foundation to renew your status as a Centurion, and to those who have reached the level of Paul Harris Society member with a donation this year of $US 1000! And my special thanks to three members whose continuing support of The Rotary Foundation has resulted in your recognition as Major Donors. We are planning a major event (COVID-19 permitting) later this year to honour those who are providing ongoing support to The Rotary Foundation.
If you are able to set aside some funds for our “Seed Bank” to help others through the tough times ahead, please consider becoming a Centurion or a Paul Harris Society member. Instructions for making a confidential personal donation are available with this link.
 | PP David Dean District 9685 Rotary Foundation Chair 0412 798 526 PP Haran Ramachandran Grants Subcommittee Chair 0419 980 529 |