Welcome

Rotary is a worldwide network of people who volunteer their time and skills to help their communities. Members work on local projects and global causes alike, from clean water and disease prevention to education and economic development. Rotary is probably best known for leading the decades-long effort to end polio.

At the local level, a Rotary club is simply a group of people who want to make their community better and enjoy each other’s company while doing it.

Rotary’s motto is Service Above Self.

Rotary’s vision statement is: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”

A passport club is a Rotary club built around flexibility. The idea is to remove the usual barriers to joining, namely the weekly meeting, the formal lunch, and the costs that come with them. The first passport club started in Sacramento in 2015, and the model has since spread across North America and beyond.

The “passport” works in a few directions at once. It’s a passport into Rotary for people with busy lives, a passport to other Rotary clubs (members are encouraged to drop in on other clubs’ meetings, projects, and fundraisers wherever they happen to be), and a passport to the wider community through the other groups our members already volunteer with.

Day to day, a passport club is simpler than a traditional club. The focus is on service and friendship rather than a weekly meeting built around a formal lunch, and attendance is relaxed. Members are still full Rotarians, with the same rights and standing as anyone in a traditional club. For a lot of people, that combination is what finally makes Rotary fit around work, family, and everything else.

Everyone is welcome. The passport model tends to suit people who love the idea of Rotary but can’t commit to a traditional weekly club: former Rotarians who want to come back, people early in their careers or raising young families, retirees with time and talent to give, and anyone who simply wants to do some good in the world. Rotaractors are very welcome too, and they join at the 30-and-under rate.

Already a member of another Rotary club? You can join us as a secondary member at the reduced rate (see the cost section below). Plenty of Rotarians keep their traditional club and add the passport club as well.

The club covers all of Rotary District 5050, which runs from Everett, Washington in the south up to Hope, British Columbia in the northeast. An easy way to picture it: we’re the stretch between Seattle and Vancouver, without either city itself. The district follows the I-5 north from Everett, across the border into the Lower Mainland, then along Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley, reaching from the Tri-Cities in the west out to Hope in the east. It’s a wide region, and that’s part of the point: a passport club isn’t tied to a single town.

Unlike an online-only club, though, we’re rooted in a real geographic area, so members can and do meet in person. Wherever you are in the district, you can take part in our meetings and get involved with the Rotary clubs, projects, and events near you. And you don’t have to live within the district to belong. Some of our members reside outside the boundaries entirely, so if you move away or simply live a little further afield, you’re welcome to stay or come on board.

Annual dues depend on your situation. As of the 2026/27 Rotary year, the dues are:

• Members 30 and under: $80 (local currency)
• Members over 30: $174 USD (or $248 CAD)
• Secondary members, meaning Rotarians whose primary membership is with another Rotary club: $66 USD

Since we don’t meet over a paid lunch every week, our costs stay low. Dues mostly cover the Rotary International and District 5050 per-member fees, with a little left over for club operations.

Beyond dues, any extra costs are optional. On in-person nights that include a meal, members pay for their own meal, and there are occasional events you can choose to attend. We also pass the hat for “Happy Bucks” at meetings, a small and entirely voluntary Rotary tradition where members chip in a few dollars to share a bit of good news.

We meet twice a month, on the second and fourth Thursday. The second Thursday is in person at 6:30 pm, with the location varying from month to month. The fourth Thursday is online at 7:00 pm via Zoom.

Meetings usually include a guest speaker, club updates, and discussion of the service projects we’re working on. They’re relaxed and social as much as anything.

As a passport club, you’re also welcome to visit and take part in the meetings and projects of other Rotary clubs, both across District 5050 and further afield. We share what partner clubs have coming up so you can join whatever fits your schedule.

The Rotary Foundation funds Rotary’s humanitarian work around the world, from clean water and disease prevention to scholarships and the campaign to end polio, so many members choose to give what they can, often a small monthly amount through Rotary Direct.

The Rotary Foundation consistently earns the highest possible 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the largest independent charity evaluator in the U.S. Recognized for operational excellence and transparency, it places in the top tier of charities nationwide for financial health, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.

Rotarians are encouraged, but not required, to support The Rotary Foundation. How much you give, if anything, is entirely up to you. Your membership never depends on it.

The founding principle of the PNW Passport Rotary is to make Rotary fit your life, so that you can enjoy “Rotary your way.” There are no minimum service hours and no attendance rules. The point of this club is to let you take part in Rotary in whatever way suits your life.

Some members get hands-on with a project every month. Others contribute when they can and stay in touch the rest of the time. Both work for us. All we ask is that you stay involved in a way that means something to you: come to the meetings and projects that interest you, share your ideas, visit other clubs when you feel like it, and support The Rotary Foundation if and when you choose to.

And if life gets busy and you can’t take part for a while, that’s completely fine. You stay a member in good standing and pick things back up whenever you’re ready. We talk in terms of opportunities to get involved, not obligations.

Members of the Pacific Northwest Passport Rotary Club have supported a range of community and international efforts, including:

• ARES (African Ruggedized Education System): computer labs in rural Kenyan schools
• The Greenbag Program: supporting the Ferndale, WA Food Bank
• The Corn Hut at the Port Moody Ribfest
• Write to Read literacy program
• Rotary Fire Trailer: firefighting units for remote Indigenous communities
• Various Global Grants (international development projects)
• RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards)
• YAIL (Youth Adventures in Leadership)

Beyond our own projects, members are free to join the meetings and service work of other Rotary clubs anywhere, in District 5050 and well past it. There’s always something to get involved in, wherever you are and whatever interests you.

The process is straightforward:

1. Get in touch or come to a meeting as a guest to get a feel for the club and meet the members. There’s no obligation. You can reach us by emailing pnwpassportrotary@gmail.com.
2. Complete the membership application (online form or Word version in the left column of this page). You don’t need a current member to sponsor you. The Board of Directors reviews your application, then presents it to the club membership for acceptance.
3. Once you’re accepted, set up your annual dues at the rate that applies to you.
4. You’ll be inducted as a full Rotarian, with the same rights and privileges as members of any traditional club. Inductions happen at any time of year.

Questions? Contact us at pnwpassportrotary@gmail.com.