The Rotary Foundation - Planned Giving

Club members were fortunate to have PDG Raj Bhatia with us at The Courtyard on September 18 to explain the workings of The Rotary Foundation.

 

At RI's 1917 convention, outgoing RI President Arch C. Klumph proposed to set up an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” In 1928, it was renamed The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International.

 

TRF is the life-blood of Rotary International. It transforms your gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.

 

Members are urged to give something to the fund every year. Should that contribution reach $100.00 during the Rotary year, you will be considered a Sustaining Member. Once an individual has cumulatively donated $1000.00, he or she will be considered a Paul Harris Fellow.

 

Money that is given to the Annual Fund is used to support TRF’s Humanitarian, Educational and Cultural Programs. The funds are invested for a 3 year period before being released. Fifty percent of the released funds are earmarked as District Designated Funds while the other 50% is retained in the TRF World Fund. This year there is $16,000 available in DDF money for District Grants and another $40,000 available for Global Grants.

 

Further details about The Rotary Foundation can be found here: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/rotary-foundation

 

l. to r. Pres. Vlad Zherenovsky, Aleta Frezzell (7490 AG & Englewood PP), PDG Raj Bhatia

 

At Friday’s meeting, PDG Raj gave special emphasis to The Rotary Foundation Dinner being held at Season’s on November 10 in honor of District Rotarians with 40+ years of service. Keynote speaker that evening will be RI President Ravi Ravindran.

 

Hoping to raise funds for TRF, PDG Raj is looking to make this event a “Million Dollar Dinner” by securing pledges from Rotarians to become members of the Bequest Society of the RI Permanent Fund. If only 40 Rotarians of the 1300 in our District make the pledge to become Level 2 Bequest Society members for $25,000, we can make that mark and make a huge difference in the lives of tens of thousands of people throughout the world. Today Raj reported that 4 Rotarians have already done so.

 

 In closing, Raj asked that if we have a will we consider adding a codicil to it that commits some amount to the Permanent Fund or that we ask our attorney to formulate such a provision.

 

BE A GIFT TO THE WORLD. Your gift to The Rotary Foundation will allow for the improvement of communities world-wide by promoting peace, preventing disease, bolstering economic development, and providing clean water and sanitation.