Jim Haugen, our Rotary Foundation guru and chair of Club Services was our featured speaker at our meeting on Friday, November 22nd. The topic of the program was the Rotary Foundation. There are two Rotary Foundations. They are the Rotary International Foundation and our Club's Foundation. Both Foundations are 501 (c)(3) entities. Pictured above are the two banners our Club received at the recent District 5050 Foundation dinner on November 15th in Abbotsford, BC.
Jim noted that the dues to our Club pay for the running of the Club. All other funds go to the Club Foundation. In 2007, Loren Hole set up with Board approval the Endowment Fund with a $2,000 gift. Since that time, on his birthday, Loren donates another $1,000 each year to the Endowment Fund. Each year before the end of the year (December 31st) we decide where to use the interest funds generated, but not the principle. When Bill Demeroutis was President (2015-16) a decision was made to put the funds raised by our illustrious Sergeant of Arms (David Johnson) go to the Endowment Fund. Since that time, the fund has grown to approximately $53,000. A list of the Board members was given and an outline of the $110,000 in assets along with the Food Bank pledge that we are holding.
The mission statement of the Rotary Foundation was recently changed. The RI Foundation was started in 1917 when Arch Klumph gave an initial donation of $26 to begin the Foundation. An evolution of the Foundation was another highlight of Jim's presentation and the start of the Polio Plus campaign to eradicate polio in the world was initiated in 1985. We are so very, veryclose to total eradication in the world. RI Foundation rating among charities is at the forefront of all charities in the world as the best of the best.
Some of the areas of focus of the RI Foundation is Polio Plus, promoting peace in the world, fighting disease, providing clean water and spending $4.2 billion dollars over the next six years to eradicate polio all together in the world. District 5050 is ranked #5 in giving to the RI Foundation with $145,873 for Polio Plus and other funds totaling $455,445 for a grand total of $601,318. The important message was that every Rotarian give to the Rotary Foundation so that we can continue being the number one charity in the world.