The Walter D Head Foundation

The Rotary District 740 Walter D. Head Foundation is the districts charitable foundation.  It was founded in 1965 by a resolution at the District Conference on Grand Bahama Island.  The District Governor was Russell Armstrong and the founders were PDG Ira Mitchell and Paramus Rotarian Nick Laganella.  It was named for Walter D. Head, a former member of the Teaneck Rotary Club and the first District 7490 Rotarian to become the President of Rotary International in 1939-1940.

Dr. Head was a renowned educator who presided as Provost of the college which preceded  Fairleigh Dickinson University and who was also instrumental in the formation of The United Nations. 

The original purpose of the District Foundation was to award one scholarship every other year in opposition to The Rotary Foundation which, at that time, was granting an Ambassadorial Scholarship every other year.  The major differences between The Rotary Foundation scholarship awards and The District WDH Foundation awards are: The Rotary Foundation Scholarship is a fully funded award which is controlled  by Rotary International and is not available to Rotarians or their families.  The Walter D. Head awards are for a partial scholarship which is controlled by our own District and is available to relatives of Rotarians as well as to all others.

The purpose of the District Foundation has evolved.  In addition to providing academic scholarships, it also provides Supplemental Funding Grants for local community service projects undertaken by two or more Rotary Clubs, and serves as the conduit for charitable giving for the District. 

Recently, the District Foundation formed the Rotary Military Family Assistance Center to provide services to the families of active service men and women.

Funding for the Foundation, a 501c3 Tax Exempt organization, takes many forms.  In the beginning each Rotarian was assessed, in his dues, one dollar.  This funding was rescinded several years ago as was other funding from the District.  For the last several years fund raising events were held in conjunction with the sale of  Walter D. Head Plaques,  which is our major fund raiser. 

This year the Foundation is asking each Rotary Club to purchase and award one or more Walter D. Head Plaques to honor anyone, Rotarian or non-Rotarian, who has performed outstanding service and upheld the ideals of Rotary. We earnestly request that you join in and commit to this fund raising effort.