Increase our impact by undertaking bigger, better, and bolder projects!
Dr. Anne Nkutu
Dear Rotarians,
I would like to share some thoughts on an important topic that has been discussed in our Rotary community: how can we scale our impact through larger, more significant projects?
I would like to share some thoughts on an important topic that has been discussed in our Rotary community: how can we scale our impact through larger, more significant projects?
My daughter, who works in digital marketing, collaborated with an agency where her responsibilities included identifying influencers to promote various products. Each time they launched a new product, she would ask for my input on potential influencers. However, her final decisions were always guided by their brand and digital footprint—specifically, their number of followers which demonstrates their reach and effectiveness. This trend underscores a crucial truth in today’s world: numbers matter.
In Rotary, we have been discussing how to increase our impact by undertaking bigger, better, and bolder projects. Many clubs are engaged in wonderful initiatives that touch lives. Unfortunately, many of these efforts go unnoticed. Currently, many of our projects rely on member donations at club level and fundraising events. However, through this approach, we can only raise limited amounts at a time. This subsequently leads to longer timelines for project implementation and projects that are relatively small in scope. Our limited reach subsequently affects our visibility, which in turn constrains our ability to attract significant partnerships. In the corporate world, scale matters.
Yet, there is a way to break this cycle. The Rotary Foundation was established in 1917 with the objective of enabling us to do good in the world. What began as a modest investment of $25.50 has grown into an endowment with over $ 1.5 billion. Each year, the Rotary Foundation awards over $300 million in grants; with projects in D9213 receiving an average of $2.5 million.
In essence, the Foundation was created to help us scale our efforts by providing the resources to reach more people. This objective remains as relevant today as ever. The smallest grant available is $30,000— an amount that is often beyond what clubs can fundraise locally. Yet, its potential impact on any given community is significant.
So, I am encouraging you to do the maths. Take a moment to calculate how many wo (man) hours your club spends organizing fundraisers compared to the potential return on investment if we directed those efforts towards applying for grants from the Rotary Foundation. While it’s true that crafting proposals and finding international partners can be time-consuming, the difference between a Global Grant and club funding is profound.
RI President Stephanie has set an ambitious Rotary Endowment goal of $2.025 billion by 30 June 2025, which will empower us to increase our global impact. The more funds we raise, the more we can give back. But this task will be more manageable if more of us contribute to the Foundation.
On July 1 2024, I launched the 25 X 25 TRF Relay with an ambitious goal of all giving clubs and all giving Rotarians. My humble request is that every Rotarian in D9213 contributes a minimum of $25 dollars (UGX 100,000) to the Foundation. Rotary Foundation by 30 June 2025.I would like to thank in a special way, all the clubs and the individuals that have heeded this call. If you haven’t started your relay– it is not yet too late. Use the month of November to amplify the magic of Rotary by giving something to the Foundation. All contributions matter!
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