Rotary Foundation

What does the Rotary International Foundation do? This will clarify just what your donations do and why Foundation giving is important:

Mission: To enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvements of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty.

Funding: Funds contributed to the Foundation earn interest for three years. Interest earnings pay for costs of administration. 50% of the funds are returned to Districts for use by District clubs on community and international projects. The other 50% are used for world programs.

The Rotary International Foundation has Educational and Humanitarian programs:

A. Educational Programs Include:

1. Ambassadorial Scholars, sending 900 students each year to serve as ambassadors of goodwill abroad, while also doing a university studies scholarship program.
2. Group Study Exchange, a cultural and vocational exchange program between districts in different countries for businesspeople and professionals ages 25-40.
3. Rotary Centers for Conflict Resolution, fellowships for 60 students each year for study at one of seven leading universities, students to achieve a Master’s Degree at program’s end.

B. Humanitarian Programs Include:

1. District Simplified Grants (DSG) are used by District clubs for short term projects either in their communities or for international projects in cooperation with a club in another country. A maximum of 30% of returned funds can be used for DSG’s, $2,000 maximum for a single club project, or $3,000 for two or more local clubs working together. DSG’s are submitted to, and entirely approved by, a District-level committee.
2. Matching grants support medium-sized international service projects of Rotarians, based on an international partnership of clubs or districts in at least two countries. District will match club contributions 100%. The Foundation will match club contributions 50%, and district contributions 100%. A District-level committee must first approve the application for completeness and funding availability, then submit it for approval by The Rotary Foundation. The application must be large enough to include a minimum $5,000 Foundation match.
3. 3-H grants, from RI in the amount of $100,000 to $300,000, fund long-term, self-help, sustainable programs for alleviation of hunger, improvement of health, or human/social development.
4. 3-H grants are also based on international cooperation between 2 or more clubs and Districts and applicants must havehad a successful matching grant partnership within the past 5 years, and contribute a minimum of 10% of project funds.
5. Polio eradication: The Foundation coordniates and provides vaccines for immunizations

The “bottom line” is that our Foundation contributions go to a wide variety of Foundation activities and are our opportunity to contribute to the Foundation’s international Mission!