Rotary Foundation

March, 2022

 

Fellow Rotarians,

 

This is the first of what I intend to be a monthly series of articles on the Rotary Foundation and why it’s important for all of us to support the Foundation.  If you’re like me you probably know a little about the Foundation, i.e. it supports the eradication of Polio, funds clean drinking water projects in other countries, and gives money back to the Districts that can be used to fund projects for local clubs.  

 

What I didn’t realize was the amount of money the Foundation gives each year to a wide variety of projects.  Over the next few months I’ll try to broaden our combined knowledge of what and how the Foundation works to improve health, provide quality education, improve the environment, and alleviate poverty as stated in the Foundation’s mission statement.

 

Another bit of information I found is that the Foundation has a 4-star rating from the Charity Navigator which is the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit evaluator and rates over 195,000 charities.  The Rotary Foundation spends 91% of its funds on program awards and operations.  When I answer a telephone call from someone asking for a donation I always ask what percent of my donation would go toward actual operations or projects.  That’s when they hang up.

 

My goal over the next few months is to broaden our combined knowledge of the Rotary Foundation and to encourage all of our members to contribute at least $25 annually to the Annual Fund.  In subsequent emails I’ll cover the various categories of club participation and where we stand in our District relative to our own goals and where we stand relative to other clubs in our District.  

 

If, or when, you have any questions about donating to the Foundation please contact me either by email (don@semler.us) or cellphone (612-309-0221).