District 7780 - The Chair

The Rotary Foundation – Our Rotary Foundation – is very simple to understand when broken down into its component parts. Here is how I think of those parts:

What is it? Rotary's charitable arm.
How is it funded? NOT from our dues! Basically, there are four sources: 1) a donation from each of us, 2) a donation from each of our Clubs, 3) the affinity credit card through Bank of America, and other miscellaneous sources, and 4) interest earned on the Permanent Fund
How important are individual's annual donations? Extremely! Interest on the Permanent Fund is only now approaching 10% of the total funding.
Who gets to spend the money? We all do! One half of the Distributions are controlled by the District, the other half by the Foundation itself.
What makes Our Foundation so special? In my opinion, it is the leverage, and it comes in three ways:
- Magic Rotary Matching Grant Math can leverage your locally collected $5,000 into $17,500 (see Humanitarian Matching Grants)
- Leveraged Impact. Did you know that in many third world countries $50 funds an eye cataract surgery giving the gift of sight? Or that for less than $4,000 (see Volunteer Service Grants) and his time one District 7780 Rotarian provided the gift of sound to over 200 Dominican by fitting hearing aids? Or that last year a District 7780 multi-club water project grew to a total package over $250,000 and provided clean water systems in Honduras to an estimated population approaching 10,000? The list is endless.
- Our Rotary Foundation also leverages ourselves as individuals. All you have to do is travel somewhere on a project, participate with a Group Study Exchange Team, or chat with a Rotary World Peace Scholar to grow a bit as an individual, perhaps even have a life-changing event.

In short, The Rotary Foundation boils down to three components: Money In, Money Out, and Recognition. Along the way it does great good throughout the world and strengthens us as individuals. Keep it Simple. Keep it Working. Make Dreams Real.

PETER C. JOHNSON, PDG

Chair, District Foundation Committee 2008-09

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