By: Sarah MacGillivray, Secretary, and Public Image Coordinator, District Foundation Committee, RC of Bath Sunrise1) It is hard to believe that it is already October, and that can only mean one thing…World Polio Day is almost here! October 24th is WPD this year, and it is a great opportunity to plan a community event, a creative fundraising event, or to just talk at your club meetings and share on social media the importance of polio eradication. I was fortunate to be traveling in Italy last month and saw this simple idea at the Venice airport. It was being filled with coins and bills, and I of course had to add to it! Click on the full story below for helpful ideas and details, as well as links for more information.
2) Ron Smith from the Rotary Club of the Fryeburg Area, has some exciting news about our District’s PolioPlus Society! He writes: Join the PolioPlus Society and Earn Matching Paul Harris Fellow Points! Polio eradication remains Rotary Foundation’s highest priority. From over 100,000 infections a year to now in 2023 only 7 wild polio cases so far this year in the two remaining endemic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Rotarians around the world with its partners are even closer to total eradication. The Polio Plus Society is a district-by-district program to promote individual giving to PolioPlus. Members of the Society agree to give at least $100 annually toward polio eradication until polio is stamped out worldwide. Click on the full story below for more information on joining!
3) From Bob Gravino, Bath Sunrise Rotary Club: The District 7780 Rotary Peace Centers Fellowship Subcommittee, composed of Claudia Frost, Carol Madsen, and myself, is putting together a plan for moving forward. Click on the full story below for more details.
4) Last but not least, click on the full story below for the four Rotary Moments that we would like to have shared at your club meeting. If you are your club’s Foundation Chair, you are the natural person to share these during a club meeting. But they are for everyone to read! They are also for everyone to talk about, or ask questions about. We hope you will use these to help educate newer members and remind members who have been around for a while of all the good that is being done around the world thanks to donations that we all make to OUR Rotary Foundation!
1) World Polio Day, October 24: Hopefully you read the article by Ron in the September newsletter. If not, I thought I would share some details from RI’s End Polio Now newsletter. We should all be proud of the tremendous amount of progress that has been made since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched:
- A 99.9% reduction in cases of illness caused by wild poliovirus
- 3 billion children immunized
- 125 countries where polio was endemic reduced to two — Afghanistan and Pakistan — with the virus contained in just a few districts and provinces
If your club has made plans for an event, make sure you register your club’s participation in World Polio Day to show how you’re taking action to eradicate polio. The districts that have the highest percentage of registered clubs by October 24 will receive a special video message from RI President R. Gordon R. McInally.
We need to keep the amazing progress going strong! There is no need for any child to ever experience the paralyzing effect of polio. Click on this link (https://www.endpolio.org/) for resources, event ideas and so much more. Together, we can end polio!
2) From Ron Smith: Join the PolioPlus Society and Earn Matching Paul Harris Fellow Points
Polio eradication remains Rotary Foundation’s highest priority. From over 100,000 infections a year to now in 2023 only 7 wild polio cases so far this year in the two remaining endemic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotarians around the world with our partners are even closer to total eradication. Increased surveillance, new techniques and new strategies are more and more expensive to implement. That is why we need you to commit to the eradication of polio and join The PolioPlus Society. For more background and resources see Rotary’s EndPolio website - https://www.endpolio.org/
The Polio Plus Society is a district-by-district program to promote individual giving to PolioPlus. Members of the Society agree to give at least $100 annually toward polio eradication until polio is stamped out worldwide.
PolioPlus Society Giving Recognition Levels to be matched.
Level 1 - Bronze: $100-$249 per year
Level 2- Silver: $250-$499 per year
Level 3- Gold: $500-$999 per year
Level 4- Platinum: $1000- up per year
In recognition of World Polio Day in October (Oct 24) and Rotary Foundation Month in November this year, D-7780 and some of its members are contributing matching Paul Harris Fellow points to new D-7780 PolioPlus Society members. It will be a PHF match of your own first year contribution level. For Example, become a Silver member and make a $250 annual contribution with an annual pledge and receive a one-time PDF point match of 250 recognition points toward your next Paul Harris Fellow level. After December 1, we will review “new” PPS applicants' donations and credit your PHF account with the earned matching points.
Go to the District website PolioPlus Society page - https://rotary7780.org/page/polio-plus-society- download the application or contact me or Dave Taft for the application. Return the application then for your annual recurring gift using Rotary Direct - https://my.rotary.org/en/rotary-direct (preferred method) at the Rotary Website and donate. If you want to donate your pledged amount each year, then contribute through your club’s Rotary Foundation Chair or to the Donate section of the Rotary website. Please act now, join the PolioPlus Society and help end polio forever.
Contacts: Ron Smith rsmith.rotary@gmail.com or Dave Taft dtaft70@outlook.com
3) From Bob Gravino, Bath Sunrise Rotary Club: The District 7780 Rotary Peace Centers Fellowship Subcommittee (composed of Claudia Frost, Carol Madsen, and me) is putting together a plan on how D7780 Rotarians could reach out to potential candidates for the Peace Centers Fellowship programs (both the two year masters level and the one year certificate programs) who the Rotarians have had contact through global and district managed grants, conferences, and other national and international Rotary activities. The three subcommittee members each have at least one potential candidate who they are contacting.
Updates will continue, and we thank these members for their hard work!
4) This month for the Rotary moments:
1. WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S ENDOWMENT FUND?
Gifts to the Endowment ensure that Rotary members will have the resources they need to design and implement sustainable projects year after year. Donations to the Endowment can be made as an outright gift or a planned gift, such as a bequest in your estate. As of 2021-22, Rotary’s Endowment totals US$617.5 million and has further commitments of $908.2 million. Contributions to this fund are invested for the future. Only current earnings from the investments are used to support Foundation programs. This approach means that people’s generosity does good in the world in perpetuity.
2. WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S FUNDING TIMELINE?
A three-year funding cycle gives districts time to plan programs and allows the Foundation time to invest the contributions. The earnings from those investments help pay for administrative costs, program operations, and fund development costs.
This funding cycle means that a contribution you make in 2022-23 will be invested in 2023-24 and projects will be selected in 2024-25, with the funds able to be spent in 2025-26.
Support the Foundation now and start planning your future projects!
3. WHAT ARE DISTRICT DESIGNATED FUNDS?
District Designated Funds (DDF) are generated based on contributions to the Annual Fund.
Every year, each district’s contributions to the Annual Fund-SHARE are divided up. First, 5% is deducted for operational costs. The rest is split equally, 47.5% each, between the World Fund and funding for the district.
As we’ve mentioned, the money is invested for three years before it becomes available to districts. Your district can ask for up to half of its DDF in a district grant each year, then use the funds for the grants and programs that matter most in your area.
This formula makes The Rotary Foundation an integral part of Rotary in our communities. Has your club participated in a District Grant to help your community?
4. WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S WORLD FUND?
The Rotary Foundation uses the World Fund to pay for the grant and program opportunities available to all Rotary districts around the world.
Gifts to the World Fund are spent where the need is greatest and give every district a chance to participate in the Foundation’s good work.
This formula makes The Rotary Foundation an integral part of Rotary around the world.