By: Sarah MacGillivray, Secretary, and Public Image Coordinator, District Foundation Committee, RC of Bath Sunrise
As we welcome in colder temperatures and get ready for the fast-approaching holidays, we also find ourselves in FOUNDATION MONTH! A big thank you goes out to all of our District Rotarians who have donated to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). Details on some exciting news will be shared this evening, November 1, 2023, via a District wide zoom event, and a video will be available on the district website if you are unable to attend. Here is the Zoom Link for this event. We are excited to share that a generous D7780 anonymous donor has made a legacy matching gift to support the ShareForever 7780 Endowment Challenge up to one million dollars! This generous match can double the impact of YOUR legacy gift and multiply the impact you will have on Rotary’s work - forever. Click on the Full Story for more details!As we welcome in colder temperatures and get ready for the fast-approaching holidays, we also find ourselves in FOUNDATION MONTH! A big thank you goes out to all of our District Rotarians who have donated to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). Our members have stepped up with gifts that brought our endowment giving total last fiscal year to $1,236,180. The fiscal year reflects the continued endowment giving from the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation as part of its multiple-year commitment to fund a new Rotary Peace Center in Istanbul, Turkey. Another new endowed fund in our district will provide additional SHARE dollars to the district every year in perpetuity.
A generous D7780 anonymous donor has made a legacy matching gift to support the ShareForever 7780 Endowment Challenge up to one million dollars! This generous match can double the impact of YOUR legacy gift and multiply the impact you will have on Rotary’s work - forever.
Dollar-for-dollar matches will be made to the Rotary Foundation for all new District 7780 endowment gifts this year to any TRF endowment designation. The campaign includes ALL TRF endowment funds. We launch this campaign for Foundation Month, November 1, 2023, with the enthusiastic support of District Governor Marion Cheney, DGE Bob MacKenzie and DGN Emma Bodwell for this multi-year campaign.
We’ll be explaining this exciting news in a district Zoom tonight, November 1, at This Zoom Link. A video will be available for those who might miss that live announcement.
Rotary Moments - This month’s topics fall in line well with our new campaign, and we hope our District Rotarians are finding these Rotary Moments educational and helpful in navigating OUR Rotary Foundation. In addition, perhaps they will spark discussions at club meetings.
The 1st Rotary Moment is: WHAT IS SHARE?
The SHARE system is how The Rotary Foundation distributes funds to districts.
When you contribute to Annual Fund-SHARE, the first 5% is deducted for operational costs. The remainder of the contribution is divided between the World Fund and District Designated Funds (DDF). The Trustees of the Rotary Foundation allocate money from the World Fund, and your district allocates DDF to the programs that people in our area want to support.
The name defines what the system does, because contributions are shared throughout the world. You can help our district and support meaningful projects by giving to the Annual Fund-SHARE! Has your club participated in a District Grant or a Global grant?
The second Rotary Moment is: HOW DOES THE ROTARY FOUNDATION USE DONATIONS?
The Rotary Foundation transforms charitable contributions into programs that fight polio and build peace, into humanitarian projects that change lives, and into scholarships and vocational training. The funds are also used for local projects that Rotary members feel passionate about.
As a global organization that operates in nearly every country, Rotary takes stewardship of its funds seriously and we’ve received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for 14 years in a row.
The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers helps ensure that grant funds are spent properly. In addition, trained members oversee the use of funds at the club and district level.
The third Rotary Moment is: WHAT ARE ROTARY’S AREAS OF FOCUS? (1 OF 2)
We concentrate our efforts in order to maximize our local and global impact. Our most successful and sustainable projects and activities tend to address these causes, and all humanitarian projects, scholars, and vocational training teams funded by The Rotary Foundation’s global grants work toward specific goals in these areas of focus:
Peacebuilding and conflict prevention: Rotary encourages conversations to foster understanding within and across cultures. We train adults and young leaders to prevent and mediate conflict and help refugees who have fled dangerous areas.
Disease prevention and treatment: We educate and equip communities to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases like polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. We improve and expand access to low-cost and free health care in developing areas.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene: We support local solutions to bring clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to more people. We share our expertise and work alongside community leaders and educators to make sure our projects succeed in the long term.
The fourth Rotary Moment is: WHAT ARE ROTARY’S AREAS OF FOCUS? (2 OF 2)
Rotary is dedicated to causes that build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio forever. We talked above about peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; and water, sanitation, and hygiene. Our other areas of focus are:
Maternal and child health: Nearly 6 million children under age five die each year because of malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. We expand access to quality care, so mothers and their children can live and grow stronger.
Basic education and literacy: More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.
Community economic development: We work with communities to create opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. We strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women.
Environment: We develop projects that conserve and protect natural resources, advance ecological sustainability, and foster harmony between communities and the environment. We empower communities and spur innovation to address the causes and effects of climate change and environmental degradation.