Posted by Bob Wallace, Past District Governor, Past Rotary Zone Coordinator, and 2020-21 Chair of District 7070 Rotary Foundation Committee

In his May 2021 letter to Rotarians,  Past District Governor Bob Wallace, Chair of the District 7070 Rotary Foundation Committee, encourages every Rotarian to make a conscious effort to make a donation to The Rotary Foundation, whatever you can afford, to the Annual Programs Fund and to the PolioPlus Fund, and to the Endowment Fund. Are you on the District Rotary Foundation Committee, helping to spend Rotary's money? .......

Dear Fellow Rotarians,

Here we are in May 2021, just 2 months to go in our Rotary year, and we are seeing Rotary clubs and Rotarians, well on their way to reaching their Rotary Foundation goals and making their donations for this 2020-21 Rotary Year. They are also setting goals for the 2021-22 Rotary Year. Once again, I want to thank you to the many Clubs for their ongoing remarkable achievements and encourage you to continue your efforts to support The Rotary Foundation in 2020-21 and in 2021-22 . 

I can't think of  a better time than right now, to remind all Rotarians to help achieve your club's goals and your own personal goal as you continue to support our Rotary Foundation. Thank you.

REMINDER: Be sure to look in the District Newsletter for all of the information on "2021-2022  Grants Qualification and Documents and please register for the MAY 1District Rotary Fundation information meeting on Zoom from 8:30 am to 11:00 am. 

As People Of Action, Rotary members have found ways to respond to COVID-19 and to help people affected by it. The Rotary Foundation offers several options that Rotarians can use to help care for and protect people in their own communities and others around the world. On that page, please take a look at the files section called Rotary Foundation COVID-19 Grant Options for additional background. Here , you will read and learn more about :District Grants, Global Grants, and the Rotary Disaster Response Fund.

If you have questions, please send them to me, Bob Wallace, District 7070 Foundation Chair, and copy Lars Henriksson, District 7070 Foundation Grants Chair.

The District 7070 Rotary Foundation Committee members are more than willing to talk to your club. Contact us today.

Our Rotary Foundation is ready to help us help others. If you have not yet made a personal or club donation to our Foundation, please do so if you can

Through The Rotary Foundation, you are making a difference in so many ways throughout the world. Rotarians do make the world a better place. It's your turn to show everyone that your donations to the Rotary Foundation and the humanitarian grants which can be performed because of the funds from the Rotary Foundation really do tell everyone that #RotaryResponds.

Rotarians have long understood that our successes rely upon our continued passion for making a positive difference in our communities at home and around the world. This passion includes our time and energy as well as our financial contributions as we are able.

The Rotary Foundation has three funds available to us for making these contributions, the Annual Fund, the Polio Plus Fund and the Endowment Fund.

I  thank you all for your past donations and future donations into all of the funds of The Rotary Foundation. And a very special thank you for your continued support of our polio eradication efforts. We need to keep this $ support strong. 

 

Here is a handy Rotary Foundation Checklist for you and your Rotary Club to help you reach your goals for 2020-21 and to establish new goals for 2021-22  donations to The Rotary Foundation:

 

Here is a Rotary Foundation Checklist for you and your Rotary Club

to help you reach your goals for 2020-21 and to establish goals for 2021-22 donations to The Rotary Foundation:

 

What Individuals Can Do:

 

What Clubs Can Do:

  1. Increase your online giving to the Rotary Foundation using Rotary Direct.

Tip: Click here to become an online donor if you aren’t already.

  1. Set a minimum goal of $100 USD per member in support of the Annual Fund.

Tip: If you’re already achieving this (thank you!), set your goal a little higher.

  1. Collect from people who sponsored you in Your Club's Rotary Foundation Walk

 

 

  1. Collect all of the pledges from your club members and friends who sponsored your team as soon possible in Your Club's Rotary Foundation Walk.

Tip: Tell potential members to donate to the walk. All new members are donors-in-waiting for our Rotary Foundation.

  1. Join our District’s End Polio Now Club by contributing a minimum of $100 USD to Rotary’s polio eradication efforts annually.

Tip: End Polio Now Club members receive a very nice pin!

 

  1. Set a minimum goal of $1,500 USD as your club’s contribution to the End Polio Now campaign.

Tip: Host a End Polio Now fundraiser any time this year.. Collect from everyone who pledged funds on World Polio Day 2020.

  1. Join Rotary’s donor recognition program by becoming Sustaining Member, a Paul Harris Fellow, a Paul Harris Society member, a Major Donor, or an Arch Klumpf Society member.

Tip: There’s a giving level for all budgets. Try to move up a category.

 

  1. Host a club social or a special fundraiser in support of the Rotary Foundation.

 

Tip: Pick a Rotary Area of Focus (e.g. water, sanitation & hygiene) and create a themed event.

 

Additional Idea: Some clubs have their own charitable foundations and they could make a one-time donation to The Rotary Foundation.

 
 

Are you carrying out your plans that you put in place at the start of this Rotary year? 

GOALS AND PLANS FOR 2020-21:

Are your meeting your goals and carrying out your plans that you put into Rotary Club Central for 2020-21?  Remember the requirements for the Presidential Citation. 

 

POLIOPLUS:

How is your Club progressing with meeting your Rotary Club goal for the 2020-21 Rotary year, at least $ 1,500 per club to PolioPlus? 

When are you, as an individual Rotarian, and your club, going to make that important donation this new Rotary year?  What was your goal? Do you do a fundraiser in your community to help End Polio?  Did you know that Rotary International's goal is for EACH club to donate at least $1,500 this Rotary year to the PolioPlus Fund. Please encourage your Club President and your club Rotary Foundation Chair to honour this important goal.

Has everyone in your Club, this Rotary Year, made that same commitment to personally donate at least $20.00 for the eradication of Polio - this year? Again, this Rotary Year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match our contributions on a 2 for 1 basis. And we sure would like every Rotarian in District 7070 to do the same. If Rotarians raise the full $50 million US, The Gates Foundation will match if to the tune of $100 million US. Help us get that $100 million and ask your club members to make a donation at endpolio.org,

 

ANNUAL PROGRAMS FUND:

And I sure hope that your Rotary Club has set  your goal for contributing at least $ 100.00 US for each member of your club, for Annual Giving to the Annual Programs Fund of the Rotary Foundation for 2020-21. I hope all District 7070 Clubs that will be making that important donation to the Rotary Foundation and I hope that all of you will keep up the good work to reach your goal, this new Rotary year . This is where we get our money for Grants. Last year, we did have 100% in commitments met.

Do you know the goal of your club? Do you have a personal goal?  Has your Club made plans for  that donation yet for this Rotary year?    Have YOU made that personal donation? Are your members making those donations? 

 

GRANT QUALIFICATION FOR 2021-22: 

We have set up the 2021-22 Grants Qualification online to get you and your club prepared for applying for grants, both Global and District grants. Be sure to sign up soon, on the District website.

 

EVERY ROTARIAN - EVERY YEAR:

We want to reach our goal for this year and next. We would like to see $ 100.00 US from every member, in every Rotary Club.

But if your members cannot reach that target, we understand. But can they donate some smaller amount? Wouldn't it be very special to see your Rotary Club with 100% of your members contributing something to the Annual Programs Fund? This is our commitment to the Every Rotarian Every Year Campaign of the Rotary Foundation - EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year). We hope it is yours too.

 

ROTARY DIRECT : A SEEMLESS WAY TO DONATE TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION:  

Go to MyRotary and enroll in Rotary’s recurring giving program, Rotary Direct, which makes giving easy, fast, and secure. You can schedule a monthly, quarterly, or annual donation that empowers Rotarians to change lives in communities around the world.

 

THE ENDOWMENT FUND - MAJOR GIFTS INITIATIVE

Are there any prospective Major Donors in YOUR club or in YOUR community?

Please let me know if you, or someone you know, wishes to take this next step to support Our Rotary Foundation. More than 100 years ago, Rotarians took bold action to ensure your success and the empowerment of generations still to come — they established The Rotary Foundation to secure a better future. Gifts to Rotary's Endowment ensure that future Rotarians will have the resources they need to design and implement sustainable projects year after year. Rotary strives to increase the value of your gift to the Endowment by preserving and investing your initial contribution and spending only a portion of the earnings. This strategy supports Rotary's causes today while generating funds that will further the work of future Rotarians committed to Doing Good in the World. When you give to the Endowment today, you can watch as the value of your gift grows and investment earnings improve communities. You can secure your vision for the future by including a commitment to the Foundation in your will or estate plan. The Trustees of the Rotary Foundation have set a goal to get the Endowment fund to $2.5 billion US Funds by the year 2025. 

While Rotary is a major player partnered with the Gates Foundation for the eradication of Polio, Rotary is asking clubs to be in a position to partner with other NGO’s on projects that currently fall beyond the means of our District or Global Grants programs. Accordingly, they have created the Major Gifts Initiative for each of our six areas of focus. 

If you have not yet participated, please contact me, if your club can make that commitment. 

Be sure to see the recorded version of the  November 10, 2020 "Tuesday Talks" on The Rotary Foundation.. Please share the recording with your fellow club members . 

 

How would YOU like to help spend Rotary's money?

We have had tremendous response from Rotary volunteers to serve on the District Rotary Foundation Committee . We can always find room for more . Perhaps it is time that you volunteered to help serve District 7070 clubs in their quest to support the Rotary Foundation. Please let me know, if you can help.

Many thanks to all of you for your support.

Bob

District 7070 Foundation Chair -  Email: rwallace7070@gmail.com