Posted by Dean Rohrs, Trustee, The Rotary Foundation

I share with you the highlights from the the last Rotary Foundation Trustee meetings. Some difficult decisions had to be made but the future of our Foundation and stewardship of the funds you donate so generously are what drives these decisions. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me at dean@cbrplus.com or a member of your District or Zone Foundation team.

Please stay safe.

My best regards,

Dean Rohrs

Trustee, The Rotary Foundation

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Highlights from the November, December 2020, and January 2021 Rotary Foundation Trustees Meetings

The Rotary Foundation Trustees met virtually on 17 November 2020*, 1 and 14 December 2020**, and 14 and 26 January 2021‡. At these meetings, the Trustees reviewed seven committee reports and recorded 34 decisions.

Administration

The Trustees

  •  to address the significant feedback received from Rotarians interested in Rotary playing an active and global role in the world’s effort to address COVID-19, created—in a joint meeting with the RI Board—a joint task force to work with the general secretary to develop a plan that will encourage and support Rotary and Rotaract clubs to promote the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine information, engage Rotary’s global participant network in supporting COVID-19 mitigation activities, and align Rotary’s efforts with those of our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative;**
  •  reaffirmed Rotary’s commitment to polio eradication as the association’s top priority;**
  •  elected Ian H.S. Riseley as their 2021–22 chair elect and Sangkoo Yun as their 2021–22 vice chair.*

 

Programs and Awards

The Trustees

  • agreed that districts may allocate district grant funds to Rotaract clubs, effective 1 July 2022;*
  •  approved the first Programs of Scale award of US$2 million to the Zambia Malaria Elimination Program, which seeks to reduce the incidence of malaria by 90 percent in two provinces of Zambia;**
  •  selected individuals to receive the 2020–21 Rotary Alumni Global Service Award and selected the alumni association to receive the 2020–21 Rotary Alumni Association of the Year Award. ‡

Finance

The Trustees

  •  in addressing financial pressure on the World Fund, o acknowledged a cost reduction of US$1 million in expenses from the Secretariat and an additional $1.9 million in target cost reductions; **
    • reduced the World Fund match for DDF transfers for PolioPlus from 100 percent to 50 percent, effective 1 July 2021; ‡
    •  reduced the World Fund match for DDF when being used for global grants from 100 percent to 80 percent, effective 1 July 2021; ‡
    • agreed up to five percent of the current year Annual Fund SHARE contributions will be taken equally from the World Fund and DDF to fund operating expenses, effective 1 July 2021; ‡
    • limited rollover DDF to five years. Funds in excess of five years on 30 June, at district’s discretion, will be applied to PolioPlus, Area of Focus endowment funds, general endowment fund (including RPCs) or the World Fund, effective 1 July 2021. On 1 July 2026, districts will have the discretion to apply the rollover funds as outlined above. If a district does not advise which fund to direct rollover DDF to, the rollover DDF will automatically default to the World Fund. ‡
 
  •  in addressing the funding of 2020–21 Global Grants,
    •  approved the transfer of US$7.5 million from TRF’s operating reserve to the World Fund to fund global grants in 2020–21, of which $3 million would be allocated for global grant scholarships;
    •  agreed to provide a 100 percent World Fund match on DDF for applications that are in “submitted status” by 31 May 2021, or on the date the World Fund runs out, whichever date is earlier;
    •  agreed to provide a 100 percent World Fund match on DDF for approved global grant scholarship applications that are in “submitted status” by 30 June 2021, even if the World Fund budget is exhausted prior to 30 June.