In his July 2020 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. There is more news in PDG Bob's letter........
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
Here we are in July 2020, the first month of a new Rotary year, when Rotary clubs and Rotarians are well on their way to submitting and achieving their Rotary Foundation goals for this 2020-21 Rotary Year. Thank you all to the many Clubs for their remarkable achievements with their donations to The Rotary Foundationin 2019-20 . I can't think of a better time than right now, to ask all Rotarians to achieve your club's goal and your own personal goal and continue to support our Rotary Foundation.
In late April 2020, the District Governor Team sent out a letter to all Rotarians , outlining our District 7070 Update on Rotary Foundation Grants & COVID-19 Responses. Be sure to look in the Rotary Foundation menu Bar on our District 7070 Website for all of the information on the page entitled. "2020-2021 Grants Qualification and Documents".
As People Of Action, Rotary members want to find 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.
Thank you so much for all you are doing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rotary’s response is needed, and our Rotary Foundation is ready to help us help us 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 am encouraging all Clubs in District 7070 to enter their Club's objectives into Rotary Club Central, for the 2020-21 Rotary Year.
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 until the end.
Here is a Rotary Foundation Checklist for you and your Rotary Club to help you make your goals for 2020-21 to The Rotary Foundation:
GOALS AND PLANS FOR 2020-21:
Are your goals and plans in Rotary Club Central for 2020-21? Remember the requirements for the Presidential Citation.
POLIOPLUS:
Has your Rotary Club created a 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 year-end donation? What was your goal? Did 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. Ask your Club President or 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. Currently we are $15 million short with 30 days to go and we really want all $100 million from The Gates Foundation. Yes, we are very close! Perhaps you and your club will participate in one or two of the many events on October 24, World Polio Day, that we will be going on in our District. 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.
I am asking all incoming District 7070 Presidents to send their Club goals for 2020-21 to Past District Governor Ted Morrison, our District Annual Programs Fund Chair, at ted.sharron@rogers.com, as soon as you can. All clubs in the District need to get their goals to Ted and get them entered into Rotary Club Central. We thank you.
What is the goal of your club? Has your Club made plans for that donation yet for this Rotary year? Have YOU made that donation? Are your members making those donations? Have you made your donation?
We have set up the 2020-21 Grants Qualification 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).
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. District 7070 is leading the way. We are encouraging your club, again this Rotary year, to consider the new pilot project between clubs in District 7070 and CUSO International to purchase birthing kits for Ethiopia to enhance mother and child health, another one of the six areas of focus of The Rotary Foundation and we are close to meeting our goal.
If you have not yet participated, please contact me, if your club can make that commitment.
Many thanks to all of you for your support.
Bob
District 7070 Foundation Chair - Email: rwallace7070@gmail.com
