Weekly Rotary Foundation Thoughts

Educating Rotarians about the work of The Rotary Foundation is one of the most effective tools in gaining and broadening support of our Annual Programs Fund and the Every Rotarian, Every Year effort. The Weekly Rotary Foundation Thought is designed to inform our members of the many ways in which we impact the world — there’s always something new and exciting going on in Rotary.
The club president can begin the tradition by opening each meeting with a brief moment on The Rotary Foundation, but consider rotating ownership of the weekly reading among club members. In fact, didn’t Paul Harris have a similar idea about rotating?

Week 21:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about putting the ‘fun’ in fundraising.
RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar is now auctioning off a unique piece of clothing that is truly a collector’s item: a reversible blue-and-gold jacket in Rotary’s and Sweden’s colors of blue and gold. Proceeds of the online auction (ending 30 November 2005) will benefit The Rotary Foundation.
This is not the first time Stenhammar sold his clothes for charity. At a District 5010 conference in Alaska, USA, when Stenhammar learned that the district was just short of its Rotary Foundation donation goal, Stenhammar promptly offered the shirt off his back, literally. His Italian dress shirt raised US$1,500 for the event.
This is a good reminder to us all that raising money can also be fun and creative. And, if anyone is interested in placing a bid for RI President Stenhammer’s jacket, please check out the Rotary website for more information.

Week 22:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about what OUR Rotary Foundation does with the money we contribute.
Last Rotary year, The Rotary Foundation spent over US$110 million on program awards and expenses. $27.8 million was spent on educational programs, including Ambassadorial Scholarships and Group Study Exchange; $46.1 million was spent on humanitarian projects, such as Matching Grants and District Simplified Grants; and $36.1 million was spent on polio eradication efforts.
Our annual contributions are what make these programs possible. TRF carefully invests our gifts for three years, with the investment earnings going to pay administrative expenses, and the full amount of our contributions going to fund the projects.
This is OUR Rotary Foundation; Let’s be a part of it!

Week 23:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about how Rotary helps communities impacted by disasters long after many relief agencies have moved on.
Shortly after the deadly tsunami struck south Asia on 26 December 2004, The Rotary Foundation established the Solidarity in South Asia fund to assist Rotarians in supporting long-term recovery efforts in affected communities. In addition to $4.8 million in contributions from Rotarians around the world, more than 75 Rotary districts allocated over US$700,000 in District Designated Funds (DDF) for rebuilding efforts. This DDF was a result of Annual Programs Fund contributions made three years ago, in which the districts had not yet allocated to a specific TRF program.
As a result, Rotarians were able to respond quickly to the disaster, and provide much needed financial support, through The Rotary Foundation. Rotary Sri Lanka set the pace for the massive rebuilding effort of schools destroyed by the tsunami; with 25 schools spread across the country allocated to Rotary for rebuilding. The first batch of schools is scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2005.
Rotarians can expect equally worthy projects in Indonesia, India and Thailand and in areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina. We can all be proud to be a part of an organization that is so responsive to needs in our own country and those around the world.

Week 24:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about using District Simplified Grants to help communities in need.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many Rotarians are interested in developing projects to alleviate the suffering and hardship of individuals in the affected communities. Many of the needed items, such as basic necessities and medical care, can be provided through a District Simplified Grant (DSG).
District Simplified Grants (DSG) are one means by which Rotary districts can support short-term, humanitarian projects that benefit local or international communities. DSG funds can be used for disaster relief efforts as long as Rotarians clearly identify the proposed grant-funded expenditures and there is active Rotarian participation in the project. Clubs interested in receiving DSG funds must contact their district leadership.
Let’s learn more about our own district’s projects and how to get involved.

Week 25:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about why there continues to be growing support among Rotarians for The Annual Programs Fund.
I'm sure that you share my pride in the wonderful programs of our Foundation, such as PolioPlus, Group Study Exchange and Matching Grants. Did you know that:
1. Your gift is wisely invested, so the full amount is directed to support the programs of your Rotary Foundation. Only a portion of the investment earnings pays for administration.
2. After a three-year investment cycle, half of your contribution comes back to our district to be spent on programs identified by Rotarians in our community, and a portion can be spent locally.
3. For those who live in countries with favorable charitable tax laws, sending in your gift before December 30th will ensure you receive a tax receipt for the current year and qualify you for year-end tax benefits.
Most important, our continuing support of The Rotary Foundation and our continuing involvment in the Foundation’s programs is an investment in our children’s future by making the world a safer and healthier place.

Week 26:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about Humanitarian Programs in East Asia related to education.
The Japanese Rotary club of Omiya City Rotary (as reported through The Rotary-No-Tomo, the English language Rotary Magazine) has built schools and provided books in Bang Kong, Cambodia. The Nabari Chuoh Rotary has built a library for children of the Suoi Day Elementary and Junior High School in Vietnam. So many projects like these show Rotarians’ dedication to education and literacy.
Rotarians are proud of their long history as sponsors for Educational Programs. Yearly support to the Annual Programs Fund's Every Rotarian Every Year initiative ensures the tradition of educational excellence is upheld.

Week 27:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about Rotarian efforts to alleviate hunger through World Community Service.
Rotarians have rallied to the aid of nearly 3.5 million people affected by famine in Niger, one of the world's poorest countries. The West African country is, at the best of times, prone to severe food shortages resulting from insufficient rains.
The two Rotary clubs of Niger, both based in the capital of Niamey, have set up a crisis committee and a bank account to coordinate and facilitate relief efforts. In addition to contributing approximately US$1,000 toward a disaster fund, the Niamey clubs are helping with the collection and distribution of emergency relief, including bags of rice from Rotary clubs in Côte d'Ivoire, and mosquito nets from Dakar, Senegal. The crisis committee is also working on procurement and transportation of food items, creation of cereal banks and a food exchange program and the purchase of life-saving medicine.
Rotary Volunteers are also sought to help promote vegetable gardening and the growing of off-season crops by irrigation. This is a long-term effort aimed at improving food security, diversifying food sources, and creating income-generating opportunities for farmers.
We need to remember that even small gifts make a huge difference to people in need. World Community Service, and the support of Every Rotarian, Every Year is a way for our club to make a real and lasting difference.
 

Week 28:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about meeting your personal financial objectives while supporting the humanitarian and educational programs of your Rotary Foundation.
Rotarians make the Foundation’s worldwide programs possible with generous and regular outright contributions. While charitable giving is its own reward, you may be pleased to learn that your gifts can often be tailored to meet a variety of personal and financial goals as well.
In some countries, donating a capital asset such as stock securities and real estate may provide you with additional tax benefits.
To learn more about how you can help The Rotary Foundation through effective gift planning, visit www.rotary.org or e-mail: EveryRotarianEveryYear@rotaryintl.org.

Week 29:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about how our Rotary Foundation continues to be so effective because it matches money with volunteerism! In the words of Arch C. Klumph, founder of The Rotary Foundation, “Money alone does little good. Individual service is helpless without money. The two together can be a godsend to civilization.” Your financial resources and your time, energy and talent are vital to the Rotary mission. Every dollar contributed goes to supporting our programs and keeps the engine of our Rotary Foundation running throughout the world.
Week 30:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about the Haiti Safe Water Plus project. Coordinated by District 5950 leaders in Minnesota, it has become a multi-million dollar, centerpiece world community service project that exemplifies the powerful impact that Rotarians can have in the world. Fresh water wells and sanitation facilities are being constructed in the central plateau area of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This project will provide key sanitation needs to over 141 villages in these areas. A local Dominican woman remarked to a visiting Rotarian who was inspecting one of the newly operational wells, “After Rotary drilled the well,” she said, “the children stopped dying.” Contributions to the Annual Programs Fund help make these projects possible.
Week 31:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about the Paul Harris Society. The Paul Harris Society is a district-administered recognition for those who elect to personally contribute US$1,000 or more each year to the Annual Programs Fund. Started three years ago by Past District Governor Wayne Cusick in District 5340 in San Diego, USA, societies have now been adopted in more than 80 districts worldwide. Individual districts handle all associated recognition for this program, however, the Trustees recently endorsed the Paul Harris Society, and TRF is developing a standard wearable recognition item. Paul Harris Society contributions are eligible towards Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member, Paul Harris Fellow, Multiple Paul Harris Fellow and Major Donor recognition.

Week 32:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about our scholarship programs. Ambassadorial Scholarships is one of the world's largest privately funded international scholarships programs. Last year, 737 Ambassadorial Scholars from 70 different countries studied and served as ambassadors of goodwill in over 60 countries. The Rotary World Peace Fellow program had 64 Peace Fellows from 27 different countries studying at the seven different Peace Centers. Although the program is still young, we are already seeing our graduates take important positions. One graduate, Arnoldas Pranckevicius is currently serving as the domestic policy advisor to Mr. Valdas Adamkus, President of Lithuania. Another, Richard Gee, is serving as senior legal advisor to the chief electoral officer for Afghanistan. Let’s make sure our local community is aware of our commitment to education and world peace through conflict resolution.
 

Week 33:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about Avoidable Blindness projects.
Realizing the urgency of the problem, Rotary clubs and districts around the world have endeavored to develop Matching Grant projects designed to combat avoidable blindness and assist those suffering from vision loss. Thousands of cataract surgeries have been performed as a result of Matching Grants involving numerous countries including Mexico, South Africa, USA, Lebanon, India and Turkey. Rotary clubs in Uruguay and Argentina partnered to provide equipment for a library for the blind in Montevideo, Uruguay. And, as a result of a matching grant obtained by Rotary clubs in Nepal and the USA, funds were provided to offer vision screenings, glasses and corrective surgeries for children in Kathmandu, Nepal. Isn’t it nice to know that Rotarians are restoring eyesight to so many?

Week 34:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about how you can support The Foundation while shopping online. Rotary International has partnered with CareClicks.com, an online shopping service. When you make a purchase a percentage of your purchases from participating merchants will support The Rotary Foundation. Over 1000 quality vendors are participating in the program. Just go to www.rotary.org/shopping for more details.
You can also contribute directly to The Rotary Foundation, by making your contribution online at www.rotary.org.
 

Week 35:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is an update on our Polio Eradication efforts. Recently, the Advisory Committee on Polio Eradication (ACPE), the global and technical oversight body of the Polio Eradication Initiative, concluded that polio could be eradicated within the next 6 months everywhere, except in Nigeria, provided adequate financial resources are found and political will is maintained. The World Health Organization further advises that eradication in Nigeria could follow within another 6-12 months. National Immunization Days will be held in all endemic and high-risk countries this spring to help ensure that this important milestone is met.
The PolioPlus Partners Program is currently accepting donations to support these NIDs and will match contributions at US$.50 per dollar donated. More information is available at www.rotary.org.

Week 36:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about a Rotary Peace Fellow who’s making a difference.
Arnoldas Pranckevicius, a member of the first class of Peace Fellows and a native Lithuanian, now works as a domestic policy advisor to the Republic of Lithuania President Valdas Adamkus. His responsibilities include analyzing trends and developments in the country’s political system. Some of the main issues and projects he has tackled are political corruption, the establishment of ethical standards, and the promotion of a civic and open society.
Arnoldas is just one example of how the Rotary Peace Fellows can shape policy and influence decision-making at an international level.
 

Week 37:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about Foundation Service Awards.
There are three different Foundation Service Awards. The District Service Award is given to any Rotarian whose service to humanity deserves to be recognized. The District Governor can award up to 20 of these a year and the recipient is given a certificate. The Citation for Meritorious Service is awarded by the Trustees to one Rotarian from each district every year. Nominations are solicited from district governors and RI Directors. The Trustees consider these nominations throughout the year until 15 May. A handsome certificate in a walnut frame is sent for presentation to the recipient of this award. Four complete Rotary years after receiving the Citation for Meritorious Service, a Rotarian becomes eligible for the Distinguished Service Award. Because this is the Foundation's highest service recognition, a recipient's exemplary service to the Foundation must extend beyond the district level and over an extended period of time. Award recipients receive a cast bronze plaque mounted on a walnut base.
Do you know someone who is worthy of such an honor in our club?

Week 38:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about club goal setting.
Clubs are asked to set annual giving goals for the Every Rotarian, Every Year effort. Since
clubs began establishing their own goals two years ago, annual giving to The Rotary Foundation
has surged from $55 million in 2002-03 to nearly $85 million in 2004-05. We’re asking every
Rotarian to support our Foundation with a financial contribution, every year. At the Presidentelect
Training Seminar this spring, our club president-elect will be asked to submit an annual
giving goal for the upcoming year.
History has proven that clubs that set goals follow through with them. As our club sets its goal
for the coming year, we should also remember to measure our success by the number of lives
we changed and saved.
 

Week 39:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about how a Group Study Exchange can make a
difference.
A GSE team from the Netherlands was scheduled to visit a district in Indonesia shortly after the
tsunami disaster of December 2004. The GSE team members were aware of the damage that
had occurred in their host district and embarked on a mission: to return home with a project that
would benefit tsunami victims. During their visit, they discovered that many Acehnese students
were no longer able to support their studies because they had lost homes and families in the
tsunami. The GSE team leader launched the appeal to Dutch Rotary Clubs who, through the
coordination of the Rotary Club of Bandung in Indonesia, were able to identify deserving
Acehnese students that needed support to complete their study programs.
The project, which was created through a GSE relationship, will ensure that many students from
tsunami-stricken West Java have the resources necessary to realize their dream of obtaining a
university degree.

Week 40:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about the upcoming International Convention.
Just as Rotary's mission of peace and understanding unites us, a spirit of cooperation and
togetherness links the cities of Malmö and Copenhagen. The 2006 RI Convention is not only the
first Rotary celebration in the Nordic region - it's also the first to embrace the hospitality of two
host countries. The 97th annual RI Convention kicks off our second century of service and
presents a remarkable opportunity to build bridges of friendship and service with fellow
Rotarians and come away with new ideas and inspiration that will resonate into the future. Each
year thousands of Rotarians attend these conventions and have the chance to visit some of the
most beautiful cities around the world.
Have you ever considered attending one as part of your vacation?
 

Week 41:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about the new Rotary Center for Peace and
Conflict Studies in Bangkok, Thailand.
This Center at Chulalongkorn University is hosting a new three-month certificate program. The
program is focused on providing working professionals from various industries with the conflict
resolution tools they need to foster peace and peaceful conflict resolution in their fields. The
requirements for this program are centered on appropriate professional experience and proven
commitment to the field. The skills and theories learned, can then be used by the participants in
real life situations.
All Rotary clubs are invited to submit applicants. Rotary clubs and districts are not required to
financially support their applicants. Contact your district Rotary Foundation chair if you have a
suitable candidate in mind.
 

Week 42:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about a new volunteer position within Rotary called
the Rotary Foundation Alumni Coordinators (RFACs).
These new volunteer coordinators have been asked to encourage Rotary clubs and districts to
involve Foundation program alumni in Rotary activities; to urge clubs to consider alumni as
potential members of Rotary and as potential contributors to The Rotary Foundation; and to use
alumni as effective advocates for the programs of The Rotary Foundation.
Alumni include individuals who have been part of a Group Study Exchange team or have been
Ambassadorial Scholars or Rotary Peace Fellows. Do any of you know a Foundation alumnus
that might be interested in joining Rotary? If so, contact your area Rotary Foundation Alumni
Coordinator through your district Rotary Foundation Chair.

Week 43:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is a reminder about why we support our Foundation. Each day, Rotary clubs on every continent are working to improve the living conditions and health of their fellow local and global citizens. We share in the pride of the success of our own projects, but we also take pride in the work that is done around the world under the Rotary banner. Whether it’s a massive project like polio, or something smaller, like providing clean water to an elementary school in The Philippines, we take pride in knowing that our fellow Rotarians are doing everything possible to extend peace throughout the world.
Our contributions to the Annual Programs Fund deliver hope throughout the world.
 

Week 44:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about the tremendous success our Rotary Foundation has experienced over the past few years. At the end of the fiscal year 2003, our Foundation ranked 96th out of the top 400 most successful U. S. charities by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a prestigious publication. This was the first time our Foundation has been included in the top 100. That year, we raised over US$133 million, largely due to the Polio Eradication effort. The past two years, The Rotary Foundation has set new giving records for the Annual Programs Fund, increasing from US$55 million in 2002-2003, to nearly US$85 million in 2004-2005. This year’s annual giving goal of $105 million is within reach.
Although the numbers are impressive, when you make your gift to The Rotary Foundation – just think about all the people you are helping. That’s the most satisfying aspect to our success.

Week 45:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about year-end contributions. The Rotary year ends June 30th and all contributions must be postmarked on or before that date to be credited for this Rotary year. We are encouraged to collect and submit year-end contributions in late May and early June to count towards our club’s annual giving goal. This will ensure proper credit and recognition for this Rotary year.
On behalf of the program beneficiaries, The Rotary Foundation thanks us for our ongoing support, enabling us to fund so many worthy projects.
 

Week 46:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about PolioPlus Partners. PolioPlus Partners is a special program created in 1995 to allow Rotarians in polio-free countries to partner with Rotarians in polio-endemic countries by providing support for National Immunization Days and other critical activities. Over $33 million has been contributed to over 400 projects since then. There is still a need today. The Partners program allows Rotarians to support a specific project or to apply donations to the highest priority. A list of Open Projects in need of funding is available on the Rotary website.
These projects support our fellow Rotarians in the last battles against polio. Please consider giving them your support.
 

Week 47:
This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about a Matching Grant project that took place in Israel. Sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Holon, Israel (District 2490) and Mill Hill, England (District 1130), this grant provided armchair-beds for Palestinian mothers to be close to their children recovering from heart operations at the Wolfson Medical Center in Tel Aviv. Without these armchair-beds, mothers would not have been able to be at their children’s side as they recovered. These armchair-beds, which are in constant use, have provided a saving grace for both mothers and children going through a very difficult time in their lives.
If you found yourself in a similar situation, wouldn’t you be grateful for the provision of such amenities? Why not consider bringing help and hope to a family in need today by applying for a Matching Grant?