The Charity of every Rotarian
The Rotary Foundation was the vision of Arch Klumph in 1917. The idea was to set up an Endowment for the purpose of 'Doing Good in the World'.
Over a century later it has grown to be a major charity that helps Rotarians fund their projects nationally and internationally. Nearly $100m is now spent annually on these projects.
They encompass:
- Disease Prevention & Treatment
- Water & Sanitation
- Maternal & Child Health
- Basic Education & Literacy
- Economic & Community Development
- Peace & Conflict Prevention & Resolution
- Supporting the Environment
Since 1985 Rotarians have been major sponsors of a plan to eliminate Polio, literally, from the face of the earth. Today there are only two countries where polio is endemic; Pakistan and Afghanistan. Thanks to the $2.1 billion that Rotarians have raised over the 36 years we have gone from 350,000 cases a year to less than 100.
Our Foundation also sponsors mature students for second degrees in Peace Studies at universities across the world. We also support Vocational Training Teams to share skills across countries as well as more technical scholarships.
The basic grants for Rotarians and their Clubs are Global Grants valued at a minimum of $30,000 and small District Grants for up to £1,500.
These pages give an introduction to all these aspects of Our Foundation. You can find out more through your Club’s Foundation Lead, through District or from Rotary GB&I or RI websites.