Part of  the 100% Giving Club Again

A proud moment in the over 60 years history of our club.  Immediate Past President Ben Clarke holds a banner which celebrates an achievement in which every club member has played a part.  Each year we have contribution to Foundation, but 2019-20 was something special.

100% Giving Club

Our club meeting on October 26 was graced by two of our PDGs, whom we are always delighted to see  - Terry and Pauline Dean.  This was appropriate as we dedicated it to raising money for Foundation’s End Polio Now through our quiz.  We made over £1000 in direct fees, worth over £3800 to End Polio Now.

Pauline, 2019-2020 DG, gave us the great news.  She announced that we were the only club in our District where every member had donated at least $100 to Foundation that year.  One of only 4,000 clubs world wide to achieve this.  She “virtually”presented the club with a fine banner recognizing our membership of the “100% Foundation Giving Club”.  (The banner subsequently arrived at IPP Ben Clarke’s house for the statutory photograph).

For The Record

For over a decade now, members of the Rotary Club of Billericay have added over $100 to their yearly subscriptions to support Rotary Foundation.  During that extensive period, in every year, every member has been a sustaining member of Rotary Foundation. This is a terrific record.

Only 8% of all Rotary Foundation receipts are spent on operating expenses.  Not only that, but for the eleventh consecutive year, Charity Navigator has awarded Foundation the highest rating - for its strong financial health, accountability and transparency.  All contributions to the Foundation are invested for three years, the investment earnings of which go toward Foundation operating expenses.  The original donation is split 50/50 between our District Designated Fund and the World Fund, used to match grants where they are most needed.

History

In 1917 Rotary president Arch Klumph proposed setting up an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” . That one idea led to the Rotary Foundation, transforming millions of lives around the globe.
Where does the money go?  Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.   $86,677,399 in funding to 1,306 grants during 2018.
PolioPlus. Since 1988, Rotary and its partners have immunized more than 2.5 billion children against polio and spent over $2 billion on global polio eradication
Rotary Peace Centres. Foundation trains peace fellows at six Rotary Peace Centres. Since 2002-03, 1,284 fellows have graduated from the Peace Centres, working in more than 116 countries.
District grants. District grants support small-scale, short-term projects related to the Foundation’s mission. In 2018-19, the Foundation approved 494 district grants, and programme awards totalled $26.3 million.
Global grants. Global grants fund large-scale international activities with sustainable, measurable results that support Rotary’s six areas of focus.  In 2018-19, the Foundation approved 1,403 global grants, and programme awards totalled $86.6 million.