Evening on Foundation

David perkins, District Foundation Chair


 

First by Sarah Curtis 8/6/21

We have recently had a talk from David Perkins from the Westbury Rotary Club advising us how the Rotary Foundation helps the world and where our money comes from and goes to.

Our club has personally received grants which this year have been put to use by helping towards an LCD screen for ICA on the Island and has also internationally given to Nepal water projects.

The grants are received three years after monies having been donated into Foundation but, as of July 2021, the grants will now be halved due to less monies being available.

Our own Foundation charity to reduce polio in the world has had an amazing worldwide effect with only two wild polio cases being recorded so far this year and all the environmental samples have proved negative for the polio virus which is amazing considering they were over 1,000 cases last year. 

Those carrying out the polio vaccinations have also been helping during the Covid pandemic by advising where the Covid virus has reached and has also assisted in supplying ventilators and PPE etc. 

District 1200 has always been very active in applying for grants but now we need to do all we can to add to the pot to help us in three years time. Our own Rotary Club of Portland gives nearly twice as much to Foundation than many other clubs, by way of a substantial donation at the end of the year. We can help further by individually donating £5 plus Gift Aid by direct debit straight to RFUK (Rotary Foundation UK) Alcester and David will be supplying forms to enable anyone who may wish to do so. The discussion of leaving a legacy to Rotary in individual Wills was also had and you should speak to a solicitor if you would wish to donate this way. This is also applicable to friends and family!

We should be proud as a club that we give this substantial donation annually to our own charity but there is still much more we can do.  

This is my interpretation of David's presentation so please contact him if you have any questions!

And some further thoughts by Keith

£1-50 a week - is that too much?
David Perkins , our District Foundation Chair, triggered off a thought in my mind for once when he was talking about our ONLY charity and mentioned £1-50 a week.  
That is very little indeed - half a cup of coffee.
This club does very well in its support for the Rotary Foundation but, perhaps until this evening members did not realise how the financing works.
For those who missed his very informative talk, please read on.
We send the money in to our only charity, it stays in the USA earning more interest than we can get in this country because such large sums are invested all over the world to get the best rates and then we get it back three years later as our District Designated Fund.
We control what happens to our DDF.
The problem is that we have to put money in in the first place in order to get something back three years later, and the more we put in, obviously the more we get back, and members now realise, with Nepal etc. how valuable that can be.
Yes, put the money in your wills with pleasure - you will not miss it, but it is becoming glaringly obvious that, as more members and more clubs realise what we actually get back from what, last year was named the No 1 charity in the world, the demand on our resources is increasing, and will go on increasing.
This means that, instead of getting back $1000, we will, if lucky, only get $500.
Or if we want $500 we will probably only get $250.
Once the kitty is empty it stays empty until topped up again
Some clubs give 10% of all donations automatically to TRF, but mostly it comes from individual Rotarians.
We, as caring humans, give to the Air Ambulance, The Life Boat, Oxfam (or we used to), etc., etc., so why not support our own charity which does so much more?
Simply sign a Direct Debit form with your bank for just £1-50 each week, (or a Sustaining Member form for 100$ each year if you prefer) and then forget about it.  Your bank and TRF will do it all for you..
There are many in Nepal, Kenya and a host of other countries who need our help.
 


 

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