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The Rotary Foundation is the Best Steward for Your Money
In 2016, The Rotary Foundation received the highest possible score from Charity Navigator – 100 of 100 points
– for its strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.
It was the ninth straight year the Foundation earned a four-star rating from the independent evaluator of charities across the U.S., a distinction only 1 percent of charities have attained.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals likewise named the Foundation the World’s Outstanding Foundation for 2016, an award previously given to other familiar names such as Kellogg and MacArthur.
These organizations agree: When you donate to The Rotary Foundation, you’re investing wisely. We followed your money from start to finish to discover how the Foundation ensures that your gift makes an impact for years to come.
Directing your donation
There’s a reason Rotarians donate to The Rotary Foundation: It’s a simple way to achieve your philanthropic goals – whether it’s supporting clean water, the eradication of polio, or a particular global grant.
Any gift can be donated to a specific fund – End Polio Now, an individual global grant, or one of Rotary’s areas of focus.
Illustrations by Gwen Kereval
“Even the smallest of gifts can be donated to a specific fund – a global grant, polio, or an area of focus within the World Fund,” says April Jensen, a member of the Rotary Club of Evanston, Illinois, USA, who works in fund development for the Foundation.
You can also leave your gift unrestricted so that the Foundation has the flexibility to use the money where it is needed most.
Do you ever wish you could set up a scholarship or your own family’s foundation but don’t want the headache of administering it? Let The Rotary Foundation handle it. When you make a gift over $25,000, you will receive personalized reports detailing the
projects you are supporting. You can make your gift in the way that suits your financial situation best – such as cash, stocks, or bequests.
Investing your money
In 2015-16, 91 percent of the money the Foundation spent went to programs and grants, with only 9 percent of expenses going toward administration. How does the Foundation make sure that the bulk of your donation supports the sustainable programs you want
it to?
“To ensure that the funds for the project are there when needed,” says past Rotary International President Ron D. Burton, chair of the Foundation’s Investment Committee, “all contributions to the Foundation’s Annual Fund are invested for three years.”
After three years, the investment earnings on your gift go toward the operating expenses of the Foundation.
The Investment Committee includes three Foundation trustees and six Rotarians who are professionals in the field, who make sure that your money is invested responsibly during this period.
When the three years is up, the investment earnings on your gift go toward the operating expenses of the Foundation.
“I don’t know of any other organization like ours that has a system like this,” Jensen says. “It’s brilliant.”
Your principal is split 50/50, with half going to your District Designated Fund and half going into the World Fund, a pool that the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation use to match grants where they are most needed.
Awarding grants
When the Foundation awards a grant to fund a project, how does it ensure that your money will have lasting impact?
“Sustainability begins with the community assessment,” explains Philip J. Silvers, a past RI director and chair of the Foundation’s Cadre of Technical Advisers.
Six elements of sustainability must be addressed in the design of a global grant project:
Start with the community
Encourage local ownership
Provide training
Buy local
Find local funding
Measure your success
Learn about
20 noteworthy grants
Read tips
for strong projects
Before Rotarians design projects, they talk to people in the community – fathers, mothers, children, elders, political leaders – to understand the broader context behind what the community needs.
“Then whatever project emerges, the community can see their fingerprints on it,” he says. “It’s not buy-in you want. We all know about buyer’s remorse. What we really want is community ownership right from the beginning.”
Six elements of sustainability must be addressed in the design of a global grant project: start with the community, encourage local ownership, provide training, buy local, find local funding, and measure your success.
These ensure that the project provides long-term solutions that the community itself can support after the grant ends.
Project sponsors don’t have to figure out all this on their own. The Rotary Foundation provides staff to help with your project design – grant officers are knowledgeable about regional and cultural issues, and area of focus managers have significant field
experience in their specialties.
By connecting clubs with local and regional experts for guidance on developing sustainable, large-scale global grants early in the planning process, Rotary is committed to funding projects with lasting impact in communities.
Your district’s international service chair, a Rotarian appointed by your district governor, can help you connect with a network of local Rotarian experts – such as members of Rotarian Action Groups, Rotaractors, and peace fellows and other alumni – who
have volunteered to help with projects and global grant planning.
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