The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.

The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

In November, Rotary International dedicates to the programs and activities of the Rotary Foundation and this gives us a wonderful opportunity to focus our attention on the many great things that our foundation delivers to our world.

We take so much for granted as we enjoy our privileged life. Water streams from every one of the 10 or so taps in our houses, medical aid is just around the corner, a strong and active education system provides a future for all our children and with the exception of a few, we want for nothing. How different it is for one-third of the world’s population!

Including our efforts in the area of polio eradication, your Foundation provided something like $180 million last year to support clubs and districts in their efforts to ‘do good in the world’. If you add the money supplied by clubs and districts to complete these projects, we would have a conservative spend of something like $450 million so we are not a small, insignificant organization. We are a highly relevant significant group and we should never fail to make that point with our friends.

Nothing ever comes cheap and everything The Foundation does cost money. When the money runs out so does our ability to make a difference. Clubs can take the bull by the horns and agree to pay their TRF commitment now rather than wait until the traditional ‘rush’ period. We will get our money working sooner rather than later and that will help enormously. If all the clubs in District 9400 could do this then The Foundation would be in a much stronger position.