How The Rotary Foundation Works

The mission of The Rotary Foundation 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.

The Rotary Foundation helps fund our humanitarian activities, from local service projects to global initiatives. Your club can apply for grants from the Foundation to invest in projects and provide scholarships. The Foundation also leads the charge on worldwide Rotary campaigns such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Rotarians and friends of Rotary support the Foundation’s work through voluntary contributions.

District 5020 proudly provides extensive Foundation training for all district Rotary clubs and Rotarians. Find out where and when the next District Foundation training session will be here.

THE FOUNDATION AND YOU

WAYS TO GIVE PLANNED GIVING RECOGNITION

Annual Fund

Your gift to the Annual Fund helps Rotary clubs take action today to create positive change in communities at home and around the world. Your contributions help us strengthen peace efforts, provide clean water and sanitation, support education, grow local economies, save mothers and children, and fight disease.

Every Rotarian Every Year

The Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) initiative asks every Rotarian to support The Rotary Foundation every year. In addition to contributing to the Annual Fund on a regular basis, members are encouraged to get involved in a Foundation project or program. EREY aims to engage every Rotary club member by:

Encouraging every Rotarian to contribute to the Annual Fund every year
Encouraging every Rotarian to participate in a Foundation grant or program every year

Share System

Through the SHARE system, contributions to The Rotary Foundation are transformed into grants that change lives. At the end of every Rotary year, contributions to the Annual Fund-SHARE from all Rotary clubs in a district are directed into two funds:

Fifty percent is credited to the World Fund.
Fifty percent is credited to the District Designated Fund.

The Foundation uses the World Fund portion to pay for the worldwide grant and program opportunities available to all Rotary districts. The Rotary Foundation’s funding cycle makes district contributions available for use three years after they are received. The three-year cycle gives districts time to plan projects

Endowment Fund

The purpose of the Endowment Fund is to ensure the long-term viability of The Rotary Foundation and its programs. Contributions made to the Endowment Fund are invested in perpetuity with no erosion of the contribution itself. Many might view the Endowment Fund as the foundation's “savings account” whose interest supports the Annual Fund, our foundations “checking account.” Unlike the Annual Fund whose money is distributed after four years after contribution, the Endowment Fund's principal is never spent and is structured to maintain value against inflation. Read more in Endowment Fund Simplified.

Contributions are invested in perpetuity. A percentage of the total value of the fund is directed annually to Foundation grants and programs. Types of contributions:

Outright gifts of cash, investments, or otherproperty
Life income gifts (e.g., charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, pooled-income funds)
Testamentary gifts through wills or estate plans
Beneficiary of life insurance, retirement plan accounts, or other financial accounts