Since our ability as a District to fund grant requests from our clubs is tied to how much we give to the Foundation each year, I asked PDG Louisa Tripp, our Foundation Committee Chair, to write something up for us that describes ways in which you and I can support our Foundation. Here is her creative response!
Have you made a donation to the Rotary Foundation yet? Gifts of any size to The Rotary Foundation are appreciated. You might read that and think, “Oh, yeah, sure.” But consider that one dose of polio vaccine costs 60 cents. A donation of $1 is matched with $2 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Those three dollars vaccinate five children from polio. While our focus is still on Polio, The Rotary Foundation also supports educational, humanitarian, and cultural programs and projects throughout the world. By donating to The Rotary Foundation, you support fellow Rotarians and the mission of the Foundation.
Have you made a donation to the Rotary Foundation yet? Consider The Rotary Foundation’s mission 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. Consider two important words in that mission statement: “enable Rotarians”. The Foundation is a membership benefit that is provided exclusively to Rotarians to support the work that each of you do locally in your community as well as around the world. The Rotary Foundation is here to help you turn your passion for a cause into action and lasting change with the help of our world class grant opportunities. The benefits of being a Rotarian include not only chicken dinners and pins, they include exclusive use of The Rotary Foundation funds for club and district projects.
Have you made a donation to the Rotary Foundation yet? During this busy time of year, with catalogs and donation requests filling our mailboxes, it is easy to think we do not have enough time – we’ll “do it later.” Giving the Rotary Foundation is made easy by a variety of methods.
1. Donate online - Go to www.Rotary.org/contribute or to www.TRFCanada.org and click on donate. You need a credit card and need to have a member access account on the RI website – which is very easy to set up. Both websites take you to the same donation page. It is no longer required that online donations be made at the TRF Canada website. Once you log in the system it will issue a Canadian tax receipt. You and your club will get the appropriate credit.
2. Send a cheque – you can donate to The Rotary Foundation by cheque (or credit card). Download and fill out the donation form - Click HERE. Put your member ID number and club name on the back of the cheque. Please don’t include any correspondence with your donation. Send this separately to the appropriate office. Attach a cheque or fill out credit card information and send to the appropriate address on the form.
3. Donate by Phone – donations will be accepted at the Rotary Contact Center. Have a credit card ready and phone 866-9-Rotary (866-976-8279) Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. This office is in the US but they transfer the data to Rotary Foundation Canada and a Canadian tax receipt will be sent.
4. Rotary Direct - Enroll in The Rotary Foundation’s recurring giving program, Rotary Direct, and save time and money. Select an amount, frequency (monthly, quarterly or annually), and contribution method that is convenient for you.
You can direct your donation to various different Rotary Foundation charitable funds. If you direct your donation to the Annual Program Fund - SHARE, 50% of the funds are made available to District 7850 Rotary clubs for Rotary Foundation District and Global Grants.
You can also direct your donation to PolioPlus, the Permanent Fund (Endowment Fund) or one of the six areas of focus of The Rotary Foundation however these funds go directly to support these programs and are not available for all types of grants.
Have you made a donation to the Rotary Foundation yet? Let us know how we can help you make a donation now or consider estate planning to include the Rotary Foundation in your future plans.