View 2008-09  The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International pdf. Foundation Facts

Mission Statement

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. www.rotary.org 

Programs

 PolioPlus. Rotarians have mobilized by the hundreds of thousands to ensure that children are immunized against
this crippling disease and that surveillance is strong, despite the poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and civil strife of many countries. Since the PolioPlus program’s inception in 1985, more than two billion children have received oral polio vaccine. To date, 210 countries, territories, and areas around the world are polio-free, and 134 of these have been certified. As of June 2008, Rotary has committed more than $757 million to global polio eradication. 2007-08 program awards were $126.7 million. (includes PolioPlus Partners grants)

PolioPlus Partners is a program that has allowed Rotarians to participate in the polio eradication effort by contributing to specific social mobilization and surveillance activities in polioendemic countries. In 2008-09, the Polio Plus Partners program will no longer raise funds specifically for PolioPlus Partners projects.  The program will receive up to $5 million from the general PolioPlus Fund to continue supporting social mobilization and surveillance projects in polio-endemic and high-risk countries.  In 2007-08 over 7,794 clubs in  509 districts contributed to  493 PolioPlus Partners projects, supporting Naitonal Immunization Days and other polio eradication activities around the world.

Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants fund large-scale, two- to four-year projects that enhance health, help alleviate hunger, or improve human development. Since 1978, 324 projects in 77 countries have been funded at a cost of $84 million. In 2007-08, 19 new projects were approved. Program awards were $5.3 million.

Matching Grants provide matching funds for international service projects of Rotary clubs and districts. Since 1965, almost 29,000 Matching Grant projects in 199 countries have been funded at a cost of more than $335 million.In 2007-08, 2,424 new grants were approved for projects in 137 countries. Program awards were $43.8 million.

District Simplified Grants support the short-term service activities or humanitarian endeavors of districts in
communities locally or internationally. This program began in 2003-04, and over 1,900 grants have been awarded to 478 districts in 65 countries totaling more than $28 million. In 2007-08, 389 grants were approved. Program
expenditures were $6.4 million.

Volunteer Service Grants support the international travel of qualified Rotarians and their spouses to provide a needed service to a community or to plan the implementation of a needed project. This program began in 2006-07, and 429 grants were awarded to support travel to 65 countries. Program awards were $2 million. In 2007-08, 227 grants supported travel to 58 coutries. Program awards were $1.1 million.

Rotary World Peace Fellowships. Each year, up to 60 fellows are sponsored to study at one of the six Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution for a master’s-level degree. Since the program’s inception in 2002-03, 339 fellows from over 75 different countries have participated at a cost of more than $23 million. In 2007-08, 56 peace fellows from 33 countries began studies at the six Rotary Centers totaling $4.6 million for the two-year program.

Ambassadorial Scholarships. The Foundation sponsors one of the largest international scholarship programs in the world. Scholars study in a country other than their own where they serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill. Since 1947, more than 39,000 scholars from over 115 countries have received scholarships at a cost of more than $504 million. In 2007-08, 673 scholars from 72 countries studied in 73 countries. Program awards were $14.1 million.

Rotary Grants for University Teachers are awarded to faculty members to teach in a developing nation for 3 to 10 months. Since 1985, 486 university teachers have shared their expertise with a college or university in a developing country at a cost of $4.8 million. In 2007-08, 26 university teachers from 5 countries taught in 17 countries. Program awards were $0.3 million.

Group Study Exchange (GSE). These annual awards are made to paired Rotary districts to provide travel expenses for a team of non-Rotarians from a variety of professions. Rotarian hosts organize a four- to six-week itinerary of vocational, educational, and cultural points of interest. Since 1965, about 65,000 individuals (about 13,541 teams) from 106 countries have participated at a cost of more than $100 million. In 2007-08, 565 teams traveled abroad.  Program awards were $4.4 million. 

	2007-08	Cumulative
Contributions	$245.7 million	$2,171 billion
Annual Programs Fund	$114.8 million	$1.503 billion
Permanent Fund	$13.9 million	$154 million
PolioPlus Fund	$114.1 million	$491 million
Other	$2.9 million	$23 million
Program Awards and Expenses	$227.5 million	since 1947:$2,034 billion
Arch C. Klumph Society	22	211
Major Donors	1,398	10,105
Bequest Society	509	6,099
Benefactors	2,985	77,776
New Paul Harris Fellows	58,043	1,126,784