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As International Rotary (UR) was established in 1905, over time it needed strong financial support to be successful and survive. This need was brought to life in 1917 with the efforts of UR's 6th President Arch C. Klump under the name "Rotary Endowment Fund", and in 1928 it became institutionalized and reached legal entity status under the name "Rotary Foundation".

The Rotary Foundation was established in 1917 with a donation of 26.5 USD and has become one of the best operating foundations in the world today. The Rotary Foundation, whose financial status is examined annually by the independent organization called Charity Navigator and has received 4 Stars, the highest level since the 2007-08 period, has received a perfect score of 100 three times in the last 5 years, making it one of the few foundations in the world in this regard.

Parameters such as the rate at which it spends its income on projects, transparency, and the size of the funds it manages are among the criteria that Charity Navigator looks at. Taking 2018 as an example, it spent approximately 310 million USD, corresponding to 92% of its income, on the programs it runs, administrative expenses constituted only 3% of its income, and fund creation constituted 5%.

In the same year, our Foundation spent 160 million USD on the PolioPlus project, which it runs and is the world's largest non-governmental organization project that is very close to eradicating polio from the world, and 144 million USD on other humanitarian projects.

Today, it would not be wrong to attribute the worldwide success of the Rotary Organization to the existence and financial strength of the International Rotary Foundation.

Objectives

  • To Achieve Rotary's Purpose and Mission.
  • To work for Understanding and Peace in the World.

Programs;

International Rotary has developed programs to direct the support of the International Rotary Foundation to projects to ensure the continuity of Rotary and increase the strength and effectiveness of clubs.

The program headings supported by the International Rotary Foundation are as follows:

  • Fighting Polio
  • Humanitarian Aid
  • Education Programs
  • World Peace

Contributions

The Rotary Foundation draws its main strength from everyone who wants to serve humanity in the world like Rotarians. The financial source of the support provided by the Foundation to projects consists of contributions made by these people. Contributions made to the Foundation are presented to society as support for projects where members of Rotary Clubs in many countries and their ideas come together.
Vakfın kuruluşundan itibaren yaptığı tüm proje destekleri tutarı 3.4 MİLYAR USD olmuştur. Örneğin, 2014-15 döneminde (12 ay boyunca) tüm dünya projelerinde toplam 265 Milyon USD harcama yapılmıştır. Bu dönemde en büyük proje desteği kalemini çocuk felci hastalığını dünyadan yok etmek için harcanan 123 Milyon USD oluşturmuştur. İnsanlığa hizmet etmek isteyen herkesi Rotary Vakfına katkı yapmaya davet ediyoruz.

Incentives

The Rotary Foundation provides support to projects, scholarships, and professional development training carried out by Rotarians worldwide in various subjects and fields. You can also benefit from the Rotary Foundation for the most suitable support and incentive opportunities for your project that you want to implement in the following areas.

Regional Incentives – District Grants

  • These are resources that clubs can use for regional or international scope, small budget projects that can be completed quickly
  • It can be a source for projects planned with the participation of one or more clubs and/or multiple regions.
  • Projects planned by the Club and Region are required to be completed within one year.
  • Only District approval is required – there is an easier and shorter application process. The application deadline is near the beginning of the period (for example, end of July). The evaluation period is short (usually one month).

For applicationRegional Incentive Application Formit is sufficient to write the following information:

  • club information
  • project topic
  • implementation process and
  • budget and financing information, requested amount
  • project success criteria

Examples of Regional Incentive Projects:

  • Playground for disabled and handicapped children
  • Dictionary distribution to 3rd grade primary school students
  • Projecting traffic slogans onto a building on a busy street
  • Installation of solar panel hot water heater in disabled care home
  • Human rights education seminars in high schools
  • Support for young musicians' participation in international competition

Global Incentives – Global Grants

Global Incentives are large budget projects that will leave a mark in areas needed by the community. They must be planned in topics suitable for one of the 6 priority areas specified below by International Rotary. Global Incentives are long-term (more than one year) and sustainable projects (usage will continue after project completion) that will strengthen the community's knowledge, skills, and resources. In these projects, it is desired to reach larger masses by aiming for cooperation and broad participation with other NGOs or public institutions.

Peace – Resolution of Conflicts
Disease Prevention and Treatment
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Mother – Child Health
Basic Education – Literacy
 Economic – Social Development
Protecting and Supporting the Environment

 

Clubs that will implement Global Grant projects must work with at least one international partner. These partners can be Rotary Clubs from other countries as well as districts from other countries. At least 30% of the project budget must be provided by international partners.

Creating a fund for a global donation and being a pioneer is investing in lasting change. Sustainable projects can be in various forms and subjects, but all of them contain the following elements.
 
Community Participation: Sustainable projects are well-planned, require the cooperation of everyone involved in the project, and are suitable for the needs and value judgments of the community that will benefit from the project.
 
Current materials and technology: Modern, durable, technological, and environmentally friendly materials that can be easily found should be used to implement sustainable projects.
 
Economic sustainability: In sustainable projects, economic models and material resources that will be self-sustaining after the Rotary incentive and project establishment process ends should be used or created as project output.
 
Knowledge and skills: Sustainable projects should increase success and adoption capacity by providing new knowledge, skills, and behaviors to the relevant community.
 
Motivation: Sustainable projects should have inferences and activities that the relevant community will care about and adopt. This will ensure the continuity of contribution and interest in the project.
 
Measurability: The success of sustainable projects must be measurable so that everyone involved can clearly see and compare the benefit of the project. For this, follow-up and measurement methodologies should be put in place for the project. For example, knowing the number of people diagnosed or treated by a medical device, or the number of graduates in a project planned on literacy.
 
Examples of global incentive projects:
  • Early diagnosis information for colon cancer
  • Water purification and toilets for primary school
  • Emergency intervention room for eye hospital
  • Teaching and implementation of new planting, irrigation, and maintenance technologies to farmers
  • Providing conflict resolution and mediation training to young people in high schools

Restrictions to be considered in projects to be carried out with Rotary Foundation Incentives:

  • Cannot discriminate or make distinctions against any group (race, religion, language, political)
  • Cannot provide continuous support and benefit to an institution or community
  • Cannot establish or donate foundation or fund
  • Cannot purchase land or building
  • Cannot be used in Rotary events (Assembly, Conference, Institute, Convention)
  • Cannot be a fund for previously held events

District 2440 Foundation Website

Resources

226e-tr-Club Foundation Committee Handbook 2016-2019
The Rotary Foundation Reference Guide
Club Agreement Form – Club Qualification Memorandum of Understanding
Regional Incentive Application Form
How to Apply for Global Incentive – Global Grant Application
Rotary Grants Terms and Conditions
District Grant Lifecycle
Global Grant Lifecycle
Guide to Global Grants
Foundation Areas of Focus Policy Statements

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