My fellow Rotarians and friends of Rotary,

Why should we give to The Rotary Foundation?

The month of November is The Foundation month in the Rotary Calendar. When you donate to The Rotary Foundation, you are helping Rotary members make a difference in the lives of millions of people around the world. By contributing to the Foundation, you advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

We can always ask ourselves why we should make The Rotary Foundation our charity of choice on Giving. I want to outline a few compelling reasons to support The Rotary Foundation as there are many other ways to do good in the world.

Accountability

Our accountability and transparency have earned The Rotary Foundation 12 straight years of four-star ratings - the highest possible - from independent evaluator Charity Navigator. More than 90% of Foundation funds are spent directly on programs. No high administrative costs dilute your gift.

Impact

The Foundation partner with other organizations to increase our impact and make your donations work even harder. When you give to Polio-Plus, for example, you have the satisfaction of knowing that every $1 Rotary commit to polio eradication is matched by $2 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Thanks to this partnership, all donations to end polio (up to $50 million per year) are tripled, providing critical funding toward creating a polio-free world.

A record of success

Rotary unites leaders who have the skills and resources to tackle some of the world's most challenging problems and deliver sustainable, long-lasting results. For example, for decades, Rotary has been a leader in the battle against polio. With the help of our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we have reduced cases by 99.9% since 1988. In addition, the infrastructure developed to facilitate both immunizations and eradication is being used to fight and protect against other diseases. For example, the method known as contact tracing was critical to contain an Ebola outbreak in Nigeria in 2014. 

Global reach

Our 1.2 million members span the globe, uniting people who have a common desire to serve others. From teaching children to read in Ecuador to a microcredit program in Indonesia, Rotary members identify local problems and use Rotary's vast network and the resources of The Rotary Foundation to take action in their communities.

As people of action, Rotary members want to find ways to respond to COVID-19, and to help people affected by Covid-19. The Rotary Foundation offers several options that Rotarians can use to help care for and protect people in their own communities and others around the world.

Bringing about peace

Peace holds a unique status in Rotary. We approach peace not as an abstract concept but as a living, dynamic expression of human development. As a humanitarian service organization, it is both a cornerstone of our mission and one of our six areas of focus - one of the main ways our members make their mark in the world.

Each year, the Rotary Peace Centres train some of the world's most dedicated professionals to resolve conflicts and promote national and international cooperation. Rotary Peace Fellows study in a two-year master's degree program or a professional certificate program at Rotary's partner universities. Rotary members also address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.

Rotarians trust 'The Rotary Foundation'. It has a proven legacy of transparency, stewardship and effective investment practices. One has only to check with Charity Navigator to learn that The Rotary Foundation enjoys a perfect score of 100 per cent and is rated number three in the top ten charities.

With the unprecedented pandemic, the demand to assist the need is enormous for The Foundation. As a result, the Rotary Club of Strathfield plans to run an extra mile this year to contribute to The Foundation. Our International Service Director, PP Roy Ellis is communicating with our members to find ways and means to support the Rotary Foundation this year.

Yours in Rotary,

Thaya Ponnia