About Rotary - The Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes world understanding through international humanitarian service programs and educational and cultural exchanges. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and others who share its vision of a better world. Since 1947, the Foundation has awarded more than US$1.1 billion in humanitarian and educational grants, which are initiated and administered by local Rotary clubs and districts.

The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$73 million contributed in 2000-01. Its event-filled history is a story of Rotarians learning the value of service to humanity.

A child receives a polio vaccination through the Rotary Foundation Polio Plus project.		A Rotary Foundation Matching Grant brought clean drinking water to this small villiage.

The Foundation's Humanitarian Programs fund international Rotary club and district projects to improve the quality of life, providing health care, clean water, food, education, and other essential needs primarily in the developing world. One of the major Humanitarian Programs is PolioPlus, which seeks to eradicate the polio virus worldwide. Through its Educational Programs, the Foundation provides funding for some 1,200 students to study abroad each year. Grants are also awarded to university teachers to teach in developing countries and for exchanges of business and professional people. Former participants in the Foundation's programs have the opportunity to continue their affiliation with Rotary as Foundation Alumni.

A Matching Grant from the Rotary Foundation provided solar energy for three rural schools near Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

You can find out more about the Rotary Foundation by visiting the Foundation section of the Rotary International web site.

Information on this page came from the following pages at the Rotary International web site:

About Rotary

The Rotary Foundation

Programs of the Rotary Foundation

 

 

Rotary Foundation Receives Highest Ranking from Major Evaluator of Philanthropies

 

 

Charity Navigator, a leading independent evaluator of public charities in the United States, has awarded The Rotary Foundation its top rating of four stars.

“Less than a quarter of the charities we evaluate have received our highest rating, indicating that The Rotary Foundation outperforms the major of nonprofits in America with respect to fiscal responsibility,” says Trent Stamp, executive director of Charity Navigator, in the letter announcing Rotary’s four-star rating.

Established to help individuals make intelligent giving choices, the nonprofit Charity Navigator provides free ratings of tax-exempt charities based in the United States that receive substantial public support (more than $500,000).  Charity Navigator also considers a charity’s length of operation and program type before including it on the master list for evaluation.  Currently, Charity Navigator evaluates the organizational efficiency, organizational capacity, and overall financial health of more than 5,000 charities.

Charity Navigator’s four-star rating indicates that an organization “exceeds industry standards and out- performs most charities in its cause.”  The rating stems from its overall scores from seven performance categories.  For each category, an organization can receive a score from 0 to 10.  The overall score of a four-star charity ranges from 60 to 70.  An organization is awarded no stars if its overall score is less than 25.  The Foundation received an overall score of 60.92.  Learn more about the ratings at www.charitynavigator.org.

“We are very honored to receive Charity Navigator’s top ranking, which recognizes our high level of financial stewardship and efficiency,” says Luis V. Giay, chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees.  “However, in the end, what matters most are our continued efforts to effectively achieve the mission of The Rotary Foundation - promoting peace and international understanding through humanitarian and educational programs.”

Founded in Chicago in 1905, Rotary is an international volunteer service organization of 1.2 business and professional leaders who belong to more than 32,000 clubs in nearly 170 countries.  Rotary’s top philanthropic goal is the global eradication of the crippling disease polio, a job 99 percent accomplished.  The Rotary Foundation also supports Rotary clubs in projects that promote peace and understanding by tackling such problems as poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and chronic water shortage.  The Foundation supports seven Rotary Centers for International Studies for peace and conflict resolution on university campuses in six countries.