THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
OVERVIEW OF DIRECTORSHIP
The Rotary Foundation District Director is responsible to the District Governor for supervising The Rotary Foundation committees in their role to assist clubs to benefit from the programs offered and to encourage clubs to support The Rotary Foundation.
The main focus has been to explain to Rotarians how the new grants model works. Presentations have been/will be made at Group Forums, President Elects Training Seminars and District Training Assemblies. Presentations were made to four clubs in 2016-17.
District Grants for 2016-17 have been allocated with a separate report prepared by Grants Chair PDG Bruce Buxton.
ANNUAL GIVING
Annual Program Fund contributions provide the cornerstone for funding of Rotary Foundation programs. Half of annual contributions return to the District as District Designated Funds for use by the District three years after the contribution was made.
Details of Annual Giving to date and for the past six years are:
Year / Members / US$ / Exchange
Rate / AUS
$ / Non-Giving
Clubs
2016-17 / 1,303 / $64,265 / 0.7407 / $86,758 / 22
2015-16 / 1,348 / $108,338 / 0.7407 / $146,249 / 3
2014-15 / 1,363 / $110,672 / 0.7813 / $141,651 / 2
2013-14 / 1,366 / $94,002 / 0.9091 / $103,401 / 6
2012-13 / 1,398 / $115,971 / 0.9524 / $121,767 / 3
2011-12 / 1,406 / $117,727 / 1.0000 / $117,727 / 2
2010-11 / 1,414 / $143,417 / 1.0526 / $136,250 / 0
Whilst there are 22 clubs that have not yet contribution, six of these have made a pledge to contribute. I will contact all of the other 16 clubs to encourage a contribution.
Only eight clubs (17%) have included through Rotary Club Central a goal for Annual Giving. The clubs to have recorded a goal are: Deloraine, Howrah, Huon Valley, Kingston, Longford, Sandy Bay, Smithton and Ulverstone.
The amount of District Designated Funds available for global grant applications is:
Description / Amount50% of Annual Fund Share contributions from 2013 - 2014 / $46,531.70
50% of Available Endowment Fund Share Earning / $205.20
Carry Forward from 2015 - 2016 / $45,180.14
District Block Grant 2016- 2017 / ($23,363.00)
Global Grant Gamma Probe / ($6,071.00)
Donation to PolioPlus / (10,000.00)
Vocational Training Team - Vanuatu Yaws (to be confirmed) / ($15,000.00)
DDF Balance available for Global Grants 2016-2017 / $37,483.04
ENDOWNMENT FUND
Contributions made to the Endowment Fund by individuals are invested in perpetuity. A percentage of the total fund is spent annually to support educational, humanitarian, and cultural programs and projects throughout the world.
The Endowment Fund includes contributions made by Benefactors and Bequest Society members. Details of these are:
Benefactors 27 (no new members in 2016-17)
Bequest Society Members 6 (no new members in 2016-17)
CENTURION CLUB
The Centurion Club is a District program of donating to the Annual Giving of the Rotary Foundation. This is a way of a personal donation to our Rotary charity, The Rotary Foundation, which is fully tax deductible. The commitment is $100 Australian per year for as long as you are able to do so.
There were 43 Centurions in 2015-16 and to date there are 65 in 2016-17 (up from 22 in February).
POLIOPLUS
The Foundation Committee aims to continue awareness and promote fundraising to support Rotary’s goal of a polio-free world.
At the start of the Rotary PolioPlus program in 1988 there were 350,000 cases reported in 125 countries. In 2015 there were 74 cases reported. In 2016 there were 37 cases reported (Afghanistan 13, Nigeria 4, Pakistan 20).
As at 10 May 2017, there were five cases reported this calendar year (Afghanistan 3 and Pakistan 2).
Contributions to PolioPlus have been consistent for the past few years but donations for 2016-17 are below expectations.
Year / US$ / Non-Giving
Clubs
2016-17 / $2,239 / 42
2015-16 / $12,466 / 29
2014-15 / $12,738 / 22
2013-14 / $13,217 / 24
2012-13 / $11,898 / 35
District 9830 contributed in May US$10,000 from District Designated funds to PolioPlus that is not yet appearing in the total contributions.
GRANTS
Global Grants that are presently open are:
1. GG1413252 was approved 24 January 2014: D-9830 contributed US$5,000 towards a US$59,000 School Desks Project in Vanuatu. The primary sponsor of the project is D-9910 (NZ and South Pacific).
2. GG1525805 was approved on 3 July 2015. District 9830 has contributed US$5,000 from District Designated Funds towards the total grant budget is US$84,912. The primary sponsor is D-9910 (NZ and South Pacific). The project will provide a source of potable water and safe and sanitary means to dispose of human waste for the Big Bay Campus and its local community in Vanuatu.
3. GG1529680 submitted by D-9910 (NZ and South Pacific) has been approved. District 9830 has contributed US$2,500 from District Designated Funds towards the total grant budget is US$147,357. The project will provide five disadvantaged children from South Pacific Islands with life-saving and life enhancing emergency surgery at hospitals in New Zealand. A further objective is to provide training for health professionals from the areas where these children live to assist them in diagnosing and treating similar cases in their community at an early stage.
Investigation is being made into a Global Grant to fund Gift of Sight eye camps in Nepal. The Rotary Foundation has provided guidelines on Global Grants for cataract surgery. There is a need to include a sustainable component in the grant, such as community education on the care and protection of eyes.
PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY
The Paul Harris Society recognizes Rotary members and friends of The Rotary Foundation who contribute US$1,000 or more each year (for as long as they are able to do so) to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or approved global grants. The purpose of the Paul Harris Society is to honour and thank individuals for their generosity of annual support to The Rotary Foundation.
There are 12 members of the Paul Harris Society, 9 of these were current in 2015-16 but only 4 are current to date in 2016-17.
PEACE FELLOWS
Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of its peace centres – 50 in masters level programs and 50 in a three-month professional development certificate.. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
Will Underwood of Hobart commenced a 2016 Rotary Peace Fellow to undertake a two year master’s degree in peace and conflict studies at Uppsala University in Sweden in September 2016.
The next round of applications will be advertised to clubs in February with the closing date for applications being 31 May 2017. There have been two enquiries so far.
Prepared by:
James Wilcox
District Rotary Foundation Director