Here is your year-end update on The Rotary Foundation and Grants in our District 5650. Read more to find out all of the outstanding activities in our district to serve your communities.
- Total donations to The Rotary Foundation for this year (2020-21) have exceeded our District goals and exceeded last years’ total donations. Thanks to every donor in our District for their generosity, and I urge you to keep those final donations coming in before June 30 for Polio Plus and for the Annual Fund.
- Our final report on District Grants for the current Rotary Year (2020-21) has been submitted to The Rotary Foundation. The report showed $58,936 in District Designated Funds (DDF) were spent on projects right here in District 5650, a record for our District. Thanks to every Rotarian whose donations to The Rotary Foundation made these projects possible, and thanks to every Club that carried out a District Grant project this year.
- One of our District Grant projects was the Food Bank drive spearheaded by our District Governor, Roxy Orr. The total raised for Food Banks in our District, including donations and matching funds, was $29,277. That total includes funds of $1,287 returned unspent from three Club projects which were reinvested into the Food Bank drive.
- Our District Grant application for 2021-22 has been approved by The Rotary Foundation. The approved application includes funding for 27 Club projects involving 24 Clubs in our District, plus contingency funds, totaling $53,758.
- Our District will direct 20% ($20,486) of our DDF for 2021-22 to Polio Plus. That is the donation requested of our District by The Rotary Foundation, and the same percentage of DDF we have donated each year since the program of directing DDF toward Polio Plus began several years ago. All Districts who have participated in the 20% DDF program since the beginning, which our District has done, are to be recognized on a monument to be created at One Rotary Center after the eradication of Polio has been achieved.
- Later this year we will receive an additional approximately $5,000 from Endowment Fund Share Earnings. These are funds we receive because of generous donors to The Rotary Foundation Endowment Fund who have directed the earnings on their Endowment donation toward additional DDF for our District 5650.
Special note to Incoming Club Officers:
- Club Presidents, if you have not yet had the opportunity to name your Club Rotary Foundation Chair, please do so as soon as possible, and update on Club Runner or send the information to Nicki Klein at exec@rotarydistrict5650.org.
- After the Polio donation, pending Global Grants, and Endowment Fund earnings, we should have around $63,000 available in the coming year for new Global Grants. If your Club is considering or working on a Global Grant application for the coming year, please contact our Global Grants Chair, Ed Walsh, or myself as soon as possible.
- If you have not yet had the opportunity to set your Foundation Giving goals, please do so as soon as possible at Rotary Club Central on Rotary.org. If you need help please contact Nicki at exec@rotarydistrict5650.org. Please consider setting goals at least as high as last year's total, or $100 per member for Annual Fund and $50 per member for Polio Plus, whichever is higher. Thank you for your generosity.
All Foundation activities are possible because of the generous donations of Rotarians like you and your Club Members to The Rotary Foundation. Thank you.
Bill Harvey
District 5650 Rotary Foundation Committee Chair
paulharrisrocks@gmail.com
Cell: 402-676-5551