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Giving to The Rotary Foundation

By PDG Gerry Roberts – Past President of Rotary E-Club One

As we start the second Quarter of this Rotary year, I would like us to renew our commitment to giving to The Rotary Foundation.

In the first Quarter, 89% of our members made a donation to The Rotary Foundation. This was a very good start and hopefully, we can repeat our achievement of last year when Rotary E-Club One was first in D5450 for per capita Annual Giving.

Why should I give to The Rotary Foundation (TRF)?

First, I think it is a part of being a Rotarian. For me personally, it was the honor of becoming a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF). Several of our members have more than 9 Paul Harris Fellowships. I have given one to each of our children, to one of our sons in law (the other son-in-law was given one by his father), and to my wife, Dee.

What about you? Do you think PHF recognition would be an appropriate way to honor your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your parents, or close and good friends?

I hope that each member of Rotary E-Club One will consider this issue during the next quarter, and make an effort to make our world a better place by contributing further to the Annual Programs fund of TRF.

On another note – we, as members of Rotary E-Club One, have a unique distinction. We have members in 11 countries. We should use this unique situation to create Matching Grants in each country.

Matching Grants require that two Rotary Clubs participate – but they must be in different countries. The two Matching Grants that Rotary E-Club One has undertaken so far involved our United States based club and Rotary clubs in Nigeria and Mexico respectively.

We could multiply our giving several times by using the Matching Grant method. Here is how it works:

• Let us say that each Rotary club – ours and a Rotary club in another country, each decides to give $1,000 US to the project = total of $2,000.

• Then let us say that each District for the clubs decides to match these funds with a $1,000 US per District = total of $2,000.

•  Then we ask The Rotary Foundation to approve the Grant and match these donations – ½ of our club’s donations, and 1 to 1 for the District donations (these are the current rules) = $3,000 from TRF for a total of $7,000 US for our Grant.

This means that we would increase the Rotary E-Club One donation 7 to 1.

Is there much work involved to create and manage a Matching Grant? The short answer is? …Yes!  

Do we have members who can help write the grant application and guide us in the process? Once again, the short answer is …Yes!

Do we have to conduct careful research, contact other Rotary clubs, and prepare a realistic and viable grant proposal (including revisions to fine-tune the final submission)? … Yes!

Can we save lives and improve the living conditions of needy people around the world by doing this work? … YES!

So what are we waiting for?

I suggest that we all get to work in our home countries and identify viable opportunities and use our international bond as members of Rotary E-Club One to make this happen.

This kind of close cooperation with a common purpose of service is the essence of Rotary E-Club One. It is the essence of why we should give – the essence of being a Rotarian.

We, as members of Rotary E-Club One, the first Rotary club chartered to meet via the Internet, are honored to be able to serve as Rotarians and to make a difference through our collective and mutually supportive international efforts.

I hope each member of Rotary E-Club One will invest the necessary time and effort to identify viable Matching Grant opportunities in our various countries.

This is yet another wonderful opportunity for Service Above Self.