Monthly messages
June 2013
As I write this message for the month of June, I
find myself happy and a little bit sad. I’m happy because during my 50
years in Rotary, I have been privileged to see how much good my Rotarian
friends have done in this world.
I’ve been able to witness the smiling faces of
schoolchildren who have desks, blackboards, books, running water,
playgrounds, and youth clubs, all of which were organized, funded, and
maintained by Rotarians. I’ve put drops of polio vaccine into the mouths
of children in many countries as we have worked to eradicate polio.
I’ve been pleased to speak with popes,
patriarchs, and clerics of virtually every religion, all of whom have
told me of the good work of Rotarians. These messages were echoed in the
remarks of kings, presidents, prime ministers, and ambassadors as I’ve
traveled the world on behalf of Rotary.
As I step down as chair of our Rotary
Foundation, I am eager for the worldwide launch of the Future Vision
Plan – a plan that, when fully implemented, will have our Foundation
singled out as a model for sustainable projects benefiting millions of
people in years to come.
When I was your president, I told you that Rotary Shares.
As your Foundation chair, I can only emphasize that statement. It is
our desire and willingness to share that has made the theme chosen by RI
President Sakuji Tanaka, Peace Through Service, so significant
and poignant. And in the year to come, I wholly endorse the theme that
President-elect Ron Burton has chosen – that those who Engage Rotary will Change Lives, including their own.
I welcome my successor, Past RI President Dong
Kurn Lee, and wish him and his Board of Trustees the very best as they
pursue the objective of our Foundation – to do good in the world.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
MAY 2013
In Canada, May is usually a beautiful month. Spring has blossomed, trees and flowers are in bloom, and everyone is filled with a renewed energy as winter finally comes to a close. The changing of seasons can also serve as a time for action as Rotarians bring a fresh perspective to the goals they set for the 2012-13 year.
Every Rotarian, every contribution, and every project makes a difference every year. Through The Rotary Foundation, we can all do our part to work toward global peace from the ground up. Has your club worked on a humanitarian or educational project through the Foundation? And if not – why not?
There is still time to make your contribution. There is still time to give a community the chance to drink clean water, a young girl the opportunity to attend school, and a mother the access to the safe maternal care she needs. Contact your district Rotary Foundation chair and see how you and the other Rotarians in your club or district can participate.
I understand the impact these difficult economic times have had on all of us, but we still need your help. Foundation programs and projects all start with money. I hope each Rotarian reading my message will have given something based on his or her own situation. It doesn’t take much from each individual when you have the support of more than 1.2 million members, but that assumes 100 percent support. If you’ve given, I thank you sincerely. But if you haven’t, I hope you will as together we make May a great month for Rotary and for our Foundation.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
April 2013
When I was RI president, I said Rotary is a love story in which people come together in fellowship, and which results in doing good in the world. During my years in Rotary, I have witnessed over and over again how communities and individuals benefit because of Rotary activities. These activities, to a great extent, result from exchanges about community needs identified during club meetings.
The month of April is a perfect example of what Rotarians and Rotary clubs can do to help make a better world. This month we celebrate National Volunteer Week, the International Day of Mine Awareness, World Health Day, and Earth Day, and each of these recognitions ties in with one of our six areas of focus. This tells me that every Rotary club member has a part to play as an effective volunteer in these important observances.
Furthermore, we owe it to our community and the world to tell our story, to make the world aware of our efforts. One way to achieve this is by supporting your Rotary regional magazine, particularly in April, which is also Magazine Month.
So how does all this relate to our Rotary Foundation? Well, very few initiatives don’t require funding. Your Foundation is often able to help, whether it’s with a district grant or a much larger global grant. Your contributions to the Foundation provide a potential source of funding that can help a club’s members do good in the world.
My goal this year is to announce at the international convention in Lisbon, Portugal, that it is estimated that every Rotarian gave something in the 2012-13 year.
Can I count on you?
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
March is a turning point
The month of March provides each of us with an opportunity to reflect on Rotary’s accomplishments. It is during this month that we pause to recognize World Rotaract Week, International Women’s Day, World Water Day, and Literacy Month – all significant reminders of the good that Rotarians have done worldwide.
As I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve been inspired by Rotaractors and their important contributions to the Rotary family. I’ve had the chance to work with the outstanding women who serve on our Board of Directors. I’ve witnessed the incredible progress The Rotary Foundation has made on water and sanitation – an area of focus that is crucial to our growing population.
And as we begin this month long celebration of literacy, I’ve seen how Rotarians have helped empower communities with simple, creative, and sustainable ways to break the cycle of poor education. Literacy plays a critical role in healthy and productive lives, and whether it was by volunteering at a local school, bringing language training to adults and children through concentrated language encounter and computer-assisted literacy systems, or ensuring that all children have the textbooks they need, Rotarians have helped thousands.
Our promises and accomplishments have reached a turning point: We must now look at the goals we still aim to achieve. Keep the momentum up. Get the word out. Make sure your club knows about this important month in Rotary so that come next March, we’ll have even greater successes to celebrate.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
Help build peace in our world
Rotary was built upon the idea of advancing goodwill and understanding – it’s in our mission, and part of everything we do. The Rotary Foundation has six areas of focus, each of which is important. But every one of them depends on peace in the world. We can’t celebrate the World Day of Social Justice on 20 February unless we have peace. We can’t really celebrate World Understanding and Peace Day on 23 February, which also marks Rotary’s 108th year of existence, unless we can say that we are working for peace.
There are endless ways to help build peace in our world, through our clubs and through our Foundation. The polio eradication initiative, as the largest global public health initiative in history, is doing a tremendous amount to promote peace – by building partnerships between the public and private sectors, by improving health infrastructure and monitoring the poorest areas, and by making it clear to all that we cannot have a healthy world if even one child is forgotten.
Peace comes from sharing, and as many of you know, Rotary Shares is my personal answer to what each Rotarian should be doing. This month, which we celebrate in Rotary as World Understanding Month, the efforts of every district, club, and Rotarian should be directed toward doing something for peace.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
January 2013
A year of momentous change
As we begin another calendar year, I’d like to offer my best wishes to all Rotarians for 2013, the 108th year of Rotary’s existence. This will be a year of momentous change for our Foundation. Our new grant model will be implemented worldwide six months from now, bringing changes to every district. We are looking to you to make sure those changes will be a success.
One of the fundamental premises of district grants under the Future Vision Plan is that Rotarians at the district level can determine what they can accomplish, whether in their own communities or abroad, more effectively than the Foundation can from a central office in Evanston. The new grant model puts responsibility for decision making, and for wise and careful use of substantial Foundation resources, into the hands of Rotarians at this level.
Our success will be supported by our investment of time and money in our International Assembly, the annual training for district governors-elect that takes place later this month in San Diego. This year’s event will include a great deal of information and education about Future Vision. As a result, when your district leaders return home, you will find them specially trained to lead Rotary and its Foundation to a successful conclusion to the 2012-13 year. We’ll create a solid basis for an even stronger Foundation in 2013-14, helping us as Rotarians with Doing Good in the World.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
December 2012
Are you on track to meet your goals?
It’s hard to believe that we have already reached the month of December, the month that celebrates the family of Rotary. We are also nearing the halfway point of our Foundation’s year. Now is the time when our plans to reach our 2012-13 goals should be reevaluated. Our words, our promises, our actions should be taking shape to ensure that we will accomplish what we planned during the last calendar year.
The month of December also provides each of us with much to think about. It is during this month that we pause to recognize World AIDS Day, International Volunteer Day, and Human Rights Day – all significant reminders to Rotarians of our Foundation’s aim of Doing Good in the World. Many of our clubs are working to help people with AIDS, others are volunteering all over the world to deliver Peace Through Service , and it is hard to count the number that will be raising their voices on 10 December for human rights.
My friends, as we start to wind down another calendar year, I am thankful to report that your Foundation is on track to achieve its goals for 2012-13 because of each and every Rotarian. This provides us with much to celebrate over the upcoming holiday season. My prayers and best wishes go out to each of you for a happy holiday season, and I eagerly look forward to sharing 2013 with you.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
November 2012
Taking the long view
As the clock ticks down to 1 July, we are in the final stages of preparing for the full rollout of the Future Vision Plan. Our goal is simple: enabling our Foundation to continue Doing Good in the World, and ensuring that we make the best use of every dollar, euro, yen, and peso that we have.
In everything we do in Rotary, we strive for the greatest impact. This means focusing on sustainability – on projects whose effects will go on for years, and on work that will continue to change lives even after Rotarians’ involvement has ended. When polio is eradicated, every child who will ever be born will benefit, long after the last drop of vaccine has been put into a child’s mouth. PolioPlus is, of course, a unique Rotary program – but it is time to bring that kind of long-term perspective to all our service.
Part of our goal in Future Vision is making sure that we focus on the long view in everything we do. Accordingly, part of that mindset is making sure that we make it a priority to support The Rotary Foundation and its Annual Fund. Our goal is Every Rotarian, Every Year: for every Rotarian to give a gift each year to the Annual Fund, with an average donation of US$100. Meeting that goal would mean $120 million per year for Rotary service. It would also mean an organization in which every single member is supporting, and is invested in, the Foundation’s success – making The Rotary Foundation truly Our Foundation.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
October 2012
A new approach to vocational service and training
In 2013, all districts will have the opportunity
to support vocational training teams (VTTs) with Rotary Foundation
grants. These teams of Rotarian and non-Rotarian professionals will
travel abroad to meet a humanitarian need, either by teaching local
professionals about a particular field or learning more themselves.
VTTs, like Group Study Exchanges (GSEs), can be
sponsored by district grants, which have no area of focus requirements.
Districts 6200 and 9600 used district grants to organize a VTT exchange
dealing with the environmental impact of oil spills. VTTs can also be
sponsored by global grants.
Some districts have expressed disappointment
that the Foundation will no longer support the GSE program. However,
many districts have had difficulty finding professionals who meet the
program requirements, forcing the Foundation to grant dozens of
exceptions to the GSE guidelines every year. Under Future Vision,
districts can still sponsor such activities through district grants and
search for partners on the District Grant VTT Partner Forum on LinkedIn.
Unlike GSEs, VTTs have no restrictions on
participant age or length of training. They also offer an opportunity
for the hands-on activity with lasting impact that many GSE participants
have requested. The GSE program established the Foundation’s commitment
to vocational training; VTTs are taking that commitment to a new, more
dynamic level.
I encourage every district to take advantage of
the humanitarian service that can be generated by a VTT, once Future
Vision is fully introduced on 1 July. This doesn’t mean that your
Foundation won’t allow GSE teams. They will still be funded, but with
the money allocated to the district, and only when the district
committee feels that it will be a meaningful exchange.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
September, 2012
Highlight our Foundation’s good work
In July, I outlined the goals that your Rotary Foundation has set for 2012-13. In August, I emphasized that while it is essential to have goals, we can’t achieve them without a plan.
Many clubs and districts are off to a flying start and have both goals and a plan, and I offer them my sincere congratulations. However, nearly 50 years of experience in Rotary suggests to me that a much greater number are only starting to plan now. I would like to offer some ideas.
Every club should have a meeting that highlights the good work that our Foundation is doing. Perhaps it is a report on a recent Matching Grant project, Group Study Exchange, or vocational training team, or a talk by a former Rotary Peace Fellow or Ambassadorial Scholar. Perhaps Rotarians in your club or district have participated in a National Immunization Day and have seen firsthand the work to End Polio Now.
After you have made the case for our Foundation’s work all over the world, it is essential that you ask for both physical and financial support. How about discussing local Foundation projects? Inviting every member to contribute? Inviting non-members to contribute? Presenting the opportunity to become Paul Harris Fellows, Major Donors, and Bequest Society members? Perhaps your meeting on the Foundation will be so effective, it will inspire an individual to become a member of the Arch C. Klumph Society.
My request is that every Rotarian do something, and more important, encourage others to do something.
The world needs Rotary, but Rotary needs like-minded people to join us as we continue Doing Good in the World.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
August, 2012
To achieve our goals, we need every Rotarian
At the RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, in May, I spoke about The Rotary Foundation’s five important goals for this year. Goals that require great efforts, not only by the leadership of Rotary, such as club presidents, district governors, RI directors, and Foundation trustees, but by all 1.2 million Rotarians, everywhere in the world – including the ones who couldn’t attend the convention.
At the RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, in May, I spoke about The Rotary Foundation’s five important goals for this year. Goals that require great efforts, not only by the leadership of Rotary, such as club presidents, district governors, RI directors, and Foundation trustees, but by all 1.2 million Rotarians, everywhere in the world – including the ones who couldn’t attend the convention.
The Foundation will achieve our monetary goal only if every Rotarian, and every club, contributes something this Rotary year. And we will be successful in rolling out our Future Vision Plan worldwide only if every district, working with the regional Rotary Foundation coordinators and district officers, provides the recommended structure and training that will result in a stronger and more cost-effective way of Doing Good in the World.
With a more efficient Foundation, we will support the goal of RI President Sakuji Tanaka to build Peace Through Service . We will do this while we plan for the introduction of stewardship safeguards, particularly for District Designated Fund spending.
No goal is ever achieved without a plan. Your club and district should already have a plan in place for achieving your goals for 2012-13, and now is the time to put it into action. To reach our goals, every Rotarian, club, and district should participate in The Rotary Foundation, whether by carrying out a Foundation grant project, telling others about the good work that Rotary accomplishes every day, or raising funds to support our educational and humanitarian efforts. I urge every Rotarian to commit today to achieve Rotary’s 2012-13 goals. We can do it. We will do it, but only if every Rotarian in the world plays his or her part.
So, Rotarians, let’s get started.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
July, 2012
Our goals for the year
Accepting the leadership of The Rotary Foundation after my predecessors – in particular, Past RI President Bill Boyd – did such a great job is a challenge. Oh, it’s not that I don’t know about the job. You can’t have been a Rotarian for 50 years without knowing and loving the work that our Foundation has done, is doing, and will do.
I know it all comes down to three things: raising money, investing money wisely, and spending money effectively.
However, if the trustees and I are to have a truly significant year, we must have a plan, and every district, club, and individual Rotarian needs to be part of that plan. We have five goals:
- Eradicate polio.
- Train districts and clubs for the global launch of the Future Vision Plan on 1 July 2013.
- Assist RI President Sakuji Tanaka in his quest to achieve Peace Through Service . The successful projects and programs of our Foundation are what will bring about that peace.
- Encourage every Rotarian and every club in the world to become immensely proud of our Foundation by giving something to the Annual Fund. The amount isn’t as important as the giving, but by setting a reasonable target of at least an average of US$100 per member, we will see our annual giving and our service grow to record levels.
- Ensure that districts and clubs introduce stewardship policies that will complement the opportunities they will have to decide on and undertake humanitarian projects under the Future Vision Plan. This will make Rotary more visible and more attractive to members.
I know these goals may be easy for some and quite challenging for others, but accepted with enthusiasm and confidence, they can only, in the words of Past RI President Ray Klinginsmith, make Rotary bigger, better, and bolder.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
June 2012
A year of achievements
As we come to the end of another Rotary year, we can reflect on what we have achieved together.
The recognition of India as having interrupted transmission of indigenous wild poliovirus was a momentous event. Our campaign against polio cannot stop, for we still have three remaining endemic countries, but it is a cause for rejoicing. And at the recent polio summit organized by Rotary and the government of India, we did just that.
This has been a significant year as we build our Foundation for the future. The first year of the Future Vision pilot was a challenge for both the pilot districts and staff, as they had to come to terms with something new. In year two, the positives have become obvious. Next year will be focused on training, and the rollout on 1 July 2013 will be a milestone for you and our Foundation.
From our General Secretary John Hewko have come new ideas about better integrating the skills of Rotarians and staff, which will progressively improve our performance.
The announcement in January of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a further US$50 million for polio eradication reminds us of Rotary’s standing in the world community. Bill Gates sees a continuing key role for Rotary and our advocacy efforts as we finish the task, and respects the millions of hours that Rotarians have spent in often difficult conditions to bring us so much closer to success.
Finally, we should all acknowledge the giving that demonstrates your belief in what we do. The truth is that you do not give to The Rotary Foundation but to the work of the Foundation, and you and I see this as our way of doing good in the world.
My regards to you all.
May 2012
With our new grant model, we can do more good in the world
I recently met with a number of Rotarians who will be responsible for communicating with you in the coming year about our new grant model under the Future Vision Plan. I recognize that we are asking the nonpilot districts to make a considerable leap of faith in the development of our Rotary Foundation for the future. It is difficult to understand and accept the changes when you do not know the details.
Why Future Vision? So that we can do more good in the world and use our resources in the best way possible. We needed to change our Foundation, as we were facing major challenges. We had to simplify. If this meant that we had to move away from some of our “feel good” activities, we were prepared to do so. Doing good was a greater priority, and when we do good, feeling good follows.
This is not somebody else’s plan. The starting point was the responses of the thousands of Rotarians who presented their views. One of the direct results is the six areas of focus. These are where Rotarians want to serve.
Almost all of the pilot districts say their Rotary is stronger because of Future Vision. They like the greater opportunity to make their own decisions with district grants. Sometimes building sustainability into global grants has been a challenge, but the pilot districts understand the importance, and our helpful staff can and do assist.
What do I ask of you? To get your district structure in place so that you are ready for 1 July 2013, and to please be patient as we make our new Foundation as effective and productive as it can possibly be. If you can wait just a little longer, you will enjoy the new opportunities.
April 2012
Keeping our promise for a polio-free world
As I write this, we are still reflecting on the achievement of a full year in India without a case of polio. As recently as 2009, India had more cases than any other country, so this represents a tremendous effort by Rotarians and our partners, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the government of India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It shows what can be done when people of goodwill work together toward a goal. As Rotarians, we should feel proud of our fellow Rotarians and the whole family of Rotary in India.
This is not the time to relax, however. India is close to two countries where polio still exists, and China had an outbreak in 2011 because of an
importation. India has shown that winning the battle is possible, but some hard work remains to be done.
One of the “unsung” aspects of our effort has been advocacy. The governments of the world have contributed billions of dollars for polio eradication, and much of it has come because of the advocacy of Rotarians. This work is quietly performed in the background, but the results have been significant.
The Gates Foundation gave us another US$50 million gift in January to help us remain an effective member of the partnership. We have several years to go before the world can be certified polio-free. Please do not stop giving because we have achieved the target of Rotary’s Challenge, for every dollar you give for the eradication of polio will be used exactly for that.
We made a promise to the children of the world that they would live in a world free of polio. As Rotarians, we keep our promises!
March 2012
Get ready for a simpler, more powerful Foundation with Future Vision
I am still occasionally asked why we decided to develop our Future Vision Plan. The question is, if the Foundation wasn’t broken, why fix it? The truth is that our Foundation, which has served Rotary and the world so well for over 90 years, was becoming dated. We were reacting to a changing world by adding yet another program or altering our rules, which made the Foundation increasingly complicated and expensive to administer. It was time to face the reality that we must change or see our impact on the world diminish.
We asked over 10,000 Rotarians what changes we should make and then began to work on a Foundation that is simpler and easier to understand, that involves clubs and districts more in spending and stewardship, and that builds more sustainability into our activities.
Just as polio eradication has defined Rotary to the international community in recent years, in the future, our six areas of focus will define us. We will have lifted ourselves above the multitude of little projects that felt good but addressed symptoms, not causes, and too often had a short-term impact. We have demonstrated through our polio efforts what we could do, and we will show the world that there are answers to other major issues, and that Rotary is prepared to lead the way. We can’t do it on our own, but we can and will make a difference.
The pilot districts are saying that Future Vision is exciting, leads to greater engagement and enthusiasm, is more efficient, is creating more interaction between clubs, is making Rotarians more aware of opportunities, has scaled up the size of projects, and is leading to greater giving to the Foundation. As chair of our Foundation, I can only agree!
February 2012
Our Foundation helps us help others
A friend who is an Arch C. Klumph Society member recently sent me an email ending with words that remind us of why we support our Foundation. John began life in humble circumstances and became a successful businessman. Through our Foundation, he has shared that success with people who have no ability to help themselves. He said: “As someone who was born poor on a farm during the Depression, I can confirm that when you have nothing, a little bit goes a long way to help. I remember like it was yesterday those neighbours and relatives who helped our family of nine and gave us support and encouragement. In essence, this is our Foundation’s mission.”
Another quote that impressed me recently came from a Rotarian at a Rotary institute: “I joined Rotary for business and fellowship. I stayed to change the world.”
For many of us, Rotary is our only way to change the world. As individuals, there is little we can do on our own, but when we join with our fellow Rotarians, we do make a difference. How we do that depends on where we are. If you are in a country with great needs, then you will be involved in identifying the needs
of people and developing and implementing projects that will change their lives. If you are one of this generation who has been blessed with success, then you can help by making resources available. Our Rotary Foundation, in a sense, sits in the middle and makes the connection.
Our business model works, which is why we will in a few years celebrate 100 years of supporting Rotarians in making the world a better place. We have passed the test of time.
January 2012
Areas of focus are the causes that drive Rotary
Areas of focus are the causes that drive Rotary. We are now halfway through the pilot of our Future Vision Plan, and as I look to the future I think the most significant change will be the adoption of the six areas of focus -- and not just for our Foundation. I recently heard RI Director Stuart Heal, the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, say that our areas of focus fit very comfortably into our RI Strategic Plan.
Today’s generation supports causes rather than organizations, and so we in Rotary should be able to clearly identify the causes that drive us. When somebody asks you what Rotary is, you do not have to fumble for words. Tell the person that we are an organization of service-minded individuals around the world who are working to make the world a better place with our efforts in water and sanitation, basic education and literacy, maternal and child health, disease prevention and treatment, economic and community development, and peace and conflict resolution. You can say that in 20 seconds!
You can see how this may bring new members to Rotary and increase the giving to our Foundation. If you approach corporations for a contribution, they are much more likely to respond if they know how their money will be spent, and that we will spend it wisely. We are building on a strong record of performance over a long period of time. Bill Gates has said as much on a number of occasions. He has shown his faith in us through his significant gifts for polio eradication.
While I am writing this from a Foundation perspective, the membership factor should not be overlooked. Plenty of organizations talk about issues, but Rotary is about action, not words.
December 2011
Make giving to our Foundation an annual tradition
As Rotarians, we often reduce our words to initials. We talk of GSEs. VTTs, NIDs, and PHFs. Our district officers are DGs, DGEs, and DGNs, and in Evanston we have a GS. We have plenty of PDGs and an occasional PRIP. I am sure you could add many more.
This month, I would like to focus on another set of initials: EREY. The words are Every Rotarian, Every Year , and they encourage every one of us to make an annual contribution to our Foundation. Despite the economic problems and the awful natural disasters, our giving to the Annual Programs Fund last year was the second highest in history. Thank you for your confidence that we are building a Foundation that will be stronger and even more effective in the future.
I read a lot of district and zone newsletters, and I smiled at a quote in a recent newsletter from District 7600, in Virginia, USA. In it, Bill Billings talked about how Rotary became more important to him as he became more involved. He went on to say, “These are my brightest days in Rotary because now I am learning what I can do for Rotary. I give to The Rotary Foundation every year because it feels so good.” At this point, his sense of humor came through. I am not sure if every country has telemarketing, but if yours does, you will appreciate Bill’s next words: “But I also give to the Foundation because it is the best defense against annoying telemarketers. When they call me I simply say, ‘I give my money to The Rotary Foundation, but thanks for calling and have a nice day.’ Click!”
Bill has made our Rotary Foundation his charity of choice. I hope you will too.
Bill Boyd
Foundation Trustee Chair
November 2011
Now’s the time to learn about what the Foundation does
November is Rotary Foundation Month, and I hope you’ll focus on the Foundation with your club speakers and programs. How can our newer Rotarians understand the Foundation if we do not tell them what it is and what it does?
We are often not good communicators in Rotary, which is strange as we are business and community leaders. Maybe it is information overload or too much sport on television, but Rotary information is not a high priority for many Rotarians. For example, how would you answer these questions:
Is there an Ambassadorial Scholar in our district?
What is this Future Vision Plan, and what does it mean for our club?
What do we need to know about polio eradication, other than that it makes us feel good?
What is the difference between Group Study Exchange and vocational training teams?
I hear the words Every Rotarian, Every Year. What is that about?
How can The Rotary Foundation support our club’s desire to help people outside our community?
What are Rotarians doing on issues such as HIV/AIDS and water and sanitation?
Nobody in my club reads the Foundation annual report. Where does the money go?
What is our relationship with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation?
The list of questions could go on, but the real question is, “What is our club doing to learn more about our Rotary Foundation?” If the answer is “not enough,” now might be a very good time to start.
Bill Boyd
Foundation Trustee Chair
October 2011
An exciting month for the Foundation
October is a busy month for The Rotary Foundation. While our Trustees meeting is usually held in October, this year, because the 2012 RI Convention is so early in May, it was moved to September. This meant that “Taiwan Day” was also held earlier.
On Taiwan Day, we inducted Rotarians from Taiwan into the Arch C. Klumph Society in honor of their contributions of at least US$250,000 to our Foundation. We inducted five generous couples on Taiwan Day in 2009, seven in 2010, and as I write we’ve had eight in 2011. When you consider the population of Taiwan and the number of Rotarians there, this giving is humbling. We now have over 300 Arch C. Klumph Society members, with the highest number in the United States, and now the second highest in Taiwan. A challenge to the rest of us!
October is a month with many Rotary institutes, where current, future, and past Rotary leaders come together to discuss what is happening within Rotary. We have a trustee and Foundation staff at each institute.
Each October, we also select the next group of our Rotary Peace Fellows – up to 60 for the two-year master’s, and up to 50 for the three-month certificate. The selection process is fascinating and resembles the draft system used by U.S. football teams to select their new players. All the applicants are scored and ranked by experienced Rotarians and the universities. Representatives from the universities come to the meeting with their “wish list” but take turns in choosing their actual scholars. Their choices may be influenced by a desire to have a wide geographical or subject spread, and sometimes they will “trade” choices. The result is that the best candidates become our fellows, and our program remains among the best.
Bill Boyd
Foundation Trustee Chair
September 2011
What will be your legacy?
Years ago, during a visit to New York City , I saw a T-shirt that said, “He who dies with the most wins.” It seemed funny at the time, but we all read the stories of people who judge their success by their wealth. The problem is that material possessions often do not bring happiness, for there is always someone who has more.
Most of us, however, want our life to be measured by what we have done. Many Rotarians have expressed their appreciation of fellow Rotarians’ service by promising a contribution to our Rotary Foundation that will live on after them. The earnings from their gifts go to our Annual Programs Fund year after year. What better legacy to the world?
By earlier this year, we had almost 8,000 commitments to the Bequest Society. These represented an expected value of about US$338 million, a significant share of the almost $700 million in assets and expectancies in our Permanent Fund.
The first Australian RI president, Angus S. Mitchell (1948-49), foretold the creation of the Permanent Fund in 1992, in a speech that ended with this story from the Talmud: Choni Hama’agel saw an old man planting a carob tree and asked when he thought the tree would bear fruit. “After 70 years” was the reply. “What!” said Choni. “Do you expect to live 70 years and eat the fruit of your labor?” “I did not find the world desolate when I entered it,” said the old man. “And as my fathers planted for me before I was born, so I plant for those who will come after me.”
We each have that same opportunity by making a bequest to our Rotary Foundation.
Bill Boyd
Foundation Trustee Chair
August 2011
The Rotary Foundation supports your Rotary service
A few months ago, Lorna and I attended three district conferences. The conference programs featured several Rotary Foundation activities, and we heard from Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary Peace Fellows, Group Study Exchange teams, and representatives from a number of excellent projects in which Rotarians and the Foundation have worked together. I reflected on how much our Rotary Foundation is woven into the fabric of our Rotary service.
After the conferences, I went directly to a meeting of the Future Vision Committee. The committee heard from one of our RI senior managers, who had tested the process of applying for grants and found the global grants application to be too complex. We also discussed the definition of basic education within the areas of focus, possible strategic partnerships, and training for those districts not in the pilot.
There were many other topics, but I mention these to demonstrate that there are big items and small items that need attention as we work our way through the pilot. We are all experiencing some frustrations as we build the Foundation for the future. The three years of the pilot will seem a long time for many of you, but we are shaping something that should help us serve humanity more effectively in the years ahead, and we need to test that we are getting it right.
From that meeting, it was straight into the Finance Committee meeting, where senior staff and trustees spent a day and a half working through the budget to ensure that our operating costs could be as low as possible while still giving you the service you need. Our aim is to ensure that we spend the maximum amount on programs.
This is our Rotary Foundation, and there are many people working in different ways to give you the best possible support in your Rotary service.
Bill Boyd
Foundation Trustee Chair
July 2011
Let’s work together to make 2011-12 a great year
I am excited, and I hope you are too, as we move into the new Rotary year. Our clubs and districts have new leaders, and we’ve set new goals for the year ahead. Everything we appreciate in Rotary remains constant, but the people and roles change.
Similarly, our Rotary Foundation has new trustees and a new chair, but our mission remains the same: to enable Rotarians to advance world peace through the improvement of health, support of education, and alleviation of poverty. This year, we’ve set three goals for the Foundation – not to replace our vision for the future, but to give us focus for the year.
Our first goal is to complete the eradication of polio. We took great steps forward in 2010. We cannot relax, however, as the outbreaks in Tajikistan and the Republic of the Congo remind us. Each of us can make a contribution to this, the greatest achievement in the history of Rotary.
Our second goal is that every one of us should feel that we own The Rotary Foundation. We can do that through our service and our contributions. This should be our Rotary Foundation.
The third goal is to make our Foundation more effective and efficient by testing and refining our Future Vision Plan. After a very positive first year, we need the pilot districts to tell us what works and what could be improved, and to develop new ways to serve. This also will be a preparation year for nonpilot districts. Think now how your district structure will change and how you will make decisions on grants and audits.
The strength of The Rotary Foundation, our Foundation, is not determined by the trustees. What we can do is determined by you. Please support us, and together let us make 2011-12 another great Rotary year.
Bill Boyd
Foundation Trustee Chair