Rotary Foundation

What is the Foundation?

Foundation is an American word for Charity. So the Rotary Foundation is Rotary's own and only charity and you are all part owners.

Virtually all monies put into the Foundation come from, or are collected by, Rotarians.

One of the largest inputs is from Paul Harris fellowships – unlike Australasia, UK and parts of Europe, the PHF is regarded merely as recognition of a US$ 1,000 donation to the Foundation.

Those of you at the Area Meeting will remember the speaker mentioning sustaining members. This primarily refers to PHF sustaining members where for US$ 100 down, followed by annual payments or whenever, that person obtains his PHF when he totals US$ 1,000. Here we have the Centurion Club in which you can personally donate NZ$ 100 a year for as long as you wish without any recognition other than your own knowledge that you have helped a little - although you can purchase a PHF with it.

Of course, the huge worldwide drive to eradicate Polio that the Rotary Foundation is collaborating with the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation to achieve, is one of the main reasons our club donates money to Foundation.

A Brief History

In 1917, at an Annual conference, Rotarian Arch Klump muted the idea of the Foundation for educational purposes. A collection was made which raised US$26.50. Very little moved within the Foundation until the death of Paul Harris in 1947 when a lot of donations were made in his memory and anyone making a donation of US$ 1,000 or more became a 'Paul Harris Fellow'. Bear in mind the value of US$ 1,000 in those days.

And so Ambassadorial Scholarships began. These have increased to the current level of some US$ 1,200 to 1,500 annually with grants being made towards 1 to 3 years post-graduate study.

Group Study Exchanges were introduced in the mid 60's, along with Matching Grants, and the Foundation gradually expanded its field of operations into health and humanity. In 1978 these projects came under the umbrella known as the 3H program; i.e. Health, Hunger and Humanity.

In 1980, grants were introduced towards travel and accommodation for Rotary Volunteers, mainly doctors and dentists but, as always, this has now expanded to include virtually any type of specialist.

In 1986, grants were made for University teachers to spread their knowledge around the world.

One of the latest grants, introduced in 2005, is the District Recovery grant whereby monies are paid direct to local committees in specific disaster areas.