Rotary Foundation

The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

The Rotary Foundation relies on the enthusiastic support of Rotarians voluntarily giving generously of their time and money, and has become one of the foremost non-governmental foundations in the world. The educational support program is the largest private scholarship endowment in the world.

It is said that every minute of every day Rotary will touch the lives of millions somewhere in the world. The Rotary Foundation is one of the world’s leading charitable foundations and each Rotarian can be justly proud of its achievements in the past, present and in the future.

Polio Eradication remains a top priority for Rotary

In 1985 Rotary International started a campaign to immunise the children of the world against polio. Rotary is a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (the largest public health initiative the world has ever known) that has spanned 200 counties, utilised 20 million volunteers, immunised over 2 billion children, probably spared 5 million from disability and averted more than a million deaths.

International

The purpose of International Service is to enable Rotarians to promote world understanding and peace through World Community Service and Rotary Friendship Programmes across the world, in particular :-

• support humanitarian programmes and in particular, support programmes associated with  Rotary International Presidential areas of emphases, including Water, Sanitation, Health concerns, Poverty reduction strategies and Literacy promotion
• promote projects between Clubs and Districts in RIBI with those in overseas countries, encouraging hands on efforts, international cooperation and fellowship
• respond to disaster relief efforts and rebuilding processes following natural disasters.
• build and sustain international friendship and service through the Rotary Fellowships and Rotarian Action Groups.
• promote International Service Projects, including those associated with the web based publication.” Opportunities to Serve”. The projects will be classified as Core projects, RIBI approved projects and Charity accredited projects
• Supporting and contributing to the International Development Programmes of the UN, in partnership with Governmental Agencies such as the Department for International Development (DfID), and other NGO’s in the programmes associated with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) of the UN.
• Liaising and collaborating with other programmes within RIBI such as Membership Development, The Rotary Foundation, Youth Services, Community and Vocational Development and Communication within and outside of Rotary, in an organisation of joined up Rotary demonstrating that Rotary Shares.
• Adapting and conforming to the Rotary International strategic goals, in relation to the programmes in Clubs and Districts in Rotary International Britain & Ireland.

“When Rotarians are confronted with problems too large to contemplate, they start small and keep going ……… build bridges that last” --- Wilfrid Wilkinson, President Rotary International 2007-08.