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TRF Trustee Chair's message
May 2024
There is something magical about Rotary. Even after all these years of being a member, I continue to be amazed by it.
Take successful leaders from various backgrounds and professions and bring them together under a set of core values with service at the center. Add networks and friendship and then watch the magic start happening.
It’s you — Rotarians and Rotaractors — who make that magic happen. You are the business and community leaders and the entrepreneurs who bring your passions, skills, and interests to everything we do. It’s you who think outside of the box and apply what you know to serve others.
I see the same magic in Rotary Foundation grants that are funded by you and led by you.
It’s present in the partnership between Rotary clubs in Canada and Uganda that supports economic and community development vocational training at the same time. This global grant-funded initiative trains Ugandan youths in welding and related skills to make wheelchairs for a children’s home serving people with disabilities. Technicians receive training in Canada and return home with valuable skills to start enterprises, helping meet the need for wheelchairs in the community.
Another global grant-supported project that reflects Rotary’s entrepreneurial spirit is in Guatemala. To address the challenges of limited internet access for rural schools, a host club in Guatemala partnered with Irish members to initiate a project that is equipping six schools and three community centers in the rural Sololá area with plug-and-play servers containing educational materials like books and videos. The grant also furnishes laptops and uninterruptible power supplies and trains teachers, benefiting about 1,800 individuals as it leverages technology for literacy and education.
Don’t forget: Foundation global grants also support scholarships. One such scholarship, sponsored by Italian and German clubs, focuses on artificial intelligence in disease prevention and treatment. Italian scholar Salvatore Galati conducted research at a university in Bonn, Germany, using AI algorithms to analyze vast datasets for innovative drug development. Such computer-aided approaches can reduce costs and research time in the development of lifesaving drugs.
It’s fantastic to see us innovating and incorporating new approaches and technology into our Foundation grants.
I look forward to meeting many of you at the 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore in a few short weeks, where we will learn about new opportunities to serve and innovate. It will be a chance to celebrate that Rotary magic and the many ways we Create Hope in the World.
April 2024
For many, the Bahamas is a place to escape colder climes, relax on white-sand beaches, and snorkel in clear, turquoise waters. For me, it’s home. I grew up sailing on these waters and to this day, anytime I can, I am out on the water with family and friends. It’s where my heart is.
The environmental threats my country is facing are real. Our coral reefs, vital for biodiversity, are in danger due to warming seas and pollution. Hurricanes and tropical storms seem to get more intense with each passing year. Rising sea levels pose an existential threat to the Bahamas, eroding our beautiful coastlines as saltwater intrudes on our precious and limited freshwater resources.
Late last year, I was fortunate to represent Rotary at COP28, the United Nations climate change convention in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The consensus coming out of the meeting was that progress on addressing climate change has been too slow. Participants said the world needs to pick up the pace to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help communities become more resilient to climate change, and better support countries that are most vulnerable to it.
Rotary can be part of the solution.
As you know, protecting the environment is one of Rotary’s areas of focus. Many clubs are active in their communities with projects such as beach and roadside cleanups. With The Rotary Foundation, you can increase your impact by pooling resources with clubs and districts around the world. Foundation grants let you put the generous contributions of your fellow Rotary members to work to make the world better.
Imagine the possibilities. Perhaps Rotary districts in Canada and Australia could protect wetlands in New South Wales in Australia. Rotary leaders from Brazil, India, and Taiwan could lead grant projects to train farmers in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in sustainable agriculture. Rotary and Rotaract clubs from the Bahamas, South Africa, and New York could work with their districts to help my country restore its natural resources, one reef or mangrove at a time.
The problems our environment faces seem overwhelming until you realize that many are fixable. There are so many ways to help through Rotary. Even if we don’t lead a grant or volunteer on the project, we can all help protect the environment through our giving to the Foundation.
Rotary can’t save the planet all by itself. But as our progress in ending polio proves, Rotary’s impact is great when we put our vision for a better world in motion, and just get started.
March 2024
Rotary’s focus turns to two themes this month. March is Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Month, and we celebrate World Rotaract Week 11-17 March. Both WASH and Rotaract are near and dear to me.
Clean water, basic sanitation, and proper hygiene are fundamental human rights, yet a staggering 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water.
We’re taking action. Over the past decade, your Rotary Foundation has invested more than $180 million in over 2,500 water and sanitation projects worldwide. Rotary is on the ground making a difference through global grant-supported projects funded by your contributions to the Foundation.
But Rotary can’t do it alone. We have partnered with organizations like USAID to deliver large-scale solutions. The Rotary-USAID Partnership has helped thousands access water and sanitation services in the Dominican Republic, Ghana, the Philippines, and Uganda.
Our Foundation is the connector for other water partnerships, too. This was the case when I worked with leaders from Rotary District 7020 to set up the Haiti National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Initiative, known as HANWASH. Foundation grants continue to play a critical role in our strategy of working with nongovernmental organizations, municipalities, and government agencies in communities throughout Haiti.
Rotary efforts to connect people with clean water go beyond providing a basic necessity. We are paving the way for healthier communities and brighter futures, and doing so in a sustainable manner. With access to water, communities enhance education levels, improve health, and further development.
When we talk about partnerships, we can’t forget our closest ally, right here in the family of Rotary: Rotaract. The engagement, energy, and ideas of Rotaract complement the experience of Rotary clubs and increase our collective impact.
Yet many Rotary members still do not know that, as of 2022, Rotaract club activities can be included in district grants, and they are eligible for global grants, expanding avenues for collaboration.
I encourage all Rotary and Rotaract clubs to foster closer collaboration and engagement in our Foundation, whether it’s rolling up their sleeves on a project or giving.
We all know that in Rotary, great opportunities are always around the corner. When you combine water and sanitation projects, Rotaract, and the Foundation, all will become a big part of your life, as they have in mine — and not just this month, but forever.
February 2024
Following the news is challenging these days. Stories of war and violence are deeply discouraging. It breaks my heart when I hear about innocent bystanders, particularly women and children, who are caught in the crossfire of conflict.
Is there anything we can do about it? We certainly can’t turn away from the problem. I think in these times, we need to shift our focus from what we can’t change to what we can do. We can also support what we know works.
February is Rotary’s Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month. It is one of our areas of focus because peace is central to everything we do in Rotary. Even though most of us aren’t diplomats at the negotiating table or peacebuilders working on active conflicts, in Rotary’s singular way, what we do works to promote peace and prevent conflict somewhere, every day.
Every Rotary member should remember this during the month of February: When you support any of the areas of focus of The Rotary Foundation, you are contributing to peace. Foundation grants that address fundamental issues — such as a global grant focused on enhancing basic literacy in a community — will cultivate a better understanding of the world and lead to greater economic stability, laying the groundwork for peace.
You can say the same for all the areas of focus, from the environment to economic development. They help stabilize communities, lift families out of poverty, and foster the pursuit of education.
Peace is and always has been interwoven into the fabric of Rotary beyond our projects, too. In 1999, when we established the Rotary Peace Centers through a visionary initiative of our Foundation, we reaffirmed this commitment. This month, we are once again renewing that vision, with BahçeÅŸehir University in Istanbul, our host partner for the newest Rotary Peace Center, as it takes its first steps to prepare for the initial cohort of students arriving in early 2025.
All along the way, as Rotary has evolved into a global force for good, it has championed peace and understanding in countless ways, and our Foundation remains the great driving force behind that vision. It will be part of Rotary’s eternal legacy.
And by supporting our work, you will be able to say that you are a part of that legacy. You can directly support it by visiting rotary.org/donate and selecting peacebuilding and conflict prevention as the area of focus.
So, yes, there is a lot you can do to support peace and prevent conflict. The next step is up to you.
January 2024
The new year ushers in promise and hope, a time to resolve to do things differently. We can do more than just hope for the best. We can take steps — big and small — to make changes in every aspect of our lives, including Rotary.
Here’s a New Year’s resolution to consider: Remember that The Rotary Foundation belongs to you. The Foundation is a global force, doing our good work in the world. Just like anything that belongs to you, it requires care and attention. How can we do this?
First, get to know your Foundation better this year. Did you know that in 2023, the Foundation achieved a maximum four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the 15th consecutive year? This places your Foundation among the world’s top charities. Why do we consistently receive this honor? It’s because we are financially strong, have a broad reach, and are highly effective with the gifts you give: 91 percent of funds are allocated to program awards and operations.
Another way to engage with your Foundation is to support it through a gift, every year. We’ve set an ambitious fundraising goal of $500 million this year, and I’m confident that, with your support, we will achieve it. This year, I’m especially counting on those Rotarians and Rotaractors who have not yet contributed to make their first gift. Because The Rotary Foundation is an excellent steward, you can be confident that your gift will make a difference, whether it’s in polio eradication, literacy initiatives, peace education, or any other area in which we excel.
In 2024, resolve to share the Foundation with others. The Foundation is too great to keep to ourselves. Spread the word during your fundraisers and events. Let the public know that The Rotary Foundation plays a significant role in everything we do, including in our many partnerships. Anyone can support the Foundation, even people who are not in Rotary.
Lastly this year, take action. Your Foundation is waiting for you to roll up your sleeves and make use of its resources to make the world a better place. Seek out global or district grant projects. Consider partnering with a Rotaract club in 2024 to support a grant or collaborate on one. Team up with Rotary and Rotaract clubs in your area to plan your biggest million dollar dinner fundraiser or End Polio Now event.
Whatever you decide to do in 2024, commit to keeping our Foundation in your plans. I can’t wait to hear about all the great things we will accomplish this year.
December 2023
“So this is Christmas / And what have you done?” sang John Lennon in the holiday classic “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” released in 1971 with Yoko Ono.
The holidays are a time of warmth and togetherness but also of reflection. Above all, the season is a time of generosity, especially to those less fortunate.
During your holiday giving, remember that gifts to The Rotary Foundation may not fit nicely in a present box, yet they keep on giving throughout the year.
December is also Disease Prevention and Treatment Month. Just think of all the Rotary efforts that would not be possible without the generosity of you, our Rotary family. Consider the incredible progress we have achieved in our fight to end polio — the countless lives we’ve saved and the hope we’ve restored. Think of all the clinics around the world Rotary has equipped and the medical professionals trained through Foundation grants, helping fight heart disease and Guinea worm disease.
Your gifts to the Foundation also help make health care accessible to underserved communities in a big way through Programs of Scale. Right now, those grant recipients are working to end malaria in Zambia, reduce the mortality rate of mothers and their infants in Nigeria, and eliminate cervical cancer in Egypt.
Of course, our reach extends far beyond disease prevention and treatment. During times of disaster, we must act swiftly to alleviate suffering and offer support. In response to the devastating earthquake in Morocco in September, The Rotary Foundation Trustees established the Morocco Earthquake Response Fund to support immediate relief efforts led by Rotary members on the ground. You can contribute directly, and your districts can apply for grants from the fund until 21 September 2024 or until the funds are fully allocated. Anyone can initiate a fundraiser for the Morocco fund on Raise for Rotary, opening further avenues for your generosity.
We truly have the gift of giving. There are no limits to the opportunities to give and make a difference through Rotary.
As we approach the end of the year, I invite you to make your gifts before 31 December. Your generosity will have a profound impact on many — people who you may never meet, but whose lives you will change just the same.
On behalf of Esther and myself, we wish you all a joyful holiday season. Thank you for your continued support, dedication, and unwavering commitment to The Rotary Foundation and to what Rotary is all about: helping others.
November 2023
This month, as we celebrate The Rotary Foundation, let’s recognize it for what it is: one of the world’s best humanitarian organizations.
Many charities, relief organizations, and nonprofits do the same type of work, and the public associates them with the causes they work on. But I wonder how many people know that Rotary supports those same causes — seven of them in fact — which we call our areas of focus.
If they want clean water, good health, and a sustainable future for our planet, they support what our Foundation does. If they envision a world where peace, full literacy, and economic opportunities for communities to support themselves exist, they also believe in Rotary’s mission. And if they want to see mothers and their babies thrive, their vision aligns with the work we do.
And we have a lot of work in progress through the Foundation. Polio eradication is changing the world, one drop of vaccine at a time. Rotary Peace Centers are training peacebuilders to reduce violence and resolve conflict. And through Foundation global and district grants, we are improving lives in a real way.
The way we work also sets us apart. We have global reach, with more than 48,000 field offices in the form of Rotary and Rotaract clubs. We emphasize good stewardship of your funds and efficient implementation of your projects. And we always aim for sustainable solutions.
During the 2022-23 Rotary year, the Foundation awarded 1,098 global grants. If you think of what a single grant can do, you begin to grasp the scale of our work and the magnitude of our impact — an impact people can see and feel in their daily lives.
Our district supported a global grant project that focused on basic education and literacy in Malawi, where we helped train 38 teachers who are responsible for 4,000 students. We also built two toilets and installed a pump, so they had water for drinking and hand washing.
I will never forget that when Esther and I visited the school, a young boy pointed to my Rotary pin, recognizing it from other volunteers who wore their pins during the project. He said, “I know you helped me. I won’t be able to travel to thank the others who helped me, so please thank them for me.”
So thank you, Rotary, on behalf of a child in Malawi whose future you made a little brighter, and on behalf of thousands of others you have helped by supporting The Rotary Foundation.
October 2023
On 24 October, we renew our commitment to our top humanitarian goal for World Polio Day.
This year, let’s remember a​​ young health worker in Pakistan known as Bibi Marjana (Miss Marjana). She braves the snow and cold in the mountains to vaccinate 84 children in rural areas, visiting each home, often miles apart.
Marjana is one of the thousands of frontline workers in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and outbreak areas I consider heroes in the final push to end polio. The work they do, coupled with the vision of our partners and the support you give, is moving mountains.
With Rotary’s partnership, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is aggressively pursuing two key goals from its 2022-26 strategy. First, we aim to halt wild poliovirus type 1 transmission. This year, only six cases have been documented as of this writing. ​​Could this be the year we see the last of these poliovirus cases? We’re cautiously optimistic that it might.
Second, we aim to report the final case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2, or cVDPV2, in outbreak countries. About 80 percent of cVDPV2 cases last year occurred in subnational areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Yemen. We must implement tailored strategies to stop the virus in these areas.
Other challenges persist, including political tensions, security risks and access issues, and the lasting effect of the pandemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Despite these challenges, we are making progress. Poliovirus strains are diminishing, as is the number of affected regions where polio once prevailed. A new vaccine we have introduced reduces the incidence of the circulating vaccine-derived virus type 2.
Rotary is the organization that had the audacity to take on a global effort to protect children everywhere from disability or even death due to polio. We must have the tenacity to see it to the finish line.
What can you do to help us get there, you ask? Join or initiate a PolioPlus Society in your club or district and engage all members in this historic moment. And don’t forget that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation continues to amplify Rotary’s donations to polio eradication with a 2-to-1 match for every dollar.
You can also advocate the cause of polio eradication with governments to secure political and financial support and promote Rotary’s leadership role in all media.
Like Marjana marching up the mountain, we have our goal in sight, and we will keep going until we get there.
September 2023
When was your Rotary moment? It’s when you realize that being part of Rotary means more than just showing up for a meeting, when you discover you are part of something that changes the lives of others as it changes yours.
I will never forget the moment when I learned about Daniel, a Haitian child. Rotary Foundation Trustee Greg Podd, who at the time was serving with me on an RI committee, had been trying to get Daniel on a plane for urgent heart surgery through the Gift of Life program. But Daniel couldn’t get the visa to travel, and doctors had given him only months to live.
When Greg told me this, I remembered that Gift of Life was operating in Haiti and we could do the surgery there. This was on a Wednesday. Greg helped get ahold of Daniel’s medical records. The Gift of Life surgeon I knew — who visited only once or twice every month — happened to be in Haiti. By Thursday, the surgeon had looked over the medical charts and told us that he could repair Daniel’s heart but said he was traveling soon. We had to get Daniel to a medical facility by Friday morning.
Daniel and his parents rode 90 minutes on a scooter through the bumpy roads of rural Haiti to get to the facility, and the surgeon successfully performed the procedure. Thankful, Greg and I moved on to other projects.
A few months later, I got an email with a picture of Daniel. I will never forget his smiling face, despite the foot-long scar running down his chest, and what he wrote: “I know you helped me. You saved my life. Thank you.”
On behalf of Daniel and countless others, I am passing along that gratitude to all Rotary members who have helped or will help this year.
The beauty of Rotary, especially with The Rotary Foundation, is that we can create these Rotary moments anytime. Just reach out to others in Rotary and discuss our work. Our caring network, our dedicated volunteers, and available resources will take care of the rest.
If two people can make such a difference, imagine what we can accomplish by working together in larger groups through The Rotary Foundation. Picture the impact of clubs within a district joining forces for a Foundation district grant to boost literacy, or two districts from different parts of the world transforming a community through a water, sanitation, and hygiene global grant.
If you haven’t discovered your Rotary moment yet, keep searching. Serving Rotary through our Foundation is a great place to find it, and it will change your life.
August 2023
This year, I urge all of you to think bigabout The Rotary Foundation. To reach our goals and make the impact we know we can make, we must think outside the box and embrace innovation. We must make bold plans to expand our reach today, tomorrow, and in the future.
Start by thinking big about Foundation-supported projects. If your club hasn’t engaged in a Rotary Foundation district grant or global grant, make this the year you do. Collaborating with your Rotary counterparts in another district on one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus can make a lasting impact beyond your wildest dreams. Explore Rotary Showcase at rotary.org/showcase or arrange a meeting between your club and your district Rotary Foundation chair to start a conversation.
Let’s also think big about our polio fundraising this year. Begin planning your World Polio Day fundraiser now for 24 October if you haven’t already. Let’s see how Rotaract and Rotary clubs can make this year’s fundraisers our best ever.
Thinking big about the Foundation also means remembering that through it, our impact goes beyond the current Rotary year. We see this through not only the emphasis on sustainability in our grant projects but also in initiatives such as Programs of Scale. The third Programs of Scale recipient will take on a big challenge: combating cervical cancer and enhancing women’s health in Egypt through awareness-raising and improved access to preventive care.
The success of the Programs of Scale grant model lies in our approach of closely collaborating with partners to amplify proven methods. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards $2 million to a member-led program that has demonstrated success and has the potential to reach more people through scaling up over a three- to five-year period.
Our Programs of Scale are the epitome of thinking big: Through them, we aim to establish sustainable partnerships and cost-effective programs that deliver tangible benefits beyond the funding period. This way, Rotary and its Foundation can reach and assist more people in more places.
Lastly, let’s remember that our efforts to make the world a better place should extend beyond our time on earth. As we strive to reach $2.025 billion by 2025 for Rotary’s Endowment, consider how you can leave a legacy by making a gift or a commitment to a Rotary endowment. This will ensure that Rotary’s future generations will have greater financial resources to create positive change, just as so many are doing now, in so many ways.
July 2023
I love Rotary for many reasons, perhaps most of all for the impact we make when we work together. There is really no other group like us.
In the last five years, The Rotary Foundation has helped 100 million beneficiaries. That is staggering.
But the need is great. There are countless more we could be reaching and supporting right now if we had the resources. We could reach twice as many in the next five years. And your fellow Rotaractors and Rotarians are ready to help. They're hungry for more grants to help more people who need us.
That's why, this year, The Rotary Foundation Trustees have set an ambitious goal for giving of $500 million, our highest ever.
This breaks down to $150 million for the Annual Fund to help fund grants and $50 million for polio eradication, to be matched by $100 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For the Endowment Fund and our future, we are targeting $60 million in outright giving and $80 million in commitments, totaling $140 million. And we want to collect $60 million in other contributions, such as direct giving, cash for global grants, and Disaster Response Fund donations.
To make this happen, we need all of you — each and every Rotarian and Rotaractor.
Did you know that over 80 percent of Rotary members make no contributions to PolioPlus, or that over 60 percent make no donation at all to The Rotary Foundation? For an organization of 1.4 million members, that means that nearly 1 million of us are not contributing each year.
Imagine the tremendous difference it would make if each of those 1 million could contribute just $25 a year. That would be $25 million we wouldn't need to raise from our best donors.
We can all give something. That's why I am asking each of you to set a goal to give what you can to The Rotary Foundation this year.
Never have we set such an audacious goal, but I believe that you, who make up Rotary, always respond to a challenge, especially when you see the difference we can make with those funds. We are part of an audacious organization, one that dreams big and makes our dreams a reality.
Let's think bigger and differently this year, so we can meet our goal and do more to Create Hope in the World. In this way, we will make the Rotary year ahead an unforgettable one, not just for ourselves, but most importantly, for those whose lives we will soon touch.