The Rotary Foundation

The mission of the Rotary Foundation is to support the efforts of Rotary International in the fulfillment of the Object of Rotary, Rotary’s mission, and the achievement of world understanding and peace through local, national, and international humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs.

Programs

PolioPlus Rotarians have mobilized by the hundreds of thousands to ensure that children are immunized against this crippling disease and that surveillance is strong, despite the poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and civil strife of many countries. Since the PolioPlus program’s inception in 1985, more than two billion children have received oral polio vaccine. To date, 209 countries, territories, and areas around the world are polio-free. As of June 2004, Rotary has committed more than $500 million to global polio eradication. 2003-04 awards: $29 million.

PolioPlus Partners is a program that allows Rotarians to participate in the polio eradication effort by contributing to specific social mobilization and surveillance activities in polioendemic countries. In 2003-04, 8 grants were approved for projects in Africa and South Asia for a total of $330,000.

Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants fund large-scale, one- to three-year projects that enhance health, help alleviate hunger, or improve human development. Since 1978, 276 projects in 74 countries have been funded at a cost of $74 million. In 2003-04, no new projects were approved. (Program in moratorium)

3-H Planning Grants subsidize the advance planning activities of Rotary clubs and districts designing 3-H projects of a significant size and impact. (Program in moratorium.)

Matching Grants provide matching funds for international service projects of Rotary clubs and districts. Since 1965, almost 20,000 Matching Grant projects in 166 countries have been funded at a cost of more than $198 million. In 2003-04,1,946 new grants were approved for projects in over 122 countries. Program awards were $162.2million. (This includes DDF contributions)

District Simplified Grants support the short-term service activities or humanitarian endeavors of districts in communities locally or internationally. This program began in 2003-04 and 383 grants were approved for projects in 44 countries. Program awards were $5.2 million.

Individual Grants support the travel of individual Rotarians, spouses of Rotarians, Rotaractors, and qualified Foundation alumni who are planning or implementing service projects. This program replaced Discovery Grants and Grants for Rotary Volunteers and began in 2003-04. In 2003-04, 322 grants were approved. Program awards were $1.1 million.

Rotary World Peace Scholars. Each year up to 70 scholars at the master's-degree level are sponsored to study at one of the seven Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. In 2003-04, 62 new scholars from 26 countries studied at the seven Rotary Centers and will receive grants totaling $3.9 million for the two-year program (2003-05).

Ambassadorial Scholarships. The Foundation sponsors one of the largest and most international scholarship programs in the world. Scholars study in a country other than their own where they serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill. Since 1947, almost 37,000 scholars from some 110 countries have received scholarships at a cost of almost $446 million. In in 2003-04, 827 scholars from 61 countries studied in 60 countries. Program awards were $16.5 million.

Rotary Grants for University Teachers are awarded to faculty members to teach in a developing nation for three to ten months. Since 1985, 377 university teachers have shared their expertise with a college or university in a developing country. In 2003-04, 28 university teachers from 9 countries taught in 22 countries. Program awards were $366,000.

These annual awards are made to paired Rotary districts to provide travel expenses for a team of non-Rotarians from a variety of vocations. Rotarian hosts organize a four- to six-week itinerary of educational and cultural points of interest. Since 1965, almost 48,000 individuals (more than 11,000 teams) from more than 100 countries have participated at a cost of $85 million. In 2003-04, 426 teams traveled abroad. Program awards were $2.9 million.

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