How clubs can work with Rotary partners
You can work with Rotary's partners to plan more effective and sustainable projects.
To ensure that your project fits the needs of a community:
- Use Community Assessment Tools to learn strategies for assessing a community's strengths, weaknesses, and needs; designing the most relevant projects; and maximizing your partnership's impact.
- Use the memorandum of understanding for a cooperating organization template to customize an agreement between your club and its partner.
- Finance projects by hosting fundraisers or applying for a district or global grant.
Your community has many potential partners, including organizations that already have relationships with Rotary.
Ashoka
For 40 years Ashoka has found exceptional Changemakers from around the world and guided them to grow unexpected ideas into transformative social progress. Ashoka's network enables over 4,000 social entrepreneurs to learn from one other while creating faster, more impactful large-scale change. Venture and Fellowship, the core of Ashoka's work, identifies leading social entrepreneurs with transformative ideas and provides them with the support and community they need to thrive. It is through these Ashoka Fellows that we see a world where everyone can be a powerful contributor with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Ashoka invites the Rotary community to be part of this movement to build an Everyone a Changemaker world. By partnering with Ashoka, the Rotary family gains access to a wide range of experts in social entrepreneurship and change-making who are equally vested in bringing about support and resources to improve the lives of their communities. Rotary's areas of focus align closely with Ashoka's vision and various programs to create solutions to local challenges through social entrepreneurship.
Learn more
Learn more (PDF)
Global Partnership for Education
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is dedicated to increasing access to education for children, especially girls, in the poorest countries so they can unlock their full potential. As a partnership and a fund, GPE mobilizes global and national investments and brings partners together to help governments build strong education systems that are based on data and evidence.
The strategic partnership between GPE and Rotary connects Rotary clubs and districts with GPE partner countries. GPE and Rotary International both recognize the importance of partnerships and public-private collaboration as fundamental toward achieving education for all children, especially for the poorest who face a greater risk of being left behind.
Learn more (PDF)
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity, a global nonprofit, works with families and individuals in need, helping them build or improve homes.
Rotary clubs can work directly with local Habitat chapters by assessing communities that need better housing, securing in-kind contributions for building homes, and volunteering on building projects. Clubs can also work with chapters to improve water and sanitation conditions and help people develop the skills and independence they need to build better lives.
Learn more (PDF) and contact Habitat to get involved
Institute for Economics and Peace
The Institute for Economics and Peace is dedicated to measuring and reporting on the economic value of peace. It offers educational and community-based programs to increase stability in communities.
Through the partnership, Rotary and the Institute offer a variety of resources to help Rotary members learn about Positive Peace and integrate those principles into their club's and community's efforts to build peace locally.
Learn more and contact the Rotary-IEP coordinator to get involved
Peace Corps
The U.S. Peace Corps allows volunteers to immerse themselves in other cultures and work side by side with local leaders to tackle their host communities' most pressing challenges. Peace Corps volunteers serve in more than 60 countries and work with nongovernmental organizations, host-country governments, and local community members to address local needs.
Rotary clubs can work with Peace Corps volunteers to identify a project's prospective beneficiaries, assess communities, and involve community members in projects. When Peace Corps volunteers return, they can give presentations at Rotary club meetings and find clubs interested in partnering on international projects.
Learn more (PDF) and contact Peace Corps to get involved
ShelterBox
ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and supplies to assist survivors immediately after a disaster.
Rotary works with ShelterBox in all phases of disaster relief: identifying regions that need support, volunteering in relief efforts, facilitating meetings with government officials and relief agencies, and funding supplies. Rotary can also help with logistics, including customs clearance; house deployed teams; arrange transportation; and offer language interpretation.
Learn more and contact ShelterBox to get involved
Toastmasters
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that helps its members become more effective public speakers, communicators, and leaders. Like Rotary, it has a worldwide network of clubs.
By working with Toastmasters, Rotary and Rotaract members will have more opportunities to improve their leadership and communication skills, broaden their networks, and increase their impact.
Clubs and districts can get involved in this alliance by learning more about Toastmasters, exploring its resources and public speaking tips, visiting a local Toastmasters club, or watching a video to learn what happens at a Toastmasters meeting.
You can also invite members of Toastmasters to visit your club, be a guest speaker, or participate in a service activity.
If Toastmasters doesn’t have a club in your area, you can still use the organization’s online resources.
Find answers to frequently asked questions.
Learn more about the alliance.
The United States Agency for International Development
USAID is one of the world's largest governmental aid agencies that drives development results. USAID's work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience. USAID's strategic partnerships with Rotary offers two avenues of service for Rotarians. The Rotary-USAID WASH Partnership assists communities and governments to plan, finance and deliver safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, while sustainably managing water resources at large-scale. The Hearts of Europe initiative aims to foster collaboration, networking, and friendship among Rotary clubs in select Eastern European countries and the U.S.