January 2024
Trustees meeting minutes - January 2024
The 2023–24 Rotary Foundation Trustees met in conjunction with the International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA on 6–7 January 2024 and reviewed seven committee reports and recorded 28 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- agreed to establish national PolioPlus Committees in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe;
- approved the creation of a new region, with a new regional leader team, to serve districts in Korea.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- approved US$50 million in PolioPlus grants to the World Health Organization and UNICEF for technical assistance, operational support, social mobilization support, and vaccine procurement;
- approved 62 recipients for the Regional Service Award for a Polio-free world and nine nominations for the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World;
- amended the eligibility requirements for Rotary Peace Center certificate candidates to provide that candidates "either be from the region where the center is located, have relevant work experience in the region where the center is located, work elsewhere around the world with communities or initiatives related to the region, or demonstrate a compelling interest in learning about peacebuilding approaches used in the region";
- approved US$20,000 from the World Fund for use as Special Initiatives Grant funding.
Finance
The Trustees
- approved 2024-25 budget assumptions for net investment earnings as follows:
- Annual Fund and Operating Reserve: 4.0%
- Endowment and other long-term investments: 5.0%
- PolioPlus Fund: 3.0%
October 2023
Trustees meeting minutes - October 2023
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met at Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston, IL, USA on 11–13 October 2023 and reviewed 11 committee reports and recorded 45 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- elected Holger Knaack as their 2024–25 chair-elect and Larry A. Lunsford as their 2024–25 vice chair;
- confirmed their commitment to offer a grant to Rotary International of up to US$215,000 to cover Rotary's costs in securing a pavilion at the 2028 Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, UAE.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- as part of their ongoing review of Foundations programs and offerings to ensure that they are strategically aligned with the organization's action plan, agreed that the TRF Annual Fund and Programs of Scale are strategically aligned Foundation programs;
- approved US$45,000,000 in PolioPlus grants for surveillance support in Nigeria; operational and social mobilization support in Afghanistan and Pakistan; for social mobilization and operational support for outbreak response activities by WHO and UNICEF; and for polio eradication research activities in London;
- agreed to extend the PolioPlus Partners program through 2025–26;
- agreed that upon the certification of polio eradication, to advocate in pre-selected countries for implementation of the polio post-certification strategy, as developed by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative;
- approved a strategic partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme;
- renewed Rotary's service partnership with Ashoka.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- endorsed the proposed 2024–25 worldwide comprehensive fundraising goal to be revealed at the 2024 International Assembly;
- received with appreciation a US$3.1 million gift from the Archibald McLelland and Kazuko Flynn estate.
Finance
The Trustees
- received the preliminary draft audited financial statements and report on the Foundation's 2022–23 financial results.
June 2023
Trustees meeting minutes - June 2023
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 8 June 2023, in Evanston, IL, USA and reviewed four committee reports and recorded 25 decisions.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- established a new strategic partnership between The Rotary Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and World Vision for development and implementation of Rotary Healthy Community Challenge, a new program that will leverage lessons learned from the Partners for a Malaria-free Zambia (Programs of Scale awardee) to other countries with a high malaria disease burden and aim to significantly strengthen those communities’ health systems;
- approved the 2024–26 PolioPlus Communications spending plan totaling US$2 million, of which 50 percent shall be allocated to Rotary International;
- approved $52.8 million in PolioPlus grants to the World Health Organization (WHO) African region, WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, to the WHO Polio Research Committee, and to UNICEF for polio eradication efforts, including surveillance and operational support, social mobilization, replenishment of the OPV2, and for research activities;
- selected 28 Rotary members to receive the 2022–23 Distinguished Service Award for their outstanding efforts on behalf of The Rotary Foundation.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- approved use of available unused World Fund budget for Program Awards in fiscal year 2022–23 to reach the US$50 million PolioPlus fundraising goal.
Finance
The Trustees
- reaffirmed a 2023–24 contributions budget of US$356,733,000, a net investment earnings budget of $51,006,000, a program awards budget of $296,513,000, a programs awards expenditures budget of $123,952,000, and a Rotary Foundation operating budget of $68,013,000.
Administration
The 2023–24 Trustees met briefly after adjournment of the 2022–23 Trustees and in addition to agreeing to the conflict-of-interest policy, adopted the following 2024–25 annual goals for Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation:
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 1 – INCREASE OUR IMPACT
1. Eradicate polio, highlight Rotary's role, and plan for a polio-free world.
2. Increase the overall giving to The Rotary Foundation and build the Endowment Fund to $2.025 billion by 2025.
3. Encourage community assessments and measurement of projects and programs at the club, district, and international level.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 2 – EXPAND OUR REACH
4. Advance actions to cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion in our clubs and the family of Rotary.
5. Strengthen existing relationships and develop new partnerships that align with our Action Plan.
6. Establish and nurture innovative clubs and new participant engagement channels.
7. Increase awareness and understanding of Rotary and our members' impact in communities locally and globally.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 3 – ENHANCE PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT
8. Enhance member engagement tools that support clubs in meeting their members' needs and increasing member retention.
9. Increase collaboration and connection among participants, particularly Rotary and Rotaract clubs.
10. Highlight opportunities offered through Rotary to foster professional connections and build leadership skills.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 4 – INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT
11. Support regional adaptability by testing innovative approaches to foster greater collaboration and operating efficiencies.
12. Support diversity, equity, and inclusion in our leadership and governance.
April 2023
Trustees meeting minutes - April 2023
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 3–5 April 2023, in Evanston, IL, USA and reviewed five committee reports and recorded 37 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- agreed to the creation of a Joint DEI Advisory Council to advise the Trustees and Board on the implementation of a diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan;
- to help bring information on The Rotary Foundation to the club level, amended their policy to provide a subsidy to multidistrict PETS organizers for inviting trustees to speak about The Rotary Foundation at these events;
- amended their policy to ensure that those accepting regional leader roles in the Foundation do not also hold other time-intensive positions at the district/zone level;
- elected Trustee Greg Podd as a non-voting Member of the 2023 Council on Resolutions;
- agreed to hold nine supplemental regional training events on the topic of the Endowment Fund US$2.025 billion by 2025 for incoming, first- and second-year endowment/major gift advisers and regional Rotary Foundation coordinators in Rotary year 2023–24.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- granted the third Programs of Scale award of US$2 million to a program to be announced at the 2023 Melbourne Convention;
- in reviewing the Foundation’s disaster response efforts, reaffirmed that individual disaster response funds and grants may be established for specific disasters separate for the general Disaster Response Fund, and confirmed that any individual Disaster Response Fund that is approved and created will be for a “disaster of magnitude,” such approval contingent upon Rotary’s presence in the impacted area being strong enough to ensure the successful implementation and oversight of grant funds, among other criteria stipulated in the grant terms;
- agreed to close the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University by 31 August 2023 and approved establishment of a search committee to explore establishing a new Rotary Peace Center partnership opportunity in Asia;
- agreed to annually recognize districts that are at least 90 percent compliant with grant reporting requirements during each quarterly analysis.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- acknowledging the success of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Grant program in India, and recognizing the potential for expanding the Foundation’s reach and increasing its impact through an expansion of the CSR in other countries, agreed to the creation of a new CSR/Corporate-Funded Grants Rotary Foundation program. Per the Foundation’s Bylaws, any new Foundation program must be approved by the RI Board. At its April meeting following the Trustees meeting, the Board agreed to this request;
- agreed to provide Legacy Society members access to the Arch Klumph Society lounge at Rotary conventions;
- approved the 2023–24 Areas of Focus Major Gift Initiative goals, totaling US$40 million, and an increased 2024–25 Major Gift Initiative goal of $330 million;
- received with appreciation a US$1.6 million gift from the Paul F. Bride estate;
- approved the following new strategic partnerships giving opportunities:
- US$2 million to name a specific strategic partnership program/project
- US$1 million for name recognition in program/project title
- US$250,000 for expanding the reach of TRF-approved program/project.
Finance
The Trustees
- approved the 2023–24 Rotary Foundation budget as follows:
- Contributions: US$356,733,000
- Net investment returns: $49,838,000
- Other income: 3,312,000
- Program awards:
Annual fund: $159,773,000
PolioPlus fund: $132,000,000
Donor Advised fund: $5,200,000 - Program award expenditures from unrestricted contributions:
District Designated Fund: $80,414,000
World Fund: $39,338,000
Donor advised fund: $5,200,000 - approved a US$24,655,900 withdrawal from endowed funds for the 2023–24 budget year, to be allocated as follows:
- Program awards: $19,214,045
- Program operations: $599,892
- Fund development: $2,258,885
- General administration: $2,583,079
- agreed to the establishment of "Fondazione Rotary Italia—Ente del Terso settor" as an associate foundation in Italy.
January 2023
Trustees meeting minutes - January 2023
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 7–8 January 2023 in Orlando, FL, USA and reviewed six committee reports and recorded 29 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- approved the 2023–24 Rotary Foundation Committee appointments, including for the following:
Standing Committees
Executive (Chair: Larry Lunsford)
Participant Experience (Chair: Larry Lunsford)
TRF Finance (Chair: Greg Podd)
Stewardship (Chair: Geeta Manek)
Rotary Foundation Committees
Fund Development
Investment
Peace Centers
Rotary Peace Center Host Area Coordinators
TRF Cadre of Technical Advisers
TRF Programs
International PolioPlus Committee
Joint Committees with the RI Board
Audit
Communications
Learning
Operations Review
Strategic Planning
Technology
- appointed Trustee Greg Podd to serve as liaison to the Board in 2023–24;
- reaffirmed that incoming regional leaders should be provided the opportunity to attend a learning event for their specific role to orient them on that role and build capacity based on the skills the role requires;
- agreed that minor children (under the age of 18) and other immediate family members of a donor invited to a Secretariat-organized donor recognition event are permitted to accompany the donor to the event, provided the donor registers them for the event and pays the appropriate ticket price (except that no ticket shall be required for children under the age of 5).
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- selected Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey, as host partner for the next Rotary Peace Center with the program's first application launch planned for February 2024 and initial cohort of students by January 2025;
- approved US$50,000,000 in PolioPlus grants for:
- surveillance support in Nigeria;
- social mobilization, operational support, and technical support in Afghanistan and Pakistan;
- replenishment of OPV2 stockpile;
- polio eradication research activities in Australia;
- social mobilization and operational support for outbreak response activities;
- approved nine nominations for the 2022–23 PolioPlus International Service Awards;
- selected recipients for the 2022–23 Alumni Association of the Year Award and the Rotary Alumni Global Service Award to be announced at the 2023 RI (Melbourne) Convention;
Fund Development
The Trustees
- agreed to establish disaster response funds and grants for specific disasters in addition to the existing general Disaster Response Fund;
- agreed to establish, as soon as practical, a separate, targeted Ukraine Response Fund with the following stipulations:
- contributions given to the Ukraine Response Fund through 31 December 2023, including District Designated Funds, will be expended for Ukraine Response Grants until 30 June 2024 or earlier if all funds have been expended;
- any unused contributions for Ukraine Response Grants will be transferred to the general Disaster Response Fund on 1 July 2024;
- transferal of US$250,000 from the World Fund to the Ukraine Response Fund effective with the establishment of the Ukraine Response Fund (grant funding for the previously-approved DR880 shall further be charged to the Ukraine Response Fund);
- District 2232 (Belarus and Ukraine) can have open up to three Ukraine Response Grants of up to $100,000 each simultaneously; the districts bordering Ukraine can have open one Ukraine Response Grant of up to $100,000 at any one time, and other districts can have open one Ukraine Response Grant of up to $25,000 at any one time;
- agreed to establish, as soon as practical, a separate targeted 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund with the following stipulations:
- grants made from the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund will follow the standard Disaster Response grant policies, except that Districts 3271 and 3272 (Pakistan) can have open up to two disaster response grants simultaneously of up to US$50,000 each through 30 June 2024
- the fund will accept new contributions, including District Designated Funds, until 31 December 2023;
- contributions to the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund will be expended for Pakistan flood relief projects and any unused contributions will be transferred to the general Disaster Response Fund on 30 June 2024.
Finance
The Trustees
- approved the establishment of a new associate foundation in Italy.
October 2022
Trustees meeting minutes - October 2022
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met in Evanston, IL, USA on 11–13 October 2022 and reviewed seven committee reports and recorded 42 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- elected Mark Daniel Maloney as their 2023–24 chair-elect and Bharat Pandya as their 2023–24 vice chair;
- approved the name, purpose, composition, responsibilities, and reporting structure for the following joint committees with the RI Board: Audit, Communications, Learning, Operations Review, Strategic Planning, Technology, and DEI Task Force—to be effective immediately, except for the committees’ composition, which shall be effective 1 July 2023;
- in recognition of their newest area of focus, agreed to request the RI Board to amend its policy to approve April as a special observance month for the Environment (the Board agreed to this request at its October meeting);
- along with the RI Board, adopted the following joint 2023–24 joint goals:
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 1 – INCREASE OUR IMPACT
1. Eradicate polio and highlight Rotary’s role.
2. Increase the overall number of clubs and individual Rotary members giving to The Rotary Foundation whilst increasing contributions to the Annual Fund and PolioPlus and building the Endowment Fund to $2.025 billion by 2025.
3. Enable and measure effective club, district, and international programs and projects particularly in Rotary’s Areas of Focus.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 2 – EXPAND OUR REACH
4. Strengthen existing and develop new partnerships to elevate Rotary’s global profile.
5. Establish and nurture new, innovative clubs and participant engagement channels.
6. Raise awareness and understanding of Rotary and Rotary members as People of Action.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 3 – ENHANCE PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT
7. Enhance member engagement tools that support Rotary’s core values through personal growth, leadership development, service, and networking opportunities.
8. Reduce the number of new members leaving within their first year of membership.
9. Increase collaboration among participants partic-ularly Rotary and Rotaract clubs.
10. Further Rotary’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within our clubs, our leadership and throughout the family of Rotary.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 4 – INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT
11. Review Rotary’s programs and offerings to ensure their relevance and effectiveness.
12. Support and encourage the use of virtual connectivity to optimize in-person meetings, training, fund-raising, and service projects.
13. Continue to review Rotary’s service delivery and volunteer leadership structure to improve effectiveness, responsibility, and accountability.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- approved US$50,000,000 in PolioPlus grants for surveillance support in the African region; operational, social mobilization, and vaccine procurement in the Eastern Mediterranean region; and for social mobilization and operational support for outbreak response activities;
- agreed to the creation of a working group to develop recommendations for the enhancement and expansion of the current grant model to address societal changes and evolving needs and opportunities faced by Rotary members;
- noting the success of disaster response grants, approved the creation of a working group to develop recommendations for expanding this grant type to appeal to donors and provide greater assistance to victims of disasters;
- agreed that Districts 3271 and 3272 (Pakistan) are eligible for having two open Disaster Response Grants of up to US$50,000 to help local Rotary members address the recent disastrous flooding in the country;
- agreed to receive a US$125,000 grant from Welcome.US to help promote the welcoming of Ukrainian refugees to the United States as a service opportunity aligned with the peacebuilding and conflict prevention area of focus;
- received the list of 132 finalists awarded the 2023–24 Rotary Peace Fellowships, including 52 for the master’s degree program at one of the five partner universities and 80 for the 12-month certificate program.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- endorsed the proposed 2023–24 worldwide comprehensive fundraising goal to be revealed at the 2023 International Assembly;
- endorsed club- and district-led PolioPlus societies and agreed that these societies will develop their own donor recognition guidelines;
- in response to donors looking to support a specific program of scale, approved new Programs of Scale giving opportunities.
Finance
The Trustees
- received the preliminary draft audited financial statements and report on the Foundation’s 2021–22 financial results;
- authorized the general secretary to suspend those clubs that, as of 30 November 2022, have not submitted acceptable progress reports to the general secretary within 30 months from participating in a Rotary grant;
- agreed that districts should be financially responsible to The Rotary Foundation for a club-sponsored grant if the sponsoring club has been suspended, terminated, lost qualification status, or is otherwise unable to take responsibility for the grant.
June 2022
Trustees meeting minutes - June 2022
April 2022
Trustees meeting minutes - April 2022
January 2022
Trustees meeting minutes - January 2022
October and November 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - October and November 2021
August 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - August 2021
April, May, and June 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - June 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - May 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - April 2021
February 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - February 2021
November and December 2020 and January 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - January 2021
Trustees meeting minutes - December 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - November 2020
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met virtually on 17 November 2020*, 1 and 14 December 2020**, and 14 and 26 January 2021‡. At these meetings, the Trustees reviewed seven committee reports and recorded 34 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- to address the significant feedback received from Rotarians interested in Rotary playing an active and global role in the world's effort to address COVID-19, created—in a joint meeting with the RI Board—a joint task force to work with the general secretary to develop a plan that will encourage and support Rotary and Rotaract clubs to promote the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine information, engage Rotary's global participant network in supporting COVID-19 mitigation activities, and align Rotary's efforts with those of our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative;**
- reaffirmed Rotary's commitment to polio eradication as the association's top priority;**
- elected Ian H.S. Riseley as their 2021–22 chair elect and Sangkoo Yun as their 2021–22 vice chair.*
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- agreed that districts may allocate district grant funds to Rotaract clubs, effective 1 July 2022;*
- approved the first Programs of Scale award of US$2 million to the Zambia Malaria Elimination Program, which seeks to reduce the incidence of malaria by 90 percent in two provinces of Zambia;**
- selected individuals to receive the 2020–21 Rotary Alumni Global Service Award and selected the alumni association to receive the 2020–21 Rotary Alumni Association of the Year Award. ‡
Finance
The Trustees
- in addressing financial pressure on the World Fund,
- acknowledged a cost reduction of US$1 million in expenses from the Secretariat and an additional $1.9 million in target cost reductions; **
- reduced the World Fund match for DDF transfers for PolioPlus from 100 percent to 50 percent, effective 1 July 2021; ‡
- reduced the World Fund match for DDF when being used for global grants from 100 percent to 80 percent, effective 1 July 2021; ‡
- agreed up to five percent of the current year Annual Fund SHARE contributions will be taken equally from the World Fund and DDF to fund operating expenses, effective 1 July 2021; ‡
- limited rollover DDF to five years. Funds in excess of five years on 30 June, at district's discretion, will be applied to PolioPlus, Area of Focus endowment funds, general endowment fund (including RPCs) or the World Fund, effective 1 July 2021. On 1 July 2026, districts will have the discretion to apply the rollover funds as outlined above. If a district does not advise which fund to direct rollover DDF to, the rollover DDF will automatically default to the World Fund. ‡
- in addressing the funding of 2020–21 Global Grants,
- approved the transfer of US$7.5 million from TRF's operating reserve to the World Fund to fund global grants in 2020–21, of which $3 million would be allocated for global grant scholarships;
- agreed to provide a 100 percent World Fund match on DDF for applications that are in "submitted status" by 31 May 2021, or on the date the World Fund runs out, whichever date is earlier;
- agreed to provide a 100 percent World Fund match on DDF for approved global grant scholarship applications that are in "submitted status" by 30 June 2021, even if the World Fund budget is exhausted prior to 30 June.
July - October 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - October 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - September 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - August 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - July 2020
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met virtually on 14 July*, 18 August**, 15 September‡, and 20 October‡‡ 2020. At these meetings, the Trustees reviewed five committee reports and recorded 48 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- to provide RI directors with a primary contact to The Rotary Foundation and its regional leaders, agreed to pair a trustee with each zone;*
- requested the Strategic Planning Committee to review the Rotary Foundation’s committee structure and to recommend changes that will align the Foundation’s committee structure with the structural changes the RI Board is making to its committees and further requested their chair to appoint a group of Trustees to consult with the Strategic Planning Committee on its recommended changes;‡‡
- in accordance with the Rotary Code of Polices, Chair-elect John Germ in collaboration with President-elect Shekhar Mehta, established the following goals for Rotary in 2021–22:‡‡
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 1 – INCREASE OUR IMPACT
1. Eradicate polio and highlight Rotary’s role.
2. Increase contributions to the Annual Fund and PolioPlus while building the Endowment Fund to $2.025 billion by 2025.
3. Improve and effectively communicate the measurable impact of:
a. Service projects by clubs;
b. District grants, global grants, programs of scale, PolioPlus and the Rotary Peace Centers.
4. Build new partnerships, including opportunities with government agencies, to enhance the global foot print of humanitarian projects.
5. Focus our program efforts to increase our impact.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 2 – EXPAND OUR REACH
6. Grow Rotary membership to 1.3 million by:
a. Emphasizing “Each One, Bring One” as the call to action for attracting new and more diverse members into our existing clubs;
b. Increasing and diversifying participant base by starting new and innovative clubs and participant engagement channels.
c. Increasing the coordination and accountability of the directors, regional leaders and district membership chairs.
7. Strengthen Rotary’s brand and image including increased focus on social media.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 3 – ENHANCE PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT
8. Enhance engagement with an emphasis on leveraging technology among Interact, Rotaract and Rotary club members and other Rotary participants.
9. Increase collaboration between all participants, in particular between Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs.
10. Use our core values as a focus for engagement.
11. Enhance engagement through business networking opportunities amongst Rotary participants.
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 4 – INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT
12. Support and encourage the use of virtual connectivity to optimize in-person meetings, trainings, fundraising and service projects.
13. Review our volunteer leadership structure and improve responsibility and accountability.
14. Support regionalization of governance and service delivery.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- endorse the 2021–22 worldwide comprehensive fundraising goal, to be announced at the 2021 International Assembly.‡‡
Programs
The Trustees
- in addressing the World Fund budget shortfall
- amended the minimum budget of a global grant from US$15,000 to $30,000;*
- agreed with the comprehensive recommendations of the World Fund Workgroup (implementation plan to be presented at the December Trustees meeting) ‡‡
- to align with the RI Board’s recent decisions to elevate Rotaract,
- encouraged regional Rotary Foundation coordinators and district Rotary Foundation chairs to better engage Rotaractors in training opportunities, fundraising, and support of The Rotary Foundation;
- encouraged Rotaract clubs to appoint club leaders to support The Rotary Foundation;
- encouraged Rotary clubs to include Rotaract club leaders in their club Foundation committee;
- agreed to appoint Rotaractor members of the Rotaract Committee to advise the Trustees on matters related to Rotaract;
- requested Trustee chairs to appoint a Trustee liaison to the Rotaract Committee and invite the Rotaract Committee to advise the Trustees directly on matters related to The Rotary Foundation;*
- agreed that clubs in Iraq may participate in Rotary Foundation programs and grant opportunities;**
- approved a policy statement and implementation plan for the new Environment Area of Focus.‡
Finance
The Trustees
- approved establishment of a new associate foundation in Korea.‡‡
June 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - June 2020
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met via video conference on 15–18 June 2020 and reviewed nine committee reports and recorded 41 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- reviewed the report of their Sunsetting Working Group, which the Trustees had appointed in October 2018 to review all Rotary Foundation activities and identify those that could now be ended, or "sunset," and agreed, subject to the Board's approval, to discontinue the Joint Committee on Partnerships. The Trustees also agreed to no further expansion of the Peace Centers until the program is self-funded.
Fund Development
- agreed to extend Benefactor recognition for an outright gift or a future commitment by bequest life insurance, life income gift, or other estate plan of US$1,000 or more to the Endowment Fund.
Programs and Awards
- subject to approval by the RI Board, unanimously agreed to add the Environment as a seventh area of focus, effective 1 July 2021 and revised Rotary Foundation's mission statement to read:
- Our Mission: The Rotary Foundation helps Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.
- approved two Level III grant requests (those grants requesting over US$200,000), including
- a basic education and literacy grant in Guatemala to be carried out with the Cooperative for Education;
- a disease prevention and treatment grant in Liberia to be carried out with Mercy Ships;
- agreed that any proper disaster response grant application that cannot be awarded due to lack of funds in the Disaster Response Fund, will be considered expired after six-months from the application's submission;
- approved a resource partnership with the Eleanor Crook Foundation to address malnutrition and severe stunting in Ethiopia;
- agreed to allow Rotaract clubs to be either the international or host sponsor of a global grant, beginning 1 July 2022, provided that the Rotaract club has previously partnered with a Rotary club on a global grant
- agreed that Rotaractors will be eligible recipients for Rotary Foundation awards;
- reduced the funding requirement for international sponsors to global grants from 30 to 15 percent;
- established the new program designation: Rotary Recommended Programs, to acknowledge successful, data-driven, community-based projects that have proven successful across multiple regions and/or populations;
- approved a PolioPlus Communications spending plan for 2021–23 totaling US$2 million;
- approved US$54.9 million in PolioPlus grants to the World Health Organization African region, Eastern Mediterranean region, and UNICEF;
- amended the Peacebuilder District recognition program (now to be called Global Peacebuilding District) to recognize contributions (DDF or cash) that support either the Rotary Peace Centers or Rotary's Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Area of Focus;
- following a comprehensive evaluation of the low-cost shelter and simple school pilot, which revealed low demand, incompatibility with areas of focus goals, and significant administrative burdens, agreed that low-cost shelter and simple school construction is no longer eligible within global grants, but encouraged interested Rotarians to continue funding these projects, including construction, through either district grants or disaster response grants;
- recognizing that over 200 COVID-19 Disaster Response Grants have been funded to date, thanked Rotarians for their extraordinary efforts, but in view of current fiscal constraints, agreed to discontinue accepting applications for COVID-19 specific Disaster Response Grants, excluding USAID grants, effective immediately.
Finance
- approved a 2020–21 contributions budget of US$312,600,000, a net investment returns budget of $34,521,000, and a program awards expenditures budget of $278,617,000.
April and May 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - April and May 2020
April 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - April 2020 special session
January 2020
Trustees meeting minutes - January 2020
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 18–19 January 2020 in San Diego, California, USA, and reviewed five committee reports and recorded 27 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- approved Trustee Chair-elect K.R. Ravindran's 2020–21 proposed committee structure and appointments;
- authorized Chair-elect Ravindran to appoint an adviser from Japan to attend their 2020–21 meetings;
- in response to new tax laws in Korea, requested the general secretary to explore the establishment of an associate foundation in that country and authorized their executive committee to act on the Trustees' behalf to approve establishment of a Korean associate foundation;
- to clarify their October 2019 decision regarding environment issues, amended decision 42 to read: The Trustees agree to add Environmental Issues as a new Area of Focus or add Environmental Issues to an existing Area of Focus.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- extended the PolioPlus Partners program through the 2022 fiscal year and agreed to allocate up to US$2.5 million from the PolioPlus Fund for PolioPlus partners grants;
- approved US$46.6 million in PolioPlus grants in Afghanistan, Angola, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria for technical assistance, social mobilization support, operational support, surveillance support, and research activities;
- selected the 2019–20 recipients for the Rotary Alumni Global Service Award and the Rotary Alumni Association of the Year Award, to be awarded at the Honolulu convention;
- approved nine nominations for the PolioPlus Pioneer Award and nine nominations for the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World;
- agreed to sunset the PolioPlus Pioneer award, affective 30 June 2020.
October 2019
Trustees meeting minutes - October 2019
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 28–30 October 2019 at the Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA and reviewed 8 committee reports and recorded 38 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- elected Trustee John Germ as their chair-elect in 2020–21 and Trustee Michael F. Webb as their vice chair in 2020–21.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- endorsed a fundraising goal for 2020–21 to be announced at the 2020 International Assembly;
- renamed the Arch Klumph Society Family Circle to the Arch Klumph Society Circle of Honor and expanded the recognition's eligibility.
Programs
The Trustees
- agreed to consider adding Environmental issues as a new Area of Focus or adding environmental issues to an existing area of focus, and established a task force to study the matter, for report at the April 2020 Trustees meeting;
- approved a pilot partnership concept with the Global Partnership for Education, a global fund that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries;
- agreed to a resource partnership with the Eleanor Crook Foundation that will involve a nutrition initiative with the Power of Nutrition in a sub Saharan Africa country;
- agreed to add Gavi The Vaccine Alliance as a partner to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative;
- awarded US$50 million in PolioPlus grants to the World Health Organization and UNICEF including $39.7 million to the combined World Health Organization (WHO) African Region office and UNICEF, the combined WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region office and UNICEF, and $10.3 million to WHO for the replenishment of the mOPV2 vaccine stockpile;
- received the list of finalists awarded the 2020–21 Rotary Peace Fellowships.
Finance
The Trustees
- accepted the audited 2018–19 financial statements and report on The Rotary Foundation's financial results;
- agreed to pursue the creation of a Public Benevolent Institution in Australia.
August 2019
Trustees meeting minutes - August 2019
June 2019
Trustees meeting minutes - June 2019 (2018-19 Trustees)
Trustees meeting minutes - June 2019 (2019-20 Trustees)
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 6 June 2019 in Hamburg, Germany. At this meeting the Trustees reviewed reports from four committees and recorded 23 decisions. At the morning session sat the 2018–19 Trustees with Chair Cressey. At the afternoon session sat the 2019–20 Trustees with Chair Huang. The following are highlights of actions taken.
The Trustees:
- approved Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda as the host site for the next Rotary Peace Center;
- approved PolioPlus grant funds to
- World Health Organization African Region
- World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region
- World Health Organization Polio Research Committee
for surveillance support, operational support, social mobilization, research, activities, and mOPV2 vaccine replenishment;
- approved four level III global grants (grants over US$100,000); one for basic education and literacy and one for water and sanitation, both in Guatemala; one for disease prevention and treatment in Uganda; and one for economic and community development in Puerto Rico;
- extended Rotary’s pilot service partnership agreements with Ashoka and Mediators Beyond Borders International through 30 June 2022;
- approved the 2019–20 budget for revenues of US$385,502,000 and expenses of $362,312,000, including program awards of $304,310,000.
April 2019
Trustees meeting minutes - April 2019
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 22–24 April 2019 in Evanston, IL, USA. At this meeting, the Trustees reviewed eight committee reports and recorded 42 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- elected a new chair, Brenda M. Cressey and vice chair Michael F. Webb, effective immediately, to serve out the remainder of the 2018–19 Rotary year;
- approved a five-year roadmap through 2024 as a guide for implementing the new strategic plan with specific activities and target completion dates for each of the four strategic priorities;
- extended the strategic partnership with the Institute for Economics and Peace through 2022 and the project partnership with ShelterBox through 2022;
- agreed that any new Trustee-approved activities and programs must also include success criteria and be subject to review by the Trustees within three years of approval.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- received US$2.09 million in realized estate gifts from two estates.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- awarded four Level III grants (grants requesting between US$100,001 to $200,000 from the World Fund) totaling $538,048;
- after the first comprehensive review since the Future Vision rollout, the Trustees agreed to retain all six areas of focus with some revisions to each area's policy statement and a few name changes. The areas of focus for The Rotary Foundation are:
- Disease prevention and treatment
- Maternal and child health
- Water, sanitation, and hygiene*
- Peacebuilding and conflict prevention*
- Community economic development*
- Basic education and literacy
* name change
Finance
The Trustees
- approved a contributions budget totaling US$339,685,000, and net investment returns budget of $43,553,000;
- approve the 2019–20 total program awards expenditures budget of $304,310,000 from the following funding sources:
- Annual fund: $137,911,000
- Temporary restricted contributions and endowment spendable earnings: $2,898,000
- Donor Advised funds (subject to approval by the RI Board): $10,000,000
- PolioPlus Fund $153,500,000
January 2019
Trustees meeting minutes - January 2019
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 9–11 January 2019 at the Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA and reviewed four committee reports and recorded 29 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- approved Chairman-elect Huang’s 2019–20 proposed committee appointments
- endorsed the Board’s proposal to convert RI into a Section 501(c)(3) organization under the United States tax code and further endorsed the proposed position statement for the 2019 Council on Legislation regarding this tax status change.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- reaffirmed that only outright personal contributions to The Rotary Foundation qualify for Major Donor and Arch Klumph Society recognition
- confirmed that contributions from a family-controlled business or a family foundation may be considered outright personal contributions for Major Donor and Arch Klumph Society recognition purposes and that these policies apply to recognition for all corporate and foundation contributions, including corporate social responsibility contributions.
Programs and Awards
The Trustees
- agreed to increase the size of the Foundation's largest global grants by doubling the maximum amount of World Fund available for Level 3 global grants from US$200,000 to $400,000
- raised the threshold at which a global grant application must receive Trustee review from US$100,000 to $200,000
- increased the World Fund match from US$0.50 to $1.00 for every $1.00 of DDF contributed to the PolioPlus programs, and further increased the maximum annual contribution from $5 million to $10 million
- extended the PolioPlus Partners program through the 2020 fiscal year
- approved 16 nominations for the PolioPlus Pioneer Award and four nominations for the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World
- approved US$49 million in PolioPlus grants in Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for technical assistance, social mobilization support, operational support, surveillance support, and research activities
- established a “Rotary Disaster Response Fund” as a single support fund to receive contributions through the Foundation’s normal contribution mechanisms, and further agreed to the creation of a new grant type—Rotary Disaster Response Grant—for the distribution of grants of up to US$25,000, provided that funds are available in the Rotary Disaster Response Fund
- selected the recipient for the Rotary Alumni Global Service Award and the association for the Rotary Alumni Association of the Year Award, to be awarded at the Hamburg convention
- awarded three Level 3 Global grants, totaling US$427,635 in the disease prevention and treatment, and maternal and child health areas of focus.
October 2018
Trustee minutes - October 2018
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 29–31 October 2018 at the Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA and reviewed 9 committee reports and recorded 32 decisions.
Administration
The Trustees
- elected Trustee K. R. Ravindran as their chair-elect in 2019–20 and Trustee Kenneth M. Schuppert Jr. as their vice chair in 2019–20;
- elected Trustee Mary Beth Growney Selene as a non-voting member of the 2019 Council on Legislation and Kenneth M. Schuppert Jr. as a non-voting member of the 2018 Council on Resolutions;
- adopted the following initiatives for the first year of the new Rotary strategic plan:
- Rotaract—the Secretariat will research Rotaract as a channel into the Rotary experience and investigate what Rotary products and services Rotaractors are most interested in.
- Area of Focus Modifications—for the first time since the 2010 Future Vision rollout, the Foundation will evaluate whether changes to the Areas of Focus are needed.
- Governance—the Board will investigate streamlining governance throughout Rotary.
- Business Process Review—the Secretariat will undertake a system-wide review of all major business processes within Rotary to ensure efficient allocation of resources and their alignment with the new strategic plan.
- Global Membership—the Secretariat will thoroughly investigate all components of a new avenue into Rotary membership with the global membership model for possible adoption as a pilot program.
- Programs of Scale—the Rotary Foundation Trustees will investigate the further development of a new grant model that features large-scale projects.
Fund Development
The Trustees
- endorsed a fundraising goal for 2019–20 to be announced at the 2019 International Assembly;
- established a Rotary Foundation Legacy Society, effective 1 July 2019, for individuals or couples who have made commitments to Rotary's Endowment in the cumulative amount of US$1 million.
Programs
The Trustees
- awarded four Level III Global Grants (those grants over US$100,000);
- extended its service partnership agreement with Ashoka and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness through the end of June 2019;
- approved a new "programs of scale" grant model to fund large-scale, high-impact projects;
- received the list of finalists awarded the 2019–20 Rotary Peace Fellowships.
Finance
The Trustees accepted the audited 2017–18 financial statements and report on The Rotary Foundation's financial results.
August 2018
The 2018-19 Rotary Foundation Trustees held their first meeting of the year on 13-15 August 2018 in Evanston, IL, USA. At this meeting the Trustees reviewed reports from three committees and recorded 28 decisions. The following are highlights of actions taken.
The Trustees
- adopted the 2019–20 annual goals for Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation as follows:
GOALS FOR PRIORITY 1 – UNITE PEOPLE
1. Strengthen the process for activating leadership in clubs and districts.
2. Increase club membership by attracting new and retaining existing members.
3. Start new clubs.
4. Increase the number of female members, members under 40, and Rotaractors joining Rotary.
5. Enhance the engagement and collaboration among Interact, Rotaract and Rotary club members and other Rotary participants.GOALS FOR PRIORITY 2 – TAKE ACTION
6. Publicize the role of Rotary and Rotarians in polio eradication.
7. Increase local and international projects by fully utilizing District Designated Funds to fund district grants, global grants, PolioPlus and the Rotary Peace Centers.
8. Increase contributions to the Annual Fund and PolioPlus while building the Endowment Fund to $2.025 billion by 2025.
9. Build awareness of Rotary, and promote the People of Action campaign.GOALS FOR PRIORITY 3 – INTERNAL/OPERATIONAL MATTERS
10. Analyze the effectiveness of our current volunteer leadership levels.
11. Focus and potentially narrow our program efforts. - approved the acceptance of cash flow plans for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) India contributions of US$100,000 or more, provided that installment payments are at least $32,000 or more and that each project is fully funded before commencement;
- adopted revised Terms of Reference for the Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force for the United States and National Advocacy Advisers, to reflect current roles and responsibilities;
- approved up to US$46 million in PolioPlus grant funds to
- World Health Organization African Region
- World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region
- World Health Organization Southeast Asia Regional Office
- World Health Organization Core Grant Extension Request
for social mobilization, technical assistance, operational support and surveillance support; - agreed to provide funding for the period 1 January 2019 through 31 December 2020 for a team of polio eradication technical experts, to include four positions at the global level and two positions in
- two of the World Health Organization's six regions and allocated US$4.6 million from the PolioPlus Fund for this purpose;
- agreed to the establishment of a National PolioPlus Committee in Myanmar and appointed Dr. Sandii Lwin as 2018–19 National PolioPlus Committee Chair;
- expressed their appreciation to the 170 districts that have allocated 20 percent of their DDF annually towards Polio eradication efforts and agreed to extend the program of providing recognition to those districts that have contributed 20 percent of their DDF for Polio eradication efforts from 2013–14 through the certification of polio eradication on a plaque to be hung at Rotary World Headquarters, and further agreed to allow districts to contribute additional DDF toward Polio eradication efforts that will bring their contribution to a cumulative 20 percent from 2013–14 through 2019–20;
- approved the transfer of Districts 5790, 5810, 5840, 5870, 5890, 5910, and 5930 from regional leader region 33 to region 36 (Canada & USA: IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, ND, NE, OK, SD, WI), effective 1 July 2020;
- amended their policy regarding regional leaders to better ensure cooperation and effective outcomes from all regional leader teams.