Your gift to the Annual Fund helps Rotary and Rotaract clubs take action today to create positive change in communities close to home and around the world. Your contributions help us strengthen peace efforts, fight disease, provide clean water and sanitation, save mothers and children, support education, grow local economies, and protect the environment.

The Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund includes SHARE, the World Fund, and our areas of focus funds. The Every Rotarian, Every Year initiative asks all members to donate to the Annual Fund each year and take part in at least one Foundation project or program each year.

Annual Fund

Annual Fund - SHARE

Through the SHARE system, contributions to The Rotary Foundation are transformed into grants that fund local and international humanitarian projects, scholarships, vocational training teams, and more. At the end of every Rotary year, contributions directed to the Annual Fund-SHARE from all the clubs in the district are divided between the World Fund and the District Designated Fund (DDF), after 5% is deducted for operating expenses.

At the end of three years, your district can use the DDF to pay for Foundation, club, and district projects that your club and others in the district choose. Districts may use up to half of their DDF to fund district grants. The remaining DDF may be used for global grants or donated to PolioPlus, the Rotary Peace Centers, or another district.

District officers are encouraged to monitor their district’s DDF availability and activity by viewing the SHARE Contribution Detail Report and Available DDF by District Report through the Reports page of My Rotary.

District leaders can also donate DDF to The Rotary Foundation to use in any of several ways, including supporting Rotary's effort to eradicate polio or supporting projects through various funds. District leaders, please complete our online form to donate DDF. If you have any questions about your DDF, write to us at share@rotary.org.

Annual Fund World Fund

The World Fund provides the necessary funding for our highest-priority activities around the globe. Although 47.5% of the donations directed to Annual Fund SHARE are applied to the World Fund automatically, you can also choose to direct your entire gift to the fund. The Foundation uses the money to pay for grant and program opportunities available to all Rotary districts.

Annual Fund Areas of Focus

Annual Fund contributions that are directed to the Foundation's areas of focus count toward a club's annual giving goal and per capita giving calculations. They are not included in a district's SHARE calculation and do not increase its DDF.

Ways to support our Annual Fund

Give your annual gift

You can direct your Annual Fund contributions to SHARE, the World Fund, or one of Rotary's areas of focus. All of these contributions will be spent on sustainable, life-changing Rotary projects.

Donate

Recurring giving through Rotary Direct

Support the Annual Fund year-round by making a recurring gift. You choose how often and how much you want to give. It's a simple and secure way to make a big impact.

A monthly, quarterly, or annual gift option is available for all online contributions. You can enroll at the Rotary Direct page, return a completed Rotary Direct enrollment form, or enroll by phone at +1-866-976-8279.

To update your recurring donations, sign in to My Rotary and, under your name, choose My Donations. Or write to rotarydirect@rotary.org or call +1-866-976-8279. For security reasons, please make any changes to your credit card information online or by phone. Do not send credit card information by mail or email.

Annual Fund donor recognition

All Annual Fund contributions count toward the following recognition opportunities:

  • Every Rotarian Every Year
  • Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member
  • Paul Harris Fellow
  • Paul Harris Society
  • Major Donor
  • Arch Klumph Society

Annual Fund resources

Annual Fund tools