Meet TRF Canada President Eva Vida
I have been a Rotarian since 1992. I am a member of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg and have held positions within my Rotary district 5550 and our Rotary Zone, including District Foundation Chair, District Governor, and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator. I previously served as the VP of TRF Canada and as a board member for several years.
Congratulations on your selection as president of TRF Canada.
Q – What is your background in Rotary?
I have been a Rotarian since 1992. I am a member of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg and have held positions within my Rotary district 5550 and our Rotary Zone, including District Foundation Chair, District Governor, and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator. I previously served as the VP of TRF Canada and as a board member for several years.
Q – What professional experience do you have
Professionally I have worked in the finance industry my whole career with roles in banking, management and self-employed as a certified financial planner.
Q – What is an associate Rotary Foundation and what do they do?
An associate Rotary Foundation is approved by the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation. Each of the nine Rotary associate foundations around the world is governed by their country’s laws. TRF Canada is a separate legal entity and a registered charity in Canada. TRF Canada is governed by Canadian tax and charity laws with a mandate to provide tax-related benefits to Canadian donors. We also work for Canadian Rotary members by enhancing services and support to the Foundation programs provided by Rotary.
Q – What do you see as the primary role of TRF Canada?
Our mandate is to exercise stewardship over the contributions of Canadian donors and to ensure compliance with CRA (Canadian Revenue Agency) rules and regulations to ensure we can continue to provide tax-related benefits to Rotary members and supporters of TRF Canada.
Q – What is the most misunderstood part of TRF Canada?
The most misunderstood part of TRF Canada is that we have a direct impact or involvement with the management of Canadian Rotary and Rotaract clubs. Clubs are semi-autonomous, and each manages its own affairs. We do not direct clubs. The role of TRF Canada is not to just issue tax receipts. We manage endowment funds gifted to TRF Canada by Rotary members and Rotary supporters. We also manage donations to the annual fund and PolioPlus. We fund Global and District grants when approved and polio grants.
Q – What changes do you see in the future for TRF Canada?
The most notable change we are working on is to become more proactive in exploring a variety of opportunities for financial support to the programs run by Canadian Rotary clubs.
Q – Will there be another partnership with the Government of Canada to expand funding for Global Grants?
Following a brief hiatus, we are once again in communications with the Government of Canada about the possibility of funding support for international projects, like the program run between 2015-2020.
Q - Do you have any advice to share?
The Foundation has provided the ability for Canadian Rotary and Rotaract clubs to leverage and increase their impact both globally and locally. I encourage clubs to use the data related to our global impact to attract both new donors and new members. I also encourage clubs to continue to form worldwide partnerships and look for more opportunities to do large-scale projects in Canada.