Our Mission

The Rotary Foundation (Canada) is an official associate foundation of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.

The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

The Rotary Foundation (Canada) is a Canadian federally chartered corporation and Canadian registered charity supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of The Rotary Foundation who share its vision of a better world. The Rotary Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world."

The Rotary Foundation (Canada) is a separate, independently incorporated registered charity dedicated to supporting humanitarian projects.

Rotary clubs in Canada are independent and separately incorporated organizations. They manage their own leadership, membership, programming, and day-to-day operations. The Rotary Foundation (Canada) does not supervise, govern, or intervene in club activities, nor do its directors or officers have any authority over Rotary clubs.

What Makes TRFC Different

Most charities spend what they raise in the same year, then start fundraising all over again. TRFC works differently.

When you make a donation to TRFC, that money is invested for three years before it's deployed to fund projects. This investment model has several advantages:

• Sustainable planning. Because we know what funds will be available next year and the year after that, Rotary clubs and districts can plan multi-year projects with confidence.
• Lower administrative costs. Investment returns help cover our administration, which means the vast majority of your donation goes directly to the people and projects it was meant to help.
• Flexibility for urgent needs. Certain funds, such as PolioPlus contributions and disaster relief, are deployed immediately. Donors can choose where their gifts go.

This is why The Rotary Foundation is consistently rated as one of the most efficient charitable foundations in the world.

A Brief History

The Rotary Foundation grew significantly after the death of Rotary founder Paul Harris in 1947, when donations made in his memory established what would become the Paul Harris Fellow recognition.

The Rotary Foundation (Canada) was federally incorporated as an independent Canadian charity on December 22, 1967. Today, TRFC is governed by an all-Canadian Board of Directors that manages and invests donations from the more than 27,000 Canadians who belong to 728 Rotary clubs across the country.

TRFC is one of ten Rotary Foundations operating around the world. Each is independent, but all work together toward the same goal.

The Seven Areas of Focus

When you donate, you can direct your gift to your local Rotary district, to the World Fund, or to one of seven Areas of Focus that reflect Rotary's global humanitarian priorities:

• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Water, sanitation, and hygiene
• Maternal and child health
• Basic education and literacy
• Economic and community development
• Supporting the environment

Three Funds, One Mission

TRFC's work is organized through three main funds.

Annual Programs Fund

This is the main source of funding for Rotary's ongoing programs. Donations are invested for three years. After that period, half of the funds are returned to the district that contributed them, and half are retained for the World Fund.

Clubs can apply to use their district's portion for local or international service projects. For international Global Grant projects, clubs can combine their own contribution with district funds and a World Fund match. Here's an example of how a club's $10,715 contribution can become a $30,000 Global Grant project:

• Club contribution: $10,715
• District contribution: $10,715
• TRF match (80% of the district's contribution): $8,570
• Minimum project total: $30,000

PolioPlus

Rotary launched the PolioPlus campaign in 1985 with a pledge to raise $120 million in three years. Rotarians more than doubled that goal, contributing $247 million.

In partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary has helped immunize 2.5 billion children against polio. The Gates Foundation has contributed $355 million directly and challenged Rotary to match $200 million over three years. By the time polio is eradicated, Rotarians will have contributed close to $1.2 billion to the cause.

The results are extraordinary. Polio has been eliminated from India and the rest of South Asia, from Nigeria, and from the entire African continent. Today's effort focuses on the last two endemic countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) and on emergency response teams that can deploy within 48 hours when an outbreak threatens.

When the fight began in 1985, polio paralysed more than 1,000 children worldwide every day. We are now closer than ever to making polio only the second human disease in history to be completely eradicated, after smallpox.

Endowment Fund

Started in 1996, the Endowment Fund accepts gifts made during your lifetime or through your estate (bequests, life insurance, or retirement funds). The capital is held in perpetuity. Only the investment income is spent, which means a single gift to the Endowment supports Rotary's work forever.

The fund's growth has been remarkable. The original target of $200 million by 2011 was reached six years early, in 2005. The next target of $1 billion by 2025 was reached ten years early, in 2015. Today, about $8 million flows from the Endowment to Foundation programs each year, and that figure will grow as the fund grows.

There can also be significant tax benefits to you or your estate when you make a planned gift. We encourage you to talk to your accountant or financial planner about what would work for your circumstances.

Ways to Give and Be Recognized

There are many ways to support TRFC, and Rotary recognizes donors at every level.

• Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY): a commitment that every Rotarian gives something to the Foundation each year, even $5 or $10.
• Sustaining Member: $100 per year (just over $8 per month).
• Paul Harris Fellow: recognition for cumulative gifts of $1,000.
• Paul Harris Society: donors who give $1,000 or more every year.
• Benefactor: a $1,000 gift to the Endowment Fund.
• Major Donor: cumulative giving of $10,000 or more.
• Bequest Society: donors who pledge $10,000 or more to TRFC in their estate plans.
• Arch Klumph Society: named for the Foundation's founder, this honours donors of $250,000 or more.

How to Donate

You can donate to TRFC several ways:

• Online, through the Rotary International giving portal.
• By cheque, mailed to TRFC.
• By recurring gift, through TRF Direct, which makes regular contributions from your bank account or credit card.
• Through your estate plan, by bequest or by designating TRFC as a beneficiary of life insurance or retirement funds.

Every gift, at every level, matters.