2007-2008 Rotary Club Foundation Chair Handbook
The Role of the Club Foundation Chair
The Club Foundation Chair is expected to:
Educating club members about
the Foundation is a critically important role.
The more individual club members know about the Foundation the more they
will want to participate in its programs and the more likely they are to
financially support its programs. The
Rotary Foundation strongly encourages Rotary Clubs to have well trained,
enthusiastic, knowledgeable, respected Rotarians serve as the Club’s Foundation
Chair.
Any Rotary Foundation program
can only be successful if it is embraced and actively supported by the
membership of Rotary Clubs. It is
unrealistic to expect club Rotarians to participate in, and financially
support, the programs of The Rotary Foundation unless they understand how these
programs save and change lives, and benefit them and their Rotary Club in the
process.
The Club Foundation Chair is
a link in the chain from the members of their Rotary Club to the District
Governor and his Foundation team, to the Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator
to the Foundation Trustees.
To be successful, the Club
Foundation Chair must become the expert on The Rotary Foundation. Each Club Foundation Chair must understand
the goals of the Trustees and of their District Governor and how these goals
fit with the goals of their Rotary Club.
The Club Foundation Chair
must also be a Foundation trainer and a salesperson. He or she must understand where to find
Foundation resources and how to get the answers to questions their club may
have. The Club Foundation Chair should
look for ways to support the goals of his or her Club President.
The Club Foundation Chair is
a part of a Foundation team which includes the District Foundation leadership,
the Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator; Annual Fund Strategic advisors,
Permanent Fund National Advisors, Foundation Alumni Resource Group members and
the Foundation staff.
Educating the Club Rotarian
A significant increase in
club support for The Rotary Foundation will not happen unless each club member
understands Foundation programs and the tremendous return that results from
investing in our Foundation. There are
four ways to educate the average Club Rotarian:
1.
Good, interesting
Rotary Foundation programs,
2.
Member
participation in Rotary Foundation programs,
3.
The ‘Rotary
Foundation Moment.’
4.
Attendance at
Foundation Seminars & Events
Good, Interesting Foundation Programs: Good, interesting club Foundation programs bring home
the power and benefits of the Foundation’s programs by putting a human face on
what TRF does to save and change lives.
The best Foundation programs spotlight the experiences of Foundation
Alumni: Group Study Exchange Team Members, former and current Ambassadorial or
Rotary World Peace Scholars, University Teachers, and participants in
Humanitarian Grants Programs. Prior to their
presentation each presenter’s connection to the Foundation should be briefly
explained as part of the introduction of the speaker or speakers. During the presentation the focus of the
speaker should be on how the activity saved and changed lives. After the presentation the attendees should
be briefly told how the program was supported by The Rotary Foundation. Club members should be asked to support the
Annual Programs Fund in order to support the kinds of programs just witnessed.
One club program each year
should present a general Foundation overview and update club members on current
Foundations activities. It should not be
a lecture. It should be presented in
discussion leader format, and be a mixture of new information presented in
short vignettes mixed with questions about the information presented. This ‘tell a little, ask a little’ format
will keep the Rotarians actively engaged in the presentation and increase
retention. It will make the program more
interesting then a lecture.
Programs on The Rotary
Foundation often focus on the features and details of Foundation programs. Instead programs should highlight the
benefits to Rotarians and Rotary Clubs as well as the benefits to those served
that result from participating in or supporting The Rotary Foundation. These programs should demonstrate the
tremendous return that results from investing in our Rotary Foundation because
of the hands-on work of Rotarians who add their time and resources and the time
and resources of their contacts to the dollars provided by the Foundation. At the conclusion of each program there
should be a call for action.
There are videos and
pamphlets available at the Rotary website (www.rotary.org)
that can help provide or supplement information presented during Foundation
programs.
Increasing Club Program Participation: Encouraging Club Rotarians to participate in
Foundation programs is a principal responsibility of each Club Foundation
Chair. There is no better way to
demonstrate the effect of Foundation programs than to get club Rotarians
involved in the Foundation’s programs.
Each Rotary Club Foundation Chair must have a good understanding of the
opportunities to serve though our Foundations’ programs and the benefits to
their Rotary Club of being involved or supporting Foundation Programs.
There are many programs of
our Foundation available at the District level that can directly benefit
members of each Rotary Club’s community without costing the club anything more
than time and creativity. Each of the
educational programs available should be promoted and publicized in the
community by every means possible.
Examples of programs that can bring significant grants to members of
your community if they are available in your District are:
·
Rotary World
Peace Scholarships,
·
the Ambassadorial
Scholarships,
·
Grants to
University Teachers, and
·
the Group Study
Exchange Program.
A successful candidate for
any of these programs in a Club’s community will bring a substantial valuable
grant to a member of the community. To
accomplish this, it is important that each Club Foundation Chair understand
which of these Educational Programs are available in their Rotary District and
when and how to recruit candidates. This
information is available from each District’s Foundation Leadership and at the
annual District Assembly, District Foundation Seminars and frequently on
District websites. Additional background
information on these programs is available on the Rotary website www.rotary.org.
There are three Humanitarian
Grants Programs that should be understood by the Club Foundation Chair:
·
District
Simplified Grants,
·
Matching Grants,
and
·
Individual Grants
Depending on the
circumstances, these programs may be used to assist the Club in its community
service, vocational service or international service efforts. Participation in Foundation programs often
attracts new members to the Club when properly publicized.
The Club Foundation Chair
should understand the details of these programs and which are available from
the District and when to apply. The
District Foundation Grants sub-committee chair and the other chairs can answer
questions about program features and help with applications. They may even provide workshops to help the
Club Foundation Chair. The District
Grants Committee has the direct responsibility for certifying that grant
applications are complete and in most districts will help the Rotary Club
prepare their application. Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinators also provide
training on The Rotary Foundation and its programs.
District Simplified Grants,
if available, are administered by the Foundation committee and District Grants
Subcommittee. Using funds from a District Simplified Grant in the community is
an excellent way to demonstrate firsthand to club Rotarians the benefits of
working through The Rotary Foundation.
Matching Grants are
cooperative projects that allow sponsor club to develop a partnership with a
club in another country to complete and international humanitarian
project. Matching Grant funds can be
secured from The Rotary Foundation and may be supplemented by District funds if
they are available. Though most projects
are carried out in underdeveloped countries Rotary clubs in the developed world
with compelling projects can serve as host clubs if they can find a willing
sponsor club. Projects often originate
through Group Study Exchange teams, International Exchange Students,
Ambassadorial Scholars, brother and sister community relationships, and through
Rotarians and non-Rotarians with international relationships.
Details about the
Foundation’s Humanitarian programs can be found on the Rotary website, www.rotary.org. There are many publications
describing the details of the grants program as well, and these are available
from the RI Office serving your area. In
addition your District Foundation Committee and the District Foundation
Subcommittee Chairs can provide expertise and advise to help with and support
your Club’s Foundation activities. They
can be found in the District Directory and on the District website.
“The Foundation Moment”: Taking
two to three minutes at the start of each Rotary club meeting to show how the
Foundation saves and changes lives can be a powerful way to tell the Foundation
to club Rotarians. It is important to
make the ‘Foundation Moment’ interesting and exciting. However, if only one Rotarian tells the Foundation’s
story each week Club members may stop listening. The responsibility for the ‘Foundation
Moment’ should be rotated among a group of Rotarians so Rotarians hear
Foundation stories told in different ways with varying emphasis. This can be done either by choosing several
Rotarians to share the responsibility for telling the Foundation’s story or by
sharing the responsibility with the entire Club.
If the ‘Foundation Moment’ is
shared with the entire Club those Rotarians unfamiliar with our Foundation have
to take the time to learn a little about the Foundation in order to tell its
story. In addition, over time the club
can reach consensus about which Foundation programs most interest its
membership.
Sharing the responsibility
with the entire Club can result in inconsistent presentations that are
uninteresting unless the Club Foundation Chair actively coaches the Rotarians
assigned each week’s ‘Foundation Moment.’
A Form can be used to be sure Rotarians understand what is intended and
where to find information about The Rotary Foundation. A sample is included on page 00. The Club
Foundation Chair should check with the person assigned responsibility for the
Foundation Moment a few days before the Club’s meeting to remind them of their
responsibility, to be sure they are on the right track, and to encourage them
to make the presentation interesting.
The Club Foundation Chair should encourage the Rotarian presenting the
Foundation Moment to bring a written version that can be given to the Newsletter
Editor for inclusion in the weekly Club Newsletter. Promoted with enthusiasm, the ‘Foundation
Moment’ can be a powerful tool for spreading the exciting story of The Rotary
Foundation.
Attending Foundation Seminars: Every district is
encouraged to hold a Foundation Seminar. The District Foundation committee and
District Governor are responsible for conducting a seminar to help inform and
inspire Rotarians about participating in The Rotary Foundation. Often, the
Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator (RRFC) is often involved as well. The Club Foundation Chair should attend this
seminar, and encourage other club members to attend as well. In addition, the
club may wish to hold its own Foundation seminar. There are PowerPoint presentations available
from The Rotary Foundation that can be used. Also, club chairs should call upon
their RRFC for assistance. The RRFC may be able to attend, or can help design
the program. A sample Foundation seminar
program is included on page 00.
A Foundation Seminar
organized for the Club might include the following:
·
Overview of
the Foundation: This should be a
broad overview of the Foundations programs focusing on the benefits of these
programs not the features. Any such
program should also include how funds are raised and used.
·
The Role of
the Rotary Foundation Chair: This program should be based on the enclosed
Rotary Foundation Chair Job Description and Wish List. It should include how our Rotary Foundation’s
programs can help the Club President, the International Service Chair and even
the Community Service Chair. It should
share actual experiences of successful Club Foundation Chairs.
·
The Matching
Grant Program: This segment
should demonstrate how to use the matching grant program for either an
international, community or vocational Service project. It should explain the Club’s role as either a
host or sponsor club participating in a Matching Grant and how to find its
opposite counterpart. It should focus on
the benefits of these programs to Rotarians and Rotary Clubs, not just the
rules and features of the program. It
should explain who at the District level is available to help with program
applications and rules.
·
District
Simplified Grants: This segment
should demonstrate how the District Simplified Grant Program (‘DSG’) can be
used and should only be included if the district has applied for a DSG. It should explain who at the District level
is available to help with program applications and rules.
·
Individual
Grants: This should explain how
the Individual Grants program can be used to help the Rotary Club while helping
qualified individuals to save and change lives across the world. It should focus on benefits not just rules
and features of the program.
·
Educational
Programs-Promoting them in your Community: This should focus on how to promote the Educational
program in the Club’s community and how to find candidates. It should emphasize what the benefits of
these programs are to program grant recipients and how these programs help the
Rotary Club and Rotarians as well as how these programs achieve the objectives
of our Rotary Foundation.
·
Raising Money
for the Foundation (EREY): This
should focus on successful strategies for promoting Every Rotarian, Every Year
(‘EREY’).
·
Finding Help
for the Club Foundation Chair with Programs, District Support, Zone Support and
RI Support: These short segments
should be focused on where to find support and assistance for the Club
Foundation Chair.
·
Recognition
and Understanding Club Foundation Reports: This program should focus on how the Club Foundation
Chair can read Foundation reports, such as the Club Recognition Summary and use
them to monitor giving; how Club members can use Member Access, How the
Foundation Chair can teach members to use Member Access and how recognition can
encourage giving.
Raising Funds for The
Rotary Foundation
The Club Foundation Chair is
responsible for developing, organizing and coordinating the fund raising effort
for The Rotary Foundation involving its Annual Programs Fund and the Permanent
Fund. The Annual Programs Fund is the lifeblood that supports The Rotary
Foundation’s Educational and Humanitarian activities. The Permanent Fund is The Rotary Foundation’s
endowment fund. In addition , there is a
PolioPlus Fund, which is used solely for Rotary’s effort to eradicate polio
worldwide.
Giving is frequently an
emotional decision, rather than a logical one. Rotarians who have participated in
Foundation’s programs and those Rotarians who have seen firsthand how the
Foundation saves and changes lives are more likely to willingly support The
Rotary Foundation. That’s why Foundation
education and encouraging participation in the Foundation’s programs is such an
important part of the Club Foundation Chair’s role.
‘Every Rotarian, Every Year’
is the current campaign to bring support to the Annual Programs Fund. The Club Foundation Chair should work with
the Club President and the Club Foundation Committee to organize and coordinate
the Club’s Annual Programs Fund Campaign.
As the Annual Fund Campaign develops during the year, the Club
Foundation Chair should secure copies of the Monthly Club Recognition Summary
from the Club President or Secretary to track Club Annual Fund Giving. The Club Foundation Chair should teach Club
members how to use Member Access to be sure Rotary accurately records each
member’s contributions to The Rotary Foundation. The Club Foundation Chair should determine
how to best encourage ‘Every Rotarian, Every Year’ in his or her Rotary club. As the year progresses he or she should
measure progress and adjust their strategies as needed. Those who give should be recognized and
encouraged in a way that fits the club’s culture.
Resources Available to the Club
Foundation Chair: There are many
resources available outside the club:
·
The Rotary
Foundation’s pages on the RI website, www.rotary.org
where up-to-date information on all Foundation activities can be found.
·
The Rotary
Foundation’s section of the ‘
·
The District’s
Foundation Chair and sub-committee chairs,
·
District Rotary
Foundation Committee Manual found at the ‘
·
Club President’s
Manual,
·
Publications,
videos and Pass which can be found in the Rotary Catalog in print or at www.rotary.org,
·
Past Program
participants (Foundation alumni) willing to share their experience. A list can
be requested from alumni@rotaryintl.org.
·
The Club’s
Assistant Governor,
·
The Club’s
District Governor or a knowledgeable Past District Governor,
·
The Regional
Rotary Foundation Coordinator,
·
The Rotary
Foundation part of your zone website.
Job Description
CLUB RI FOUNDATION CHAIR
Objectives:
Duties:
· Help the Club to understand The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and the opportunities for International and Community Service through The Rotary International Foundation and its programs that save and change Lives;
· Assist the Club's International Service Chair and the Community Service Chair directly and indirectly when the programs of the Foundation can help them accomplish their goals;
· Work with the Club Program Chair to organize exciting programs on The Rotary Foundation;
· Conduct a club Foundation Seminar to help educate club members about The Rotary Foundation
· Encourage and organize a Foundation moment at each Rotary Club meeting;
· Monitor the activities of the District Foundation Committees and The Rotary International Foundation so the Club will know about, understand and participate in available District activities related to The Rotary Foundation;
· Learn about and share information about those programs that the District Foundation Committees or other Rotary Clubs have originated that the Club might want to duplicate;
· Attend District meetings and Seminars on the Foundation, and to encourage other Rotarians to attend so as to bring information and ideas for service back to their Rotary Club;
· Provide articles on our Rotary Foundation for the Club's Newsletter and to encourage others to do the same;
· With the help of the Club’s President or Secretary secure and review copies of The Rotary Foundation - Club Recognition Summary monthly and to use that report to monitor giving and assist the Club and it’s members to maintain accurate records of contributions and Paul Harris Credits;
· Teach Club Members how to use Member Access available at www.Rotary.org to monitor their individual giving.
The Wish List-A list of possible activities:
To help the Club President plan and successfully complete his/her year by:
· Educating each Rotarian in the Club about the opportunities for service through the Foundation of Rotary International;
· Helping the Club's Program Chair to organize at least one program each quarter on the Rotary International Foundation and its activities during regular Rotary Club meetings;
· To organize the Club’s celebration of Foundation Month in November including extra programs on the Foundation during November;
· During the year, working with the Club's International and Community Service Chairs, to help them achieve their goals through Foundation programs and resources where possible and appropriate;
· Alerting the Club's President to district and Rotary International resources that can enhance their program and solve problems or help the President achieve their goals;
· Providing information from The Rotary Foundation and Rotary International about the options for service through the Foundation programs;
· Being familiar with the Catalog of Rotary International which can be found at www.Rotary.org and advising the Club about its use and value;
· Encouraging every Rotarian in the Club to contribute what they can afford to give each year to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International;
· Encouraging every Rotarian to become a Sustaining Member (Every Rotarian, Every Year) and ultimately a Paul Harris Fellow;
· Promoting the Permanent Fund (Endowment) of The Rotary Foundation to those Club members who can afford to become Benefactors, Bequest Society Members and/or Major Donors as appropriate;
· Assisting the Trustees of The Rotary International Foundation, the District Governor and the District Foundation Chair in achieving their Foundation Goals;
· Attending and encouraging others to attend District and regional Foundation Seminars and Dinners or when not possible to attend, sending a substitute;
· Promoting the District Assembly, Foundation Dinner, Foundation Seminars, Group Study Exchange Activities, recruitment of Ambassadorial Scholars, recruitment of Peace Scholars, and participation in other District programs or Foundation events and fund raising activities;
· Offering the District Governor, District Foundation Chair and other District Foundation subcommittee chairs solicited and unsolicited advice;
· Maintaining regular contact with the District Foundation Chair and various Foundation Sub-committee Chairs, and communicating relevant information to the Rotary Club's President;
Don’t be just a Dreamer, Be a Dream Maker!
Whatever you've done, whatever you’re doing as Club Rotary International
Foundation Chair,
just do a little more to Save &
Change Lives
through Our Rotary Foundation.
T R F
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International