sept district newsletter (Aug 29, 2019)

District Governor Greetings

District 5040 Governor Lorne Calder

Fellow Rotarians:

The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s greatest partnership. It is only through the generosity of Rotarians around the world that we get to celebrate many of our known and unknown successes.

I have always liked Past Rotary International President’s John Germ’s analogy that the “The HEART of Rotary” is our Foundation! Our efforts to eradicate Polio, provide clean water, provide basic education and literacy, sponsor schools and orphanages, assist mothers and children, provide basic and advanced health care don't go unnoticed

They create jobs for many underdeveloped countries, provide peaceful solutions through our youth exchange, Peace Universities, Group Study Exchanges, Ambassadorial Scholarships, protect our planet and much, much more is only limited by our creative brain power and our ability give generously to The Rotary Foundation.

Last year RI approved more than 2,000 global grants totaling approximately $100 million. This is only possible if we all give to the Rotary Foundation!

Last year our District set a new per capita record of $250.09 finishing 2^nd in Zone 28, but this was mostly because of 4 very generous donors who gave $100,000! Last year we had 46.5% of all Rotarians who gave at least $25 US and I believe that the other 53.5% is an opportunity.

I have challenged your President and Foundation Chair to work as a team and to encourage every Rotarian to consider the Rotary Foundation.

In 2019/2020, our Rotary Foundation granted more than $46 million in a variety of initiatives for Pandemic Relief Efforts. Recently we had 194 countries sign on to a Wellness and Healthy Rotary Action group initiative to eradicate Cervical Cancer and this year Rotary has pledged $2.0 million of a $6.0 million large scale project to reduce and eliminate Malaria in Mozambique.

These are remarkable life-saving projects that require us to commit to the Rotary Foundation to follow through on these large-scale commitments.

At the District level we have approved more than $75,000 for local and a few smaller internationally based projects. Eighteen projects have been selected to assist several communities in Coats for Kids, Dementia patients, youth hubs, story walk project/literacy programs, indigenous youth programs, clean water, orphanages, child development equipment and much, much more.

Each of these projects targeting one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus and leading to sustainable project funding into the future. To access the $75,000 in funding, Rotary Clubs are required to raise more than $150,000 increasing the impact of these projects even more. Many of these projects are collaboration efforts with other Rotary Clubs to make these projects a possibility.

We would like to do even more projects but need more donations being made to the Annual Program Fund Share program to do so. The world needs us even more than ever before and we can all make a difference with a donation to the Rotary Foundation.

With this in mind, I would like to challenge every Rotarian to please consider The Rotary Foundation in your charitable giving in 2021/2022.

I would love to see every Rotarian join the Paul Harris Society (PHS) and commit to a $1,000 US donation every year but if this is not affordable then what about $500 and with the District matching this donation with Foundation points achieve the next level of your Paul Harris Fellow. If $500 is too much, then what about $100 US to be a sustaining member or to join the Polio Society ($100 minimum commitment) or even giving $25 US to achieve Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) status can make a difference.

I challenge each of you to start a Rotary Direct pledge for as low as $2.50 per month (EREY) or $10.60 (Sustaining member) or $107 per month (Paul Harris Society- $1,000).

I would like to see the number of Paul Harris Society members increase from 90 to 128 members (10% of the District), I would like to see the EREY ratio increase from 46.5% to 60% (#1 in the Zone) and I would like to see the number of Rotarians making Rotary Direct donations increase from 156 to 200.

DG Lorne Calder