LET’S PUT THE “I” IN ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

By Bill Liepis, a Citation for Meritorious Service Recipient

As we enter Rotary Foundation month, it is timely to ponder the visionary impact of Arch Krumph on today’s Rotarians throughout the world community. As illustrated in the November Rotarian, the Foundation that started so humbly with one small donation in 1917 has truly become a “mighty lever to move the world”.

How do you and your club become a force in applying this leverage?

         Bill Liepis       

It’s as simple as being a player in an international (the “I”) global grant. Not all clubs are positioned or motivated to be the lead primary sponsor club. Yet it is a real possibility for any club to be a contributing player. By doing this you add pressure to the Foundation lever. Each dollar donated by a club or individual Rotarian to a global grant, receives a match of $.50 from the Foundation World Fund … your $200 becomes $300 to do even more good. Additionally, after accounting for all the D7600 club dollars promised for a given grant there will be an allocation of District Designated Fund (DDF) credits that will be converted to real dollars and matched on a $1:$1 basis by the World Fund when the grant is approved. The impact of these matches is gives even more lift to make a sustainable and worthwhile difference.

District 7600 clubs have a positive record of service in our local communities through the annual allocation of DDF to District grants and club self-funded projects. Why not consider how  to” stretch your community” to do service in the Caribbean (child health), Costa Rica (economic development), Liberia (water), the Philippines (child health), Rwanda (medical team training), or Uganda (water). All these countries have in process applications being sponsored by D7600 primary clubs that are ready and willing to share the joy and satisfaction of doing good around the world with willing contributing partners. There is no bottom line for what a club might want to commit but rather the willingness to be a part of a bigger impact. And should your club have a member(s) that have a passion borne out of an association with an international club consider being the lead sponsor for D7600.

Whatever the motivation feel free to contact your D7600 Grants Team for more information, a global grants course “101”, or to point you to a contact for one of the in-process grants:  Chuck Arnason, Stephen Beer, SuAnne Bryant, or Bill Liepis.