Bob’s Rotary Africa Blog 151
1/4/13
The future of the Rotary Foundation & the Implementation of Future Vision The views expressed herewith are those of the writers soley with input from many There are so many wonderful people in Rotary that care. At left Lori Davis of So Cal E-club drove from Kernville to provide shirts for kids in Africa. A Club member donated the shirts & I’ll be bringing them to Africa on my next trip. Thank You. As I rode on the Rotary Rose Parade Float and met with Rotary International President Saguchi Tanaka . RIVP Kenneth Schuppert Jr. & Rotary trustees Bill Boyd & Stephen Brown and past Trustee Paul Netzel over three days of associated events. I relayed the comments I have heard all over the world from Rotary Clubs regarding the impending changes with Future Vision. I am disheartened to learn how some local Club interpretation has evolved into a somewhat skewed isolationist view of Rotary’s Humanitarian World view. Because of the widely held view that foreign projects are now going to be so big that individual Club participation is not needed or except for money-wanted. The other general misinterpretation of Future Vision is that it does not return the Club’s contribution for local projects. This plus the loss of matching funds for projects below $25,000 has Clubs running pell-mell to form Club Rotary Foundations or use District Rotary Foundations to control their funds. As I travel to Rotary Clubs all over the world it is interesting that there is such a major difference in the level of individual giving as it relates to other countries who want “local” control. Rotary has opened many eyes of its members to giving, not a necessarily held value in some societies. Egalitarianism seems to reduce giving as well. European countries individual giving is lower for perhaps taxation issues. The long held Rotary tradition of not blowing one’s own horn (now thankfully gone) may be another. World-wide appropriate local recognition needs to be created germane to the community's customs and needs. It is a total misconception that Clubs’s lose their control over local or International Projects. The increase of minimum dollars required for a project is purely an economic one. The oversight required for small grants is the same for grants up to $50,000 which in many cases can be half of a $4,000 grant. Please take the time to assess the value in multi-club projects to better address local and international needs with a broader scale to meet RI minimums. The belief that gifts to Rotary all go to the same organization is true in name only. True the tax deduction is the same (if our Congressional gurus let us keep it) but Rotary gift status does not crossover unless given to TRF. Major Donors in a Club Foundation are not given credit by Rotary International unless they designate their Club Foundation to pass through funding to RI which is possible. As my late wife and I planned to become Arch Klu.mpf Society members I know that few if any Club or District foundations have the ability to plan or counsel Rotarians to form a Charitable Remainder trust or annuity. This service provided by the Rotary Foundation is truly invaluable. My own University was unable to provide such counsel and resources. The Rotary Foundation had those resources and made it happen. There is also a somewhat persuasive view of tiredness of the 28 year Polio campaign. This malaise is widespread mostly within the USA. Perhaps because we are so far time wise removed from the scourge of Polio it has lessened in importance as time passed. As Rotary achieves it’s goal of a Polio free world we can move on to water, health and education.
PROMOTE ROTARY SCHOLARSHIPS to put them on a PAR WITH RHODES SCHOLARS. The Rotary Foundation has funded far more scholars each year since its inception. The Rotary tradition of not promoting what we do has its downside in that most funds come from sources internal to Rotary. Future Vision does allow partial scholarships, so that a District CAN do MORE scholarships with less money. With this, some scholars families’ can selffund part of their education, according to the student’s specific needs. PROMOTE NEW AREAS OF FUNDING. Rotarians from each country need to ask their Governments to approve a CIDA-like donations (matching funds) to TRF specific grants above $50,000.. Australia as well as Canada already have this successful program. A great way for countries foreign aid to go 500% further. Since Rotary does not have massive donor country and traditional NGO’s management redundancy. Talk to your Coneressional Representative we will alert you when a sponsor is secured in the US Congress.
Please Contact Bob Selinger USA (949)887-3266. e-mail: rdselinger@aol.com or bobselinger; on skype . Please let me know what you or your Club may be interested in supporting. Thank you!! More at :www.NI-Rotary.org, www.fb.com/NI.Rotary