The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s own charity and was founded in 1917 with its first donation of $26.50. 100 years later and the Foundation have spent nearly $4 billion to help countless people live better.
Each year, The Rotary Foundation provides more than $200 million to end polio and support sustainable projects in Rotary’s six Areas of Focus, including funding scholarships that promote peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, supporting education, saving mothers and children, and growing local economies.
When we say that our Rotary Foundation is saving and transforming lives, we are not exaggerating.”
Rotary’s top humanitarian goal is to eradicate the paralysing disease, polio. Rotary launched its polio immunisation program PolioPlus in 1985, and in 1988 became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Since the initiative launched, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9%, from about 350,000 cases a year to 37 confirmed in 2016. Rotary has contributed more than US $1.7 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunise more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.
“When we say that our Rotary Foundation is saving and transforming lives, we are not exaggerating,” said Kalyan Banerjee, Trustee Chair of The Rotary Foundation 2016/17.
“With the continued strong support of our members, we will keep our promise of a polio-free world for all children, and enable the Foundation to carry out its mission of advancing world understanding, goodwill and peace.”
“We look forward to another 100 years of Rotary members taking action to make communities better around the world.”
