When Arch Klumph had his inspiration in 1917 to establish a Rotary endowment fund “for the purpose of doing good in the world” he most likely did not envisage The Rotary Foundation as it now exists – or perhaps he did! Either way he would be pleased with the outcome, even though it took longer to achieve its destiny than he would have hoped.

Article by Dennis Shore, Trustee The Rotary Foundation 2023-27

Arch Klumph was a man of many talents and achieved great success in and outside of Rotary. His Rotary world in 1917 was however rather small compared with Rotary today, having 230 clubs in 8 countries and 27,000 members. Today our Rotary and Rotaract membership is more than 50 times that of 1917 and there are more than 200 times the number of clubs. Our Foundation has also developed from an inspiration to a powerhouse for good in the world.

The significant growth of Rotary aligns with the evolution of Arch’s vision for The Rotary Foundation. The ideals set out after the Second World War and the coincident passing of Paul Harris were the catalysts for significant fund-raising for The Rotary Foundation. The Foundation kick-started international service and Rotary’s focus on peace and international understanding and aptly has been described as the “engine room”, the “heartbeat” or the “pulse” of Rotary.

The Rotary Foundation and Rotary International have developed and adapted to changing times and expectations. Today, The Rotary Foundation operates 4 funds to accommodate the aspirations and preferences for Rotary members to both fund and utilise the Foundation to do good in the world.

The Annual Fund, PolioPlus, Disaster Response and The Endowment Fund provide a menu of opportunities. They are managed and operated differently in accordance with their purpose and the way the funds are distributed. The PolioPlus and Disaster response funds are invested for quick turnaround. The Annual Fund is invested on a short to medium term basis to provide income commensurate with risk.

The Endowment Fund invests to generate a higher long term rate of return. For many years now a dollar invested in the Endowment Fund has distributed 100% of its value over 25 years and still retained its real value over that time. Little wonder that the Endowment Fund used to be known as the Perpetual Fund. Go to this link if you would like to know more about how your donations are invested: Rotary investments | Rotary International

The 15 members of the Board of Trustees of The Rotary Foundation are charged with the management of all business of The Foundation (some matters also requiring RI approval). As the Governing body of The Foundation the Board of Trustees establishes policy for The Foundation and evaluates the implementation of the policy by the general secretary and staff.

As a new Trustee I have experienced 6 months of attending prior Trustee Board meetings and also been inducted into the TRF Finance Committee and the RI Audit Committee as a Trustee Representative. I can confidently assure all Rotary members that our 4 Star Charity Navigator rating is well deserved. Only one percent of organizations Charity Navigator evaluates have received 15 consecutive 4-star evaluations. The Rotary Foundation works hard to earn the trust and support of every donor and will continue to do so.