It is a registered charity which empowers Australian Rotarians to serve even more disadvantaged communities and individuals through humanitarian aid projects.

Article by Rtn Penny Vos, RAWCS Eastern Region Communications

Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) is many things to many people!

It is a registered charity which empowers Australian Rotarians to serve even more disadvantaged communities and individuals through humanitarian aid projects.

How? Glad you asked!

By facilitating fundraising for projects that deliver humanitarian aid and charitable support in Australia and overseas:

1. RAWCS offers a great way to get started.

Suppose that you have travelled somewhere or, in some other way, become aware of a need that is not being dealt with. You want to help, but the whole thing is too big for you. Maybe you have a large and wealthy club just waiting to launch into the fray with you (if so, stay tuned… there are still advantages for you in RAWCS registration) but maybe not.

If one member of your club will be your deputy then that is enough for you to go online and register your project with RAWCS.

2. If your project is overseas, an instant advantage is that you can personally donate to your cause much cheaper than is usually possible, because of a special deal that RAWCS has with the Commonwealth Bank.

3. Another advantage is that you can invite others to donate very easily and securely, via your own dedicated, and reassuringly official, donation page. Here is an example: https://donations.rawcs.com.au/Default.aspx?ProjectID=1152&ReturnTo=4

4. Your donors (Rotarians and others) will immediately receive an emailed letter of thanks. A copy will come to you, so you know how your campaign is coming along.

5. Your donor also receive a receipt, which they can use to gain a tax deduction. This puts your project on an equal footing with all other registered charities, from your donors’ point of view. RAWCS management fee is only 2.5%, which will compete favourably with almost any other charity that your donors might feel inclined to support.

6. RAWCS registration makes your bookkeeping simpler. You can clearly see who gave what, when and for what purpose. You will also receive records of your transfers when you are ready to request them.

7. Belinda and Pauline, in the RAWCS office, are just a phone call or email away if you are not sure about anything. They deal with projects all the time and have an answer for everything!

8. At least once a quarter, there is an opportunity to meet with other project teams who are registered with RAWCS. You can meet with people who share your interest in a geographical region, people who are doing your kind of work in other places, and people who are doing things you never even thought of before! In any case, they are people who are doing things, and that is pretty special in itself. They will be glad to meet you too!

9. RAWCS will help you to make a special crowd-funding page for your project and it will be cycled through the page one display on the RAWCS website. The crowdfunding page has a slide-show facility to share your best photos. You can publish your wish-list so that donors can choose contributions that are meaningful to them. You can add videos and links to other sites too. This service, like everything else mentioned here, is free to you.

Click the link to read the latest version of the RAWCS Rover

Photo of Divine Mercy Nursery and Primary school in Buwampa, Uganda. This is the project Sue manages, the photo is pre-COVID. Currently the school is in lockdown. Hoping restrictions ease soon so our students can return to school. Our school operates Montessori pre-primary classrooms. We are eager to return. All our teachers are fully vaccinated now, Sue said.