The Foundation's Humanitarian Programs fund international Rotary club and district projects designed to improve the quality of life. Providing health care, clean water, food, education, and housing are a few of the basic goals that these projects work toward -- primarily in the developing world. One of the key humanitarian programs is PolioPlus, which seeks to eradicate the polio virus worldwide by the year 2000.

Through its Educational Programs the Foundation provides funding for about 1200 students to study abroad each year. Grants are also awarded to university teachers to teach in developing countries and for exchanges of business and professional people. In all cases, recipients are expected to act as ambassadors of goodwill, furthering international understanding and promoting friendly relations between their host and sponsoring countries.

The Rotary Foundation is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. Contributions to the Foundation's Annual Programs Fund are invested for three years, with interest being used to cover all administrative costs.

Fully 100 percent of every dollar donated goes directly to humanitarian and educational program expenditures three years later. Gifts to the Foundation's Permanent Fund are invested, with only the earnings being used to support programs. 

The Rotary Foundation is governed by 13 Trustees – four of whom are past RI Presidents -- who were appointed by the current President of RI and confirmed by the Board of Directors.

The Foundation was conceived as an endowment fund in 1917 by Rotary's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, "for the purpose of doing good in the world." Although The Rotary Foundation was formally established in 1928, significant contributions were not received until 1947, when the death of Rotary founder Paul Harris generated an outpouring of support. Since that time, The
Foundation's nine programs have been established, and cumulative contributions have reached

Humanitarian Grants Programs

The Rotary Foundation's Humanitarian Programs support a wide range of international service activities, from exploratory missions through finished projects. Humanitarian grants are used by Rotary clubs and districts worldwide to combat hunger, disease, ignorance, and poverty. Designed to bring clubs together in an international partnership, these six programs also foster and nurture an understanding between different cultures.

The most widely used program is Matching Grants, which makes one-time awards of up to US$50,000 to match contributions raised by clubs and districts for projects involving Rotary clubs in two or more countries. Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants provide funding of
US$100,000 to US$500,000 for large-scale, one-to-five year projects that improve health, help alleviate hunger, or enhance human development.

A 3-H immunization project in the Philippines led to the development in 1985 of the PolioPlus Program, through which The Rotary Foundation has provided grants to 104 countries for polio vaccine, laboratory networks, and surveillance efforts. Rotarians raised US$247 million to
support this program, which has a goal of worldwide eradication of polio by the year 2000.

The other humanitarian programs are: Carl P. Miller Discovery Grants, which provide up to US$3,000 for travel and related expenses incurred by Rotarians in exploring and planning international service projects; Grants for Rotary Volunteers, which cover travel costs and some
other expenses for Rotarians, Foundation alumni, and Rotaractors who volunteer their services and professional expertise in a country other than their own for a period of four to eight weeks; and Rotary Peace Programs, which partially subsidize international conferences that focus on conflict resolution and ways to enhance the search for peace.

Foundation Support

The Rotary Foundation is supported entirely by the voluntary contributions of Rotarians and others who are committed to the ideals fostered by the Foundation. In 1994-95, a total of US$61.7 million dollars was received by the Foundation's Annual Programs Fund and the Permanent Fund.

Annual giving is the cornerstone of the Foundation's funding efforts and provides the fuel that runs Foundation programs. Annual giving contributions made in one year are earmarked for program expenditures three years later.

The three-year cycle gives Rotary districts time to determine the programs to which they want to allocate part of their contributions through the SHARE system. It also allows the Foundation to invest the contributions to cover all operating costs. Anyone who contributes US$1000 to the Annual Programs Fund or has that amount contributed in his or her name can be designated a Paul Harris Fellow.

Contributions to the Permanent Fund are invested, and the earnings are used to support Foundation programs. Individuals who include the Foundation in their estate plans or who contribute US$1000 to the Permanent Fund receive special recognition as Foundation Benefactors. Donors can also create an Endowed Scholarship within the Permanent Fund.