Rotary Foundation


I n 1917, RI President Arch C. Klumph  proposed that an endowment be set up “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” In 1928, when the endowment fund had grown to more than US$5,000, it was renamed The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International.

Five Trustees, including Klumph, were appointed to “hold, invest, manage, and administer all of its property . . . as a single trust, for the furtherance of the purposes of RI.”

Two years later, the Foundation made its first grant of $500 to the International Society for Crippled Children. The organization, created by Rotarian Edgar F. “Daddy” Allen, later grew into the Easter Seals.

The Great Depression and World War II both impeded the Foundation’s growth, but the need for lasting world peace generated great postwar interest in its development.

 After Rotary’s founder, Paul P. Harris, died in 1947, contributions began pouring into Rotary International, and the Paul Harris Memorial Fund was created to build the Foundation.

In 1947, the first Foundation program – the forerunner of Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships – was established. In 1965-66, three new programs were launched: Group Study Exchange , Awards for Technical Training, and Grants for Activities in Keeping with the Objective of The Rotary Foundation, which was later called Matching Grants .

The Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants program was launched in 1978, and Rotary Volunteers was created as a part of that program in 1980. Polio Plus was announced in 1984-85, and the next year brought Rotary Grants for University Teachers . The first peace forums were held in 1987-88, leading to the Rotary Foundation's Peace and Conflict Studies programs .

Throughout this time, support of the Foundation grew tremendously. Since the first donation of  US$26.50 in 1917, it has received contributions totaling more than US$1 billion. More than US$70 million was donated in 2003-04 alone.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have recently  awarded   The Rotary Foundation a  US $100 million grant, which Rotary has committed to match dollar for dollar over three years commencing  1st January  2008, for the purpose of eradicating Polio from our planet.

 

The Rotary Foundation Education Programs

The Rotary Foundation provides the following Education Programs.

Rotary World Peace Fellowships

Rotary Centers provide Rotary World Peace Fellows with the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in conflict resolution, peace studies, international relations, and related areas.

Each year, up to 60 Rotary World Peace Fellowships, valued at US$64,000 each ,are offered on a world  competitive basis at six Rotary Centers, which operate in partnership with seven leading universities:

Coursework at the Rotary Centers focuses on preventing and resolving conflict by addressing its root causes ¯ for example, responding to hunger with food security, disease with health care, illiteracy with education, poverty with sustainable development, and environmental degradation with conservation. Fellows put classroom lessons into practice through an applied field experience, when they work with a variety of governmental and nongovernmental organizations worldwide.

The fellows are chosen from countries and cultures around the globe based on their potential as leaders in government, business, education, media, and other professional areas.

Rotary Centers alumni have demonstrated their ability to further global understanding and peace in their work for United Nations agencies, the World Bank, European Parliament, the Organization of American States, and other nongovernmental organizations, along with national governments and international businesses.

Peace and Conflict Studies Program

The Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program was established to provide professionals from around the world with the opportunity to be trained in conflict resolution and mediation strategies.

It offers a rare professional development opportunity for mid career professionals in fields related to conflict resolution and peace building at which up to 30 participants from around the world experience an intensive 3 month   course at ChulalongkornUniversity (Bangkok).

Designed and taught by experts drawn from around the world, the program balances theoretical and practical interactive learning with a peer group of participants who all have real field experiences.

 This   fully funded program provides   fellowships covering all travel and accommodation and aims to  -

  • Inspire people to work for a culture of peace and tolerance while enhancing their capacity, knowledge, and skills in this area, in part by generating interaction between practitioners and academics
  • Offer advanced international educational opportunities to Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program participants chosen from different countries and cultures on the basis of their potential as government, business, education, media, and other professional leaders

Provide a means for The Rotary Foundation and Rotarians to increase their effectiveness in promoting greater tolerance and cooperation among peoples, thereby leading to world understanding and peace.

 Ambassadorial Scholarships

Ambassadorial Scholarships, The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known program, was founded in 1947. Since then, nearly 38,000 men and women from about 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. Nearly 800 scholarships were awarded for study in 2005-06. Through grants totaling approximately US$500 million, recipients from about 70 countries studied in more than 70 nations.

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. The program sponsors several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country.

Rotary Grants for University Teachers

Around 20 grants are awarded each year.

The program builds international understanding and fosters development while strengthening higher education in low-income countries. It also aims to establish ties between higher-education institutions, leading to the exchange of ideas and information worldwide.

Grant recipients must teach subjects relevant to the local population’s needs and contribute to the area's socioeconomic development.

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