President Jonathan, Trustee Frank, Distinguished Rotary Leaders, Fellow Rotarians and Guests:

We have just heard from Trustee Frank and his broad vision of the role of The Rotary Foundation. What a difficult act to follow!

In the next few minutes, I would like to get very specific with you. The Rotary Foundation is the engine that propels Rotary around the world, but without consistent fueling from our contributions, that engine simply will not run. So I am here to talk about our Annual Funds Program, entitled, appropriately:

“ Every Rotarian, Every Year ”

The price of being a Rotarian is giving of our time, our talents and, yes, our financial resources. But oh, what value we receive for our intellectual, physical, and financial efforts!

Just consider the leverage of being able to have a volunteer army of over a million, two hundred thousand volunteers already identified --- already in place --- to make certain that our projects are run efficiently and that funds expended are accounted for without cost to Rotary! We could not buy that talent for ten times what we raise and spend on humanitarian projects!

But we need to promote that unique value of our Rotary projects. No agency, no government, no organization, no other group anywhere in the world can have the positive impact and net use of dollars that we do in Rotary as a matter of course.

Those of us in this room need to be both the leaders and foot soldiers in the quest to inform the Rotary world of the LEVERAGED VALUE of our contributions. Then we can justifiably ask our members and non-Rotarian friends alike to support the Rotary Foundation consistently with financial contributions.

I implore you to please lead by example.

It has been said that the only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond into the impossible.

The Rotary Foundation does the impossible. We all know without our Foundation there would be more disease, more illiteracy, more hunger and poverty in the world today.

Our contributions are an investment in making the world a safer and healthier place for our children and grandchildren.

The oil that turns the Rotary wheel of service is that contribution that you make to The Rotary Foundation.

We have done a wonderful job of identifying the needs of the world in the recent past. Matching grants have tripled since 1995. Now our challenge is that we must do a better job of funding those needs.

This past Rotary year we proved we can raise significant amounts of money and all of you can be proud of that effort.

Just think of all the good we could do when we meet the goal set by the Council on Legislation. Imagine the power of one magnified by 1.25 million Rotarians — Each Rotarian becoming a sustaining member would provide a BASE of 125 million plus dollars in the annual fund every year? Add to that major gifts, special projects, donor advised funding: Our funding would be far greater that we’ve ever believed possible.

But it is not only possible. It is essential!

I am reminded of three short but powerful verbs: Can – Must – Will.

We CAN make a difference. We MUST make a difference. We WILL make a difference in this world we live in.

With increased levels of annual funding, we could alleviate more hunger, more poverty, more sickness and more illiteracy. We could build the wells for fresh water, schools, clinics, micro credit financing societies.

Yes — we can put a much larger face on the Rotary Foundation's good works.

The Annual Fund program initiative is one cornerstone of our Foundation's ability to serve. Yet we must begin by understanding the disturbing fact that only a small percentage of Rotarians presently give to the Foundation on a regular, sustaining basis — and this is OUR charity.

The Trustees have asked all Rotarians take pride of ownership in our Foundation. Is it too much to ask that each Rotarian put aside a mere two dollars per week to be a Sustaining Member each year? Two dollars a week! Is there not one amongst us that does not lose that much change in a week!

How will we best promote the Sustaining Member Program?

How will we better encourage fellow Rotarians, outside corporations and individuals the value of their participation?

How do we get every Rotarian to understand the need and value of his or her active participation and support?

How do we help our fellow Rotarians recognize that their small Annual Fund contribution based on just two dollars a week : “Every Rotarian — Every Year” — will total over 125 million dollars annually if we all do it together?

We need YOUR help to spread this message. Rotary is not a spectator sport. Please help publicize the need and the “Every Rotarian — Every Year” concept.

So what can you do?

1. Go back to your district and clubs and actively help your District Governor and Foundation Chair spread the word to every Rotary club and Rotarian in your district.

2. Contact local corporations and business for support. We have been derelict in approaching those who might never be Rotarians themselves but who would be glad to help our cause with financial contributions.

3. Identify and follow-up those businesses for whom fellow Rotarians work that have a match for charity giving.

4. Lead by example and sign the pledge card today as you leave this room.

5. Use the small red sticker on the pledge card in your club to generate interest and / or peer pressure.

6. Encourage clubs you are in contact with to institute a Rotary Foundation minute at each meeting.

7. Help generate excitement in every Rotary club and every member with hands-on participation in World Community Service, Rotary Volunteer, Simplified and Matching Grants so they gain genuine personal satisfaction from helping others in need.

8. Use the Rotary Alumni to talk to the clubs about their experiences.

9. Ask the alumni to support the foundation that gave them an opportunity in past years.

10. Use the Zone training team to help motivate your clubs and membership.

11. Take advantage of public relations opportunities such as GSE and Scholar Awards to promote the Rotary Foundation.

12. Offer your Foundation recognition points that are just sitting there to district or your club as a challenge gift.

13. Promote use of the Rotary Credit Card - the silent way that keeps on giving can be in our rear pocket at all times.

14. Memorial cards — At the risk of offending those in the florist business, making donations in lieu of flowers is a great way to honor someone you care about. A Letter of thanks, recognition points toward Paul Harris, and the ability to take a legitimate tax deduction in the name of someone gifted all make this a sound way to deliver support to the Foundation — but I do not recommend this on anniversaries! We already ask so very much of our life partners in our quest to serve the Rotary ideal of Service Above Self!

And this list is by no means complete. Mac and I will gratefully include other idesas you bring to us on how we can better publicize the Foundation to our clubs, communities and to non-Rotarian friends alike......

Let us ALL help put a more dynamic face on our charity ---- our Rotary Foundation. These are real people we are helping. And through relationships with clubs in developing countries, we can learn more about the people we serve, and even more about the Rotarians in far flung places around the world who implement so many projects . This can build enduring friendships and good will.

The side benefit of all this is we will generate excitement and help grow the membership in those clubs who get involved.

I am reminded of ten two letter words most of you have heard:
If it is to be, it is up to us!

It has also be said every action of our lives touches on some cord that vibrates in eternity.

Our commitment to our charity – our Rotary Foundation – will help those less fortunate. And we do this in the full knowledge that the vast majority of those we help we will never see and who will never be able to thank us personally.

In closing I would like to quote something our current Rotary Foundation chair Jim Lacy was given credit for some time ago:

“I am a Rotarian because I care.

I care about the ideals and goals of Rotary

I care about Rotary promoting peace and good will

I care about helping families obtain the bare essentials for a decent life

I care about helping children who are starving, who are abused, who are on drugs.

I care about the millions that can be saved from Polio and other diseases

— Who can grow up to be productive citizens, if given a chance?

I care about Rotary's ability to make a difference in peoples’ lives.

I am a Rotarian because I care.”

This is what Rotary is all about. And this is why I am so very proud to be asked to serve you as your Regional Rotary Foundation Chair in support of the ever -important Annual Fund.

I really look forward to working with you these next two years for the benefit of OUR charity, The Rotary Foundation, and for those in need throughout the world that we are so uniquely positioned to help.

Thank you, and here’s to our being able to Lend a Hand because Real Happiness is Helping Others!

Our thanks to PDG Rob for an outstanding presentation that so ably and eloquently represents the views of Rotary and Rotary Foundation supporters the world over.

Robert S. Brown, PDG 7620
Phoenix, Maryland, USA
Rotary Regional Foundation Coordinator, Zone 31-32