You’re a member of one of the most effective service organizations in the world. Rotary International’s projects change lives and create better futures for disadvantaged people everywhere, and individual Rotarians like you make the good work possible. Here are few of them:
- Judy Wilson, of the Rotary Club of Tiburon-Belvedere, supported a classroom at the Rio Branco school for deaf children in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Melissa Prandi, of the Rotary Club of Mission San Rafael, helped install a water system in Africa and provide villagers with safe, clean water. (see photo at right)
- The Rotary Club of Marin Evening’s microcredit projects give people in a poor part of Ecuador a chance to learn business skills and start their own small businesses. Among them is a fish processing plant and market, which our club supported.
- The Rotary Club of Mill Valley’s project to build greenhouses in the high Andes of Peru provides the people with a place to grow fresh produce to improve their diets and gives them products to sell at local markets, providing them with a source of income. Mill Valley Rotarians enjoy dancing with the Peruvians. (see photo at left)
And this is only four club stories. There are countless more. These global projects change people’s lives for the better, but they come with a cost, and as Rotarians, we’re called on to support RI’s mission with a financial contribution once a year to make Rotary’s humanitarian works possible. We do that by contributing to The Rotary Foundation’s annual fundraising drive, EREY— Every Rotarian Every Year.
Where the money goes
When you give money to the Rotary Foundation through EREY, RI invests the money for three years to make income, and then it puts 49% into the World Fund to use for global grant projects. That’s where the money comes from to provide matching funds for global projects.
For example, it supports Rotary Club of Tiburon-Belvedere’s project, Lifebox for Liberia, which will improve operating systems and provide equipment for a hospital in Monrovia.
Another 49% comes back to the club to use for global or district grants.
With that same example, donations from Tiburon-Belvedere’s members means they are getting more than $3,000 this year, which they have designated to go to Lifebox for Liberia as well. However, clubs can designate the funds to go toward other qualifying projects.
Clubs in District 5150 have an impressive number of Global Grant Projects all over the world, and donations to EREY have made them possible.
How to give
District 5150 suggests that Rotarians give $250 a year, but you can give more or less, depending on your own personal circumstances. $25 is the minimum to be counted as a participant—and we’re aiming for 100% participation—but you can give as little or as much as you please. It all adds up and makes a difference.
Start by deciding the method by which you want to pay:
- Mail (Check, credit card or wire transfer): Complete RI’s donor form. The district number is 5150. You’ll find your membership number (donor ID) on the address label on your copy of Rotary magazine. You can confirm your club number with your club president, secretary of Foundation chair.
- Online (Credit card): Visit RI’s online donation page. If you have a MyRotary account, sign-in to ensure your donation will automatically be credited to your Rotary giving history. If you don’t have a MyRotary account, create one by using the same email address you use for club business.
- Payment Options: Whether you pay by mail or online, you can opt to give a monthly amount by credit card, so you don’t have to pay a large sum at one time. In fact, RI’s Rotary Direct program allows you to set-up automatic payments into the future so you can chart a path to achieve your Rotary Foundation giving goals, one small donation at a time.
Next you choose where you want your money to go. We’re asking you to give to the Annual Fund-Share so 49% comes back to your Rotary club three years from now. However, you are welcome to designate your donation to one of the other available purposes if you wish.
Finally, if you are giving $1,000 or more, you will receive a Paul Harris Fellowship, The Rotary Foundation’s highest honor. It can go to you or someone else you consider worthy, perhaps a family member or community hero.
Something for you
For every $25 you give, you receive a ticket for a drawing at Yippee Ki-Yay for EREY, a western themed district event at Long Branch Saloon & Farms in Half Moon Bay, 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday, November 18, giving you a chance to win a Visa gift card. Talk with your club’s President or Foundation Chair to obtain your tickets. Please note that most clubs require you to submit your donation information and/or tickets by early November to be eligible for the drawing, don’t hesitate if you’re planning to give!
Got questions? Please contact your club’s Foundation Chair or District Annual Fund Chair, Anne Sands. We’re ready to help. Please give now, and be generous. We’re counting on you.
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This article was adapted from “EREY and You” by Judith Wilson of the Tiburon-Belevdere Rotary Club, originally published in the October 10, 2023, RoTide Newsletter.
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