Rotary Foundation

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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.

Overview of the Foundation

The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of The Rotary Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

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Programs of the Rotary Foundation

Click on the links below for information on these programs.

Matching Grants

Group Study Exchange

Scholarships - Ambassadorial  - Peace Fellows

Humanitarian Grants

How to become a Centurion

Paul Harris Fellow

Paul Harris Society