Every Rotarian, Every Year Best Practices

Editor's Notes

• #3: Floyd Lancia Review objectives for session: Overview of giving to the Foundation, specifically the Annual Fund The importance of annual gifts Tools to help track your giving and recognition Introduction of panelists: RRFC Floyd Lancia PDG Sergio Levy ARRFC Sally El Haddad Poll to get a sense of the audience (show of hands): Do we have any current or incoming club Foundation chairs with us? What about club presidents? How many people are just interested in learning more about our Foundation?
• #4: Floyd Lancia The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance, world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty. We accomplish this by using the expertise and compassion of Rotarians who foster effective and sustainable projects around the world. We are looking to the future and incorporating projects within the 6 areas of focus bringing us closer to our mission while supporting the amazing work of Rotarians. Through OUR Foundation, we reach out to both our local and international communities enriching the lives of millions. The support of individual donors is paramount to helping us achieve our goal of “doing good in the world.” There are four ways you can support the Foundation: The Annual Fund which supports the work that is happening now The Endowment Fund which ensures our Foundations stability in the future PolioPlus which is dedicated to eradicating polio Directly to an approved Foundation global grant Today we’ll be focusing on the Annual Fund and the Every Rotarian, Every Year campaign which encourages every Rotarian to participate in a Foundation project and make a personal gift to the Annual Fund every year. We’ll talk about how giving to the Foundation works, why it is important to support the Annual Fund, and how you can track your personal giving.
• #5: Floyd Lancia Rotarians and friends of Rotary can give to the Annual Fund by giving to where funds are needed most through SHARE or to a specific cause that is important to them. Annual Fund – SHARE is the primary source of funding for a broad range of local and international Rotary Foundation activities. Through the SHARE system, contributions to The Rotary Foundation are transformed into grants that change lives. At the end of every Rotary year, gifts to the Annual Fund – SHARE from all Rotary clubs in a district are directed into two funds: 50% is credited to the World Fund which supports the worldwide grant and program opportunities available to all Rotary districts. 50% is credited to the District Designated Fund which can be spent at the discretion of district leadership. Floyd gives a brief example of a District Grant funded project and a Global Grant funded project.
• #6: Floyd Lancia In addition to giving to SHARE to make unrestricted gifts to Rotary, Rotarians and friends of Rotary also have the option to give to specific area of focus through the Annual Fund. This allows people to give directly to a cause that is important to them. This decision was made to attract non-Rotarians and non-giving Rotarians to The Rotary Foundation. Industry research has shown that donors want more and more specificity on where and how their funds are being spent. This also helps unite the fundraising arm of the Foundation with its grant-making model. The aim of this option is to acquire donors and offer avenues for people that have a passion for a specific area of focus to support TRF. Annual Fund contributions directed to any of the six areas of focus are: Spent on funding for a specific area of focus; Included toward a club's annual giving goal and per capita calculations; Eligible for all Annual Fund recognition opportunities; including Every Rotarian, Every Year; Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member; Club Recognition Opportunities; Paul Harris Fellow; Paul Harris Society; Major Donor; and Arch C. Klumph Society. Not included in a district’s SHARE calculation. Therefore, they do not generate any district designated funds (DDF).
• #7: Floyd Lancia Sergio, when you talk to your fellow club members about giving to the Foundation, how do you explain the importance of giving to the Annual Fund? Sergio Levy The Annual Fund is a building block for Rotary’s fundraising strategy, often serving as an introduction to giving to the Foundation. The generous gifts from Rotarians and friends of Rotary to the Foundation are the primary source of important Rotarian-driven projects like Global and District grants and supporting our Foundation’s mission of doing good in the world. The Foundation offers some resources that are great starting points for introducing members to the Foundation, primarily the EREY brochure and “Doing Good in the World” PowerPoint presentation. It is worth noting that the EREY brochure, which is available at Shop Rotary, has recently been updated and regionalized to reflect the different cultures of giving around the world. Sergio shares ideas about how he explains the importance of giving to the Annual Fund, perhaps including an example of a district or global grant.
• #8: Floyd Lancia There are many ways individuals can give to our Foundation. Sally, what are some of the most effective tools to promote giving? Sally El Haddad Rotarians can always contribute through their club Foundation chair or send a check directly to the Foundation or the International Office that serves their area. Giving online at rotary.org is the safest and easiest way to make your gift. Click one to reveal give flow page You can select where you want to give, how much, in which currency and how often. You can also make your gift a recurring one by enrolling in Rotary Direct. When you sign up for recurring contributions your preferred credit or debit card will be charged automatic contributions at an amount and frequency most convenient for you. You can enroll in Rotary Direct by selecting a recurring frequency of monthly, quarterly, or annually. Sally gives an example of effective ways to promote online giving in her area. NOTE: Online contributions can be in any of 13 currencies, while preserving local tax benefits in most cases. For example, a Canadian Rotarian can donate via Rotary.org in Canadian dollars and receive a tax receipt from the Canadian Associate Foundation. Rotary’s website accepts contributions in the following currencies: Argentine pesos , Australian dollars , British pounds, Canadian dollars, Danish kronen, euros, Japanese yen, New Zealand dollars, Norwegian kronen , South African rand, Swedish kronor, Swiss francs, and United States dollars .
• #9: Floyd Lancia Thank you Sally. Unfortunately online giving and Rotary Direct do not work in all of the countries where Rotarians have a presence. The Foundation is aware of this and is working to improve the online experience for Rotarians around the world. Brazil is one of the countries that uses a different way to make gifts to our Foundation. Sergio, can you explain briefly how giving in Brazil works? Sergio Explains bank notes and giving in Brazil.
• #10: Floyd Lancia Thank you Sergio. Once you’ve started giving to the Foundation, you can track your giving and recognition using the Donor History Report. This report is available at My Rotary and shows not only how much you’ve given and to which funds but also what recognition you have achieved. The first page of the report offers a concise summary of your giving summary but the following pages also show each individual transaction. If you are a club or district officer you also have access to other useful reports to track giving in your club and district. These reports are useful for planning fundraising strategy and stewardship outreach. Examples of reports available at the club/district level (depending on audience). Club Recognition Summary – is primarily used to see Foundation recognition points of club members, the date of each member’s last gift, and who is enrolled Rotary Direct. Useful to see who in your club is close to becoming a PHF or who has a lot of Foundation recognition points for matching points challenge. Also allows leadership to identify donors who gave last Rotary year but have yet to give this Rotary year. EREY Report – shows who in your club has given to the Annual Fund and who is enrolled Rotary Direct. Useful for tracking giving if you’re interested in becoming a 100% EREY and Sustaining Member club. Club Fundraising Analysis – shows year-to-date giving and a 5 year history of your club’s giving. Useful to see trends in club giving and set realistic Annual Fund goals for the year. District Monthly Contribution Report – shows year-to-date giving to the Foundation and is the primary report for district and club giving. District Fundraising Analysis - shows year-to-date giving for the district. This report helps district leaders see potential trends in Rotarian giving as well as the numbers of Major Donors, Bequest Society members, benefactors, major gifts, EREY and PHS eligible members, and sustaining members.
• #11: Floyd Lancia There are a number of different strategies to build the ongoing support from Rotarians and friends. Click one: You truly are the key to our future success as we work to Be a Gift to the World. And it starts with leadership by example. Your personal giving, pride in wearing the pin, knowledge and enthusiasm are contagious! Your fellow members will follow your lead in giving and excitement. Click two: We must educate our fellow members about the importance of giving to the Foundation and find the cause that is most compelling to each individual donor. Click three: Then, we must give them the opportunity to act. Click four: Most importantly, we cannot forget to thank them for their support. Sally and Sergio, what are some strategies for promoting giving to the Foundation that work well in your areas? Each panelist shares “successes from their area” relating to Educating donors Asking donors Thanking donors
• #12: Floyd Lancia facilitates answer and question session (remaining time of session allowing for 5 minutes for wrap up).
• #13: Floyd Lancia If you have any additional questions please visit the Foundation booth and take a look at these resources. The Rotary Foundation Reference Guide and the EREY brochure are available at Shop Rotary. The Doing Good in the World PowerPoint presentation is available on the Rotary website. Thank you so much for joining us, please don’t forget to rate this session on your convention app.