Your Legacy, Rotary's Promise

How will your legacy change the world?
Take a moment to consider what you would accomplish if you had unlimited resources.
The key to building a powerful Rotary legacy is envisioning this long-term impact. Because
of your legacy, people all over the world will live happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives. But
what specifically will make their lives more enjoyable? Do you imagine women living longer
because they receive better care during childbirth? Families living in their homes without
the fear of displacement by conflict? Communities thriving with access to clean water?
When you have a clear image in your mind of what you want the future to look like, it will
be easy to plan a legacy that fits your lifestyle, culture, and long-term goals.
You can make your dream a reality, thanks to The Rotary Foundation Endowment. The
Endowment produces millions of dollars each year to improve lives in communities
worldwide right now. To put it simply, the Endowment is Rotary’s way of making an impact
now and forever.
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Think of it this way. Just as your gifts to Rotary’s Annual Fund are helping people today…
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…planning a gift to the Endowment will help people by supporting your favorite causes
forever through your Rotary legacy.
Let’s watch a short video the Foundation created to share this idea.
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[This video may be viewed online at rotary.org/legacy]
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Arch Klumph put it best when he said, “Rotary’s tomorrow depends on what we do today.”
Like the grandfather planting an apple tree in the video, Rotary’s Endowment makes it
possible to continue your good work well into the future. One hundred years of Rotarian
dedication made The Rotary Foundation’s success possible. The next century of service
depends on what you do today.
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There are many ways to customize a lasting legacy with The Rotary Foundation, but
whatever causes you decide to support, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that Rotary
can fulfill your charitable goals for generations to come. Fueled by generous people who
have a passion for positive change, Rotary will follow your direction to achieve your hopes
for the future.
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Past District Governors Usama Barghouthi and Mustafa Nasereddin shared a great passion
for Rotary during their lifetimes. As members of the Rotary Club of Amman Petra and
leaders within District 2452, their dedicated service continues to inspire Rotarians today.
Usama was involved in chartering new Rotary clubs and extending Rotary to Palestine.
Mustafa, who was awarded the Avenues of Service Citation, was a founding member of Gift
of Life Amman.
While these two extraordinary Rotary leaders are no longer with us, they will have a lasting
legacy of impact through a named fund in The Rotary Foundation Endowment. This fund
was recently established on their behalf in appreciation of their service and humanitarian
vision. Its current market value of $70,000 will grow over time and provide ongoing support
to the Rotary Peace Centers as a joint tribute to their efforts to promoting peace in their
region and around the world.
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Past District Governor Masafumi Fukui of Kyoto, Japan is another great example. He has
been an active leader in Rotary since 1965 and is well known for his passionate devotion to
world peace. His commitment to a future without conflict inspired him to design a custom
Rotary legacy.
Masafumi has written a bequest to The Rotary Foundation in his will, but he and his wife,
Hatsumi, are already watching their legacy grow and do good in the world after making
many generous outright gifts to their named fund in the Endowment.
The Fukuis’ gift has already supported two Rotary peace fellows during their lifetimes.
Through their named fund, they are beginning a legacy of a peaceful world. Past District
Governor Fukui says, “My legacy is my gift to the future. This is how I want to be
remembered.”
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It’s interesting how different these two legacies are even though all of these Rotarians have
a tremendous impact on Rotary’s peace-building efforts today. These are both great
examples of how a Rotary legacy can continue your good work.
The named fund dedicated to Usama and Mustafa will strengthen their efforts and enhance
the long-term impact of their life’s work in communities around the world for many years
to come. The Fukui’s have planned in advance with a bequest and have strengthened their
legacy with outright gifts made during their lifetime; this approach has provided them with
an opportunity to meet the professionals who will spend decades continuing their efforts
to resolve global conflict.
As we’ve seen, Rotary’s extensive reach as an organization allows you to make your Rotary
legacy very personal. This unique form of giving allows you to preserve your values for
future generations and provide lasting support for the causes that are most important to
you.
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Before we get into details about how a Rotary legacy works, let’s take a moment to revisit
that important question asked at the beginning of this presentation: How will your legacy
change the world?
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Think about all of the good work you’ve already done with your club and district and what
projects you reflect on with pride.
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The world is already a better place because of your club and your district and your annual
gifts, but what if you had unlimited time and resources?
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How will you transform communities locally and globally over the next century and
beyond?
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Your support will only grow within Rotary’s Endowment, so you can feel free to imagine the
tremendous impact after more than 100 years of meaningful, sustainable projects that
change lives.
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Your legacy is something you will be proud to share with others. Your family and friends
will appreciate knowing that you have made a significant contribution to a better future.
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Supporting the Endowment is unique from other ways to give to Rotary. It is a permanent
source of funds, whereas other forms of support are one-time gifts that are expended in
full. Annual gifts have an impact on lives today, but then they are gone. Building a legacy
through Rotary’s Endowment provides help to people in need on your behalf for years to
come.
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Gifts to Rotary's Endowment are invested and professionally managed to provide an
ongoing stream of income that supports Rotary’s local and global philanthropic work. This
enables your legacy to automatically provide support to your favorite Rotary programs
every year just like your gifts to the Annual Fund, and the amount of support will grow from
year to year.
With a 100-year record of growth and impact, The Rotary Foundation is an organization you
can trust to properly nurture your legacy so that it provides support for programs every
year while still fostering continued growth over time. This ensures that future generations
of Rotarians have the resources they need to design achievable, sustainable projects that
fulfill your philanthropic goals.
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The key is to plan now to provide for the future, and there are two ways to do it.
Typically gifts to the Endowment take the form of a commitment such as a provision in a
person’s will or other estate plan that names The Rotary Foundation Endowment as
beneficiary. Committing a fixed amount or a percentage of your assets in your estate plan
can put your resources to use after you no longer need them. By notifying Rotary of this
commitment now, you can receive special recognition and help personalizing your legacy to
fit your goals. In many countries there are also tax advantages to this approach.
This form of giving may not be commonly practiced in your culture, but you can still create
a strong legacy by making an outright gift to the Endowment during your lifetime. This
strategy gives you a glimpse of your legacy’s future impact. You can see the value of your
gift grow over time and watch as it improves communities.
Either way, Your Legacy is Rotary’s Promise.
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Here is a great example of how this approach to philanthropy can magnify your personal
impact.
What you’re looking at is the performance of a real named endowed fund in Rotary’s
Endowment.
In 1994 the fund was established with a gift of $26,000. Despite some ups and downs in
the market, the fund grew to $47,000 and also generated nearly $40,000 in spendable
earnings that have been used to support specific causes selected by the donor. The value of
the fund a little more than 20 years later combined with the earnings that have already
been spent on Rotary programs is $87,000. That’s more than three times the value of the
original gift!
This donor could have given $26,000 to Rotary’s Annual Fund and the full amount would
have been spent on programs in three years, but instead they made a gift to the
Endowment and have provided significantly more support while their gift continues to
grow and do good in the world over the next century and beyond.
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As you’ve seen, the potential impact from a legacy structured within Rotary’s Endowment
is extraordinary. This smart financial strategy allows a gift of $25,000 to yield
approximately $1,000 in spendable earnings every year—that’s the same level of annual
support as Paul Harris Society members … but forever.
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Another exciting thing about gifts and commitments to the Endowment of $25,000 or more
is that they qualify for a named endowed fund.
Your fund will bear your name or that of a loved one and carry on your Rotary legacy with
special reporting available to your family and district, reminding them of your generosity
for generations to come. Today, there are more than 1,500 named funds within Rotary’s
Endowment. Many donors choose to direct the investment earnings to their district
through SHARE.
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You can receive special recognition for your legacy by notifying the Foundation of your
commitment. You can do this by completing a Your Rotary Legacy notification form or
submitting notification online at rotary.org/legacy.
When you make a promise of a future commitment to the Endowment or an outright gift of
$1,000 to the Endowment, you will be recognized as a Benefactor. Beginning 1 July, every
club that has 100% member support of the Endowment will be recognized as a Rotary’s
Promise Club.
As you can see on the slide, gifts made during your lifetime count toward Major Donor and
Arch Klumph Society recognition.
Additionally, the Trustees are pleased to confer membership to the Bequest Society for
anyone who tells The Rotary Foundation they have left a legacy of $10,000 or more.
Members of this group of dedicated humanitarians receive special Foundation updates,
invitations to events, and an exclusive pin or pendant. Starting 1 July, these donors will also
receive a special limited edition token of appreciation. Rotarians who invest in the
Foundation’s future retain their membership regardless of fluctuations in their financial
portfolio or other assets.
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We are very excited to announce that a new donor recognition society will launch next
month for individuals and couples who substantiate a future gift to The Foundation of $1
million or more.
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Thank you for your dedication to supporting The Foundation in its mission to create lasting
change in the world. Visit rotary.org/legacy to notify Rotary of a commitment or to request
assistance customizing your Rotary legacy.
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Your Legacy, Rotary's Promise

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Your Legacy, Rotary's Promise