The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.

Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world.

The Rotary Foundation: Doing Good in the World

Since 1917, The Rotary Foundation has been the driving force behind Rotary’s mission to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace. From an initial contribution of just $26.50, the Foundation has grown into one of the most respected humanitarian organizations in the world—transforming millions of lives through sustainable service projects.

Learn more at rotary.org/en/about-rotary/rotary-foundation.

Global Impact

The Rotary Foundation empowers members to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges by:

Improving health
Providing quality education
Protecting the environment
Alleviating poverty

Each donation contributes to meaningful, measurable change:
$0.60 can protect a child from polio.
$50 can provide clean water to prevent disease.
$500 can launch an antibullying campaign to create safer schools.

These gifts also fund Rotary’s signature global initiatives—such as the End Polio Now campaign—uniting Rotarians across continents to make a lasting difference.

The Foundation is a public charity governed by a Board of Trustees, while Rotary International is guided by its Board of Directors. Both are headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, USA, with associate foundations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom.

The Rotary District 6970 Foundation

While The Rotary Foundation changes lives around the world, the Rotary District 6970 Foundation brings that same mission home—supporting clubs and communities throughout Northeast Florida.

District 6970 is proud to be among the top contributors to The Rotary Foundation, consistently fulfilling Rotary’s motto of Doing Good in the World.

When you give to the District 6970 Foundation, your donation directly supports clubs in our district through district grants, funding local service projects that provide clean water, enhance education, support health initiatives, and improve the quality of life for our neighbors.

Learn more about district grants and local impact at rotaryfoundation6970.org/grants.

Supporting Our Local Rotary Club

When you give directly to our Rotary Club’s 501(c)(3), your donation stays right here in Orange Park and Clay County, Florida, helping us meet the immediate needs of our community.

Local donations fund hands-on service projects such as:

Scholarships for students
Food drives and youth programs
Community beautification and environmental projects
Emergency relief for families in need
Each level of giving serves a vital role

The Rotary Foundation (Global)

Supports worldwide humanitarian projects and programs like End Polio Now.

District 6970 Foundation (Regional)

Provides grants and funding for service projects throughout Northeast Florida.

Our Rotary Club Foundation (Local)

Directly benefits our community in Orange Park, Florida and Clay County.

Together, these three layers of impact ensure that every dollar donated to Rotary—whether global, district, or local—creates positive, lasting change.

The Foundation Supports Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus

The Rotary Foundation’s funding model is built on voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. These funds are channeled into several key areas in line with Rotary’s seven areas of focus: peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic and community development and protecting the environment.

Peace and Conflict Resolution

The Rotary Foundation sponsors peace fellowships, training leaders to mediate and prevent conflicts. Each year, up to 130 peace fellowships are awarded for either a master’s degree or a professional development certificate at Rotary Peace Centers at universities worldwide.

Disease Prevention and Treatment

The most significant example is the Foundation’s role in funding Rotary’s polio eradication efforts. However, their work extends beyond polio, including projects that prevent and treat other diseases, increase access to healthcare, and educate and equip communities to stop the spread of diseases.

Clean Water and Sanitation

The Foundation’s water and sanitation projects aim to ensure that everyone has sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. They fund the construction of wells, install rainwater harvesting systems, and teach community members how to maintain these facilities.

Maternal and Child Health

In the realm of maternal and child health, the Foundation funds initiatives to reduce mortality and improve the health of mothers and their children. This includes providing immunizations and antibiotics, promoting breastfeeding and nutrition, and educating parents about disease prevention and basic healthcare.

Basic Education and Literacy

The Rotary Foundation supports efforts to improve education for all children, and literacy for children and adults. They train and mentor teachers, provide educational materials, and work to reduce gender disparity in education.

Economic and Community Development

The Foundation supports investments in people to create measurable and enduring economic improvements in their lives and communities. This could include vocational training, supporting local entrepreneurs, and community-led initiatives for economic development.

Environment

The Rotary Foundation supports activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance ecological sustainability, and foster harmony between communities and the environment. We empower communities to access grants and other resources, embrace local solutions, and spur innovation in an effort to address the causes and reduce the effects of climate change and environmental degradation.

The Rotary Foundation is the backbone of Rotary International’s mission to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace. It facilitates Rotarians’ abilities to change lives and serve communities on a local and global scale.