Future Vision Plan

During the course of this presentation, the following topics will be addressed: provide some background on the plan; why and how it was developed overview of the new grant model describe how pilot and non-pilot districts can collaborate during the 3 year pilot highlight the resources available to Rotarians

As the Trustees began to prepare for The Rotary Foundation’s centennial in 2017, it became apparent that the organization needed to pay attention to the delivery of services. We have seen an immense growth in the work of The Rotary Foundation, particularly in the area of humanitarian grants. The Matching Grants program began in 1965. In the first 35 years of the program, that is from 1965 until 2000, the first 10,000 Matching Grants were awarded. It only took four more years to award the second 10,000 Matching Grants. The Rotary Foundation became a victim of its own success! The Foundation was not designed to support this kind of exponential growth, and the Trustees knew that they would have to do something. So the Trustees saw this as an opportunity to ensure that the Foundation would remain relevant in the philanthropic world and meet the needs of Rotarians in this evolving organization. The Trustees and Board felt that we needed to take actions to be sustainable and significant in our projects, and we needed to simplify the programs of the Foundation as much as possible. In February 2005, based on feedback from Rotarians worldwide, the Future Vision Plan of The Rotary Foundation was initiated by the Trustees. This is our strategic plan for the future.

Early in the process, the Trustees adopted the motto, mission statement and priorities of the Future Vision Plan, which were approved and endorsed by the Rotary International Board of Directors and the 2007 Council on Legislation. The motto for the Rotary Foundation is “Doing good in the world,” the famous words of past president Arch Klumph from 1917. 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. Based upon the principle areas of the mission statement the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation and the Board of Directors of Rotary International have approved six areas of focus for The Rotary Foundation in the future.

Based on feedback from thousands of Rotarians around the world who participated in surveys and focus groups, the Future Vision Plan was developed with the following goals: Simplify programs and processes Focus Rotarian service efforts to increase global impact Support global and local efforts Increase a sense of ownership at the district and club levels Enhance Rotary’s public image To test this new plan, the Foundation is running a 3-year pilot which includes participation from 100 of 530 Rotary districts. During the pilot, the Foundation will be working to evaluate the Future Vision plan and make adjustments as necessary before full world roll-out in 2013-14.

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation have identified six areas of focus for the new grant structure. These areas reflect critical humanitarian issues and needs that Rotarians are already addressing worldwide. They will align Rotary with other international development efforts and will strategically further the Foundation's mission. Each of the areas has specific goals associated with the area. The Trustees have committed to these areas of focus for at least nine years. In fact, the Trustees are encouraging nonpilot clubs and districts to focus their current Foundation program activity in these six areas even before the Future Vision Plan is rolled out to the entire Rotary world.

To simplify the grant-making process, the Future Vision Plan offers only two types of grants: Rotary Foundation District Grants and Rotary Foundation Global Grants. The new grant model of the Future Vision Plan optimizes contributions to our Foundation by helping clubs and districts use Foundation funds for greater impact, greater flexibility, and greater sustainability.

Rotary Foundation District Grants support the overall mission of The Rotary Foundation, but do not necessarily tie to the six areas of focus, thereby allowing a broad range of choices for clubs and districts. The district can apply annually for one District Grant – a “block grant” so to speak – for up to 50% of its available District Designated Funds for that Rotary Year - after reviewing requests from its Rotarians and clubs. The district will then issue the money and report to its clubs how all the funds were utilized. The Foundation itself will require very minimal reporting, thanks to the advance planning done by clubs and districts before the funds are requested. This will enable districts to close out their grants quickly. District grants are intended to support smaller activities and projects both locally and internationally.

The first district grant was awarded to District 3330 in Thailand. The district plans to use the funds to support a variety of projects, including buying books, computers, and sports equipment for schools; providing clean water for students; and adding patient beds at a hospital. Here are some additional examples of ways in which districts can use their district grant funds: Organize an exchange of mixed profession vocational training teams with another district Support international travel for local doctor to volunteer at a clinic Provide a scholarship for student to attend local or international university Donate art supplies to assist youth after-school program The first district grant was awarded to District 3330 in Thailand. The district plans to use the funds to support a variety of projects, including buying books, computers, and sports equipment for schools; providing clean water for students; and adding patient beds at a hospital.

The other type of grant -- Rotary Foundation Global Grants – will fund projects and activities that are sustainable and measurable and relate to the goals of the areas of focus. In order to support these goals, global grants will provide larger awards for projects and activities with a minimum World Fund award of $15,000, resulting in a total project cost of US$30,000 and above. Clubs and districts may develop their own global grant projects or they can choose from a menu of packaged global grants that the Foundation will develop in conjunction with its strategic partners. While the initial “menu” will be small, it will grow throughout pilot. As long as they relate to the goals of an area of focus, global grants provide freedom from programmatic rules, and include a World Fund match, making them a more flexible and economical option for scholarships. In addition, clubs can partner together to develop holistic projects that incorporate humanitarian and educational activities in the same grant, again, as long as it relates to the areas of focus.

The first global grant was approved to support a dengue fever eradication project in Indonesia. The Rotary Clubs of Solo Kartini, Indonesia (D3400) and Westport, Connecticut, USA (D7980) will work together to install white ceramic tile on water storage tubs and train community members on how to interrupt the life cycle of mosquitoes, thereby reducing the rate of dengue infection. Here are some additional examples of possible global grants. While reviewing the examples of global grant activities it is helpful to keep in mind that global grants need to address an area of focus and emphasize sustainability and measurability in the project design. Provide a community with safe drinking water (borehole) and sanitation (toilet block), with hygiene education and a maintenance plan Send a scholar abroad to enroll in a water engineering or public health degree program Distribute insecticide treated bed nets, malaria treatments and provide instruction on the prevention of malaria in a malaria endemic region Send vocational training team abroad to participate in workshop and learn teaching methods to address illiteracy The first global grant was approved to support a dengue fever eradication project in Indonesia. The Rotary Clubs of Solo Kartini, Indonesia (D3400) and Westport, Connecticut, USA (D7980) will work together to install white ceramic tile on water storage tubs and train community members on how to interrupt the life cycle of mosquitoes, thereby reducing the rate of dengue infection.

Many clubs and districts have had questions about partnerships with between pilot and nonpilot districts. Ideally, the Foundation encourages pilot districts to work primarily within the new grant model as much as possible during the three years of the pilot. Similarly, nonpilot districts are encouraged to work primarily in the traditional grant model during the pilot. If pilot and nonpilot districts are working together extensively, the Foundation will lose some of its ability to test the new grant model. However, the Foundation understands that districts have longstanding relationships that they don’t want to put on hold during the pilot. Districts do have some options for working together. Pilot districts may use their district grant funds in all districts worldwide. In the same way, nonpilot districts may use their District Simplified Grant funds to support projects in all districts. In addition, nonpilot districts can send scholars and GSE teams to all districts, regardless of their participation in the pilot. More information about partnership opportunities is available on the RI website.

Throughout the pilot, all Rotary districts may continue to participate in PolioPlus and the Rotary Peace Centers.

To participate in this new grant-structure, districts and clubs must be qualified by The Rotary Foundation. The Foundation has designed a simple process for districts to complete before applying for their first year’s district and global grants. Qualification will be renewable every three years. Clubs who wish to participate in global grants will also need to be qualified by their districts. We’re not talking about a complicated process; we’re talking about each district in the world meeting a certain minimum standard in terms of agreement of the clubs to participate, in terms of training district leaders, and having the established committees and processes in place to ensure the effective implementation of projects and activities of The Rotary Foundation.

There are many reference materials to assist pilot clubs and districts in being successful in this new grant structure. Here are the top three resources to turn to for information, assistance and guidance. All of the most current and up to date Future Vision training materials are available on the RI website. On the Web site you can sign up to receive Future Vision Pilot News. This is a monthly e-newsletter that helps pilot clubs and districts prepare and plan for the pilot’s implementation by connecting you to new online Future Vision resources and information and reminding you of upcoming Future Vision pilot deadlines. Future Vision e-learning modules provide the opportunity for independent learning in an engaging format. The Terms and Conditions for Rotary Foundation District Grants and Global Grants provides the framework and guidelines of both types of grants and the pilot. New information and documents will be added regularly. If you can’t find the information you are looking for there, please contact the Future Vision Pilot Operations staff member associated with your district. The staff contact sheet is posted on the RI website. Your district leadership is there to help guide you through the process of preparing, and planning for your service projects.

In closing, I would like to highlight the top five things every Rotarian should know about the Future Vision Plan. 1) Future Vision simplifies the grant-making process and directs resources to high-impact projects with sustainable outcomes that will command public recognition. The plan will enable the Foundation to respond effectively and strategically to the world’s most urgent needs. 2) Future Vision supports Rotarian-identified needs within communities. It represents a philosophical shift away from a program-focused model. The new grant-making model is more flexible and has fewer restrictions, allowing for greater Rotarian innovation. 3) Future Vision is not just for districts. Club- and district-developed global grants offer clubs great flexibility in designing new projects and activities. Packaged global grants will also be available to clubs to carry out projects. Clubs can also work with their districts to take advantage of district grant funds. 4) Future Vision is great for scholarships and offers many options for funding scholars. Clubs and districts can fund students locally and abroad, fund degree programs, and allow students to choose their schools. The shortened timetable for applications will enable Rotarians to better meet scholars’ financial needs. 5) Future Vision uses an online application process. This takes advantage of current technology and eliminates the need for paper applications. Rotarians will be able to submit grant information and signatures electronically, greatly reducing application processing times.

If you have any questions, additional information and details are available through The Rotary Foundation at the website noted on the screen. Additionally, specific questions about the details of the plan can be sent to futurevision@rotary.org. Feedback regarding the Future Vision Plan can be sent to fvfeedback@rotary.org. The Trustees believe the Future Vision Plan simplifies Foundation programs and administration, aligns outcomes with the mission of the Foundation, increases ownership at the local level, and provides necessary funding and resources to achieve the goals of our Foundation. Our mission is to enable Rotarians to improve health, support education and alleviate poverty. That’s what we are trying to do with the Future Vision Plan. With the Future Vision Plan, The Rotary Foundation stands at a moment of unprecedented change and unequalled opportunity. And that change and opportunity will come because of your efforts and the efforts of Rotarians around the world to help improve our Foundation. Thank you very much.