About Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.
Focus Areas
Ending PolioPromoting PeaceFighting DiseaseProviding Clean Water, Sanitation, and HygieneSupporting EducationImproving Maternal and Child HealthGrowing Local EconomiesProtecting the EnvironmentDisaster Response
Who They Fund
displaced people / Ukraine refugeesvulnerable local communities (low-income, post-disaster)students / scholarship recipients
About Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
A $2.2 million grant to Serving Hands International stands out in The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International’s recent giving, and it fits a broader pattern of large humanitarian awards routed through Rotary clubs, districts, and donor-advised fund channels. The foundation backs projects tied to economic and community development, disease prevention, water and sanitation, basic education, and peacebuilding, with program areas that also include maternal and child health, environmental protection, disaster response, and polio eradication. Its grantmaking is not limited to one type of recipient: recent awards go to local nonprofits, schools, Rotary clubs, districts, universities, and charitable intermediaries. The recent record also shows repeated support for the same organizations across multiple years, including Serving Hands International, Heights Ellis County Advocacy Center Inc, and Sharp Healthcare Foundation. Alongside these larger operating grants, the foundation funds scholarships and fellowships, including graduate study and peace and conflict resolution training. That mix suggests a funder that combines humanitarian project support with education and leadership development rather than relying on a single grant model.
What Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Funds
In economic and community development, the foundation gave $1,399,616 to Life Perspectives for a humanitarian project and $300,000 to St Kieran Catholic School for economic and community development work. It also supported Rotary District 6900 with $240,203 for the same broad area, showing that local clubs and districts are part of the delivery system. Its health-related giving includes $360,000 to Sharp Healthcare Foundation for disease prevention and treatment, plus $245,000 to Hanwash Inc for water and sanitation. For education, it awarded $259,520 to Mira Costa College Foundation for a scholarship and $236,876 to Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch for basic education and literacy. Peacebuilding appears in scholarship form as well: Duke University received $256,121 for peace and conflict prevention and resolution. Across these examples, the foundation uses different grant types to support service delivery, education, and field-specific training.
How Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Gives
Typical grant size sits at $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $41,725 at the median, and $79,654 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes several seven-figure awards, so the distribution stretches from smaller district- and club-level support to major project grants. The funder is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Recipients appear repeatedly across years: Serving Hands International, Heights Ellis County Advocacy Center Inc, Sharp Healthcare Foundation, Vanguard Charitable, and Rotary District 6960 all show up more than once in the recent grants list. Several grants are labeled DAF, while others are routed through humanitarian, scholarship, or district grant structures. Unsolicited applications are accepted for Global Grants, District grants, Rotary Peace Fellowships, and several related programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$74.8M
Total Assets
$1.7B
Total Revenue
$462.6M
Total Expenses
$392.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $80K, with a median of $42K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$42K
75th Percentile
$80K
Geographic Reach
National52 states funded
About 3% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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