District Chair: David Alexander Manningham
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. The Rotary Foundation helps fund our humanitarian activities, from local service projects to global initiatives.
Giving to the Rotary Foundation
Club Contributions
Individual Contributions
Rotary Foundation Grants
Global Grants
District Grants
Rotary Foundation Scholarships and Peace Fellowships
Further Grants Information and Assistance
Why Support Rotary’s Charity
Our Causes – The Six Areas of Focus
1. Giving to the Rotary Foundation
a. Club Contributions
Annual Programs Fund
Significantly, our District’s capacity to fund Global Grants and District Grants depends upon the extent of clubs’ generosity in supporting the Rotary Foundation Annual Programs Fund. 50% of donated funds are returned to D9810 after a three-year investment cycle. Those funds are then allocated as Grants to support club projects.
To donate please download the new How to Donate PDF instructions at the bottom of this section.
Annual Programs Fund Coordinator John Barnes Oakleigh Clayton Huntingdale
Polio Plus
To make a club contribution to the Polio Plus fund see instructions below
To donate please download the new How to Donate PDF instructions at the bottom of this section.
D9810 Polio Plus Coordinator Greg King Manningham
b. Individual Contributions
There are a number of ways Rotarians can make individual contributions to the Rotary Foundation either as single donations or as an on-going pledge.
Single or Occasional Personal Contributions (Tax Deductible)
To contribute to the Annual Programs Fund please see instructions below
To donate please download the new How to Donate PDF instructions at the bottom of this section.
D9810 Annual Fund Coordinator John Barnes Oakleigh Clayton Huntingdale
Centurion Club
All Rotarians and any non-Rotarian supporters of the Foundation are encouraged to become perpetual donors by participating in the Centurion program (AU$100 per year). Tax deductible donations may be made via the Australian Rotary Foundation Trust to support the ongoing humanitarian work of the Rotary Foundation. 50% of donated funds are returned to D9810 after a three-year investment cycle, to be used as project grant funding.
Rotarians can become a Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member when they donate US$100 (about AU $150) or more per year to the Annual Programs Fund.
Donations may be made annually or in smaller, regular payments through automatic bank transfer. Contact Ian Donald (Monash) for payment details.
To donate please download the new How to Donate PDF instructions at the bottom of this section.
Contact: Kevin Hall Warrandyte Donvale (Marketing & Promotion); Ian Donald Monash (Renewals and New Members)
Paul Harris Society
Rotarians may join this officially recognised society of the Rotary Foundation by making an annual tax-deductible contribution of $US1,000 to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant, through the Australian Rotary Foundation Trust. Donations may be made annually or in smaller, regular payments through automatic bank transfer. Please contact the coordinator to complete your application.
To donate please download the new How to Donate PDF instructions at the bottom of this section.
Contact: Greg King Manningham
Benefactor / Bequest Society
Benefactor - When you include the Endowment Fund as a beneficiary in your estate plans; or when you donate $1,000 or more to the fund outright, you will be recognized as a Benefactor.
Bequest - When you make a commitment for future gifts of $10,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation, such as in a will, you’ll be invited to join the Bequest Society.
Contact: Greg King Manningham
To download the new How to Donate PDF instructions click here
2. Rotary Foundation Grants
a. Global Grants
Global Grants assist Clubs to fund humanitarian aid projects aligned to the Foundation’s Areas of Focus, postgraduate and research scholarships, and Vocational Training Team service projects in co-operation with Rotarians in another country.
• Clubs must be qualified to act as a primary sponsor of a Global Grant Project
• Once the project is conceived, Clubs must refer to the Grants Committee Chair before commencing the application. This will ensure that the Club involved will receive advice to maximise their chances of a smooth application and will ensure that the Grants Coordinator reserves any District Designated Funds needed to finance the project. For further advice contact a member of the Grants Committee
Committee: Graham Richardson (Coordinator) Doncaster, Brian Hodgson Wandin
b. District Grants
District Grants support short-term humanitarian and scholarship projects that further the mission of the Foundation - both locally and overseas. Conditions for District Grants are reviewed each year and are included in the downloadable application form.
• All forms associated with these projects are downloadable from the District website. (They are not available on the RI website)
• The incoming District Governor will announce the monetary values and conditions for these grants at or before the District Grants Planning and Qualification Seminar, held in May.
For further information contact a member of the Grants Committee;
Applications can be found on this page in the side bar above - click to download
Committee: Graham Richardson (Coordinator) Doncaster, Brian Hodgson Wandin
c. Rotary Foundation Scholarships and Peace Fellowships
Post Graduate and Research Scholarships can be part-funded by Global Grants. District Grants can also fund less restricted and smaller value Scholarships, as determined by the Foundation Committee in consultation with the incoming District Governor.
Each year, Rotary also awards up to 130 fully-funded Peace fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of its peace centres. These scholarships take the form of a one-year postgraduate course or a three-month certificate course (at no cost to the sponsoring Rotary Club). For more information contact;
Contact Scholarship Coordinator: Peter Murie Cheltenham
d. Further Grants Information and Assistance
Grants Stewardship
The Grant Stewardship Team supports the Grants Committee to review the project accounting, reporting, expense eligibility and other TRF guidelines for projects using Foundation funds. It also recommends improvements to the District’s Global Grant processes. For more information, contact;
Grants Stewardship Team: Brian Foley Mordialloc or Kehela Vandenberg Mount Waverley
District Resource Network – The District Helpline for all Club Service Projects
To make it easier for clubs to engage in service projects of all types (community, international, vocational), D9810 has established a District Resource Network (DRN) to connect Clubs and project managers with local Rotarian experts in the District; and beyond.
See further information in the International Service tab or contact;
DRN Coordinator: Tony Stokes Box Hill Central
3. Exchange Rates
To save confusion, each month Rotary International sets its official exchange rates which apply for the whole of that month. The exchange rate applies to both donations and grants. To find the current exchange rate, go to https://my.rotary.org/en/exchange-rates