Last Week's NewsWith Veterans Day approaching, President Sharon Letson invited Rotarians who served in the military to lead members in the Pledge of Allegiance. In observance of Rotary Foundation Month, Becky Davis gave a presentation on Rotary giving. Becky has a dual role as our club’s Rotary Foundation chair and as a member of the Youngstown Rotary Foundation board of directors. Not all Rotary clubs have their own foundations, and it’s important to understand the difference, she explained.
When members donate to the Rotary Foundation, those contributions support Rotary’s international work, such as eradicating polio. In addition, the Rotary Foundation follows a formula to return a portion of contributions to local clubs for their initiatives. During President Josh Prest’s leadership of RCY from 2021 to 2022, he designated our club’s Rotary Foundation proceeds to assist persons after incarceration with education, housing and employment opportunities.
Rotarians who contribute $1,000 or more each year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or approved global grants are recognized as Paul Harris Fellows, an honor named after Rotary’s founder. When members donate to the Youngstown Rotary Foundation, those dollars support local projects, such as purchasing winter coats for school children (Operation Warm).
About half of RCY’s members have established accounts at www.rotary.org to access information, which includes donor history reports, Becky said. If you don’t believe you’ve contributed to the Rotary Foundation, think again! RCY contributes on behalf of all members to Rotary International’s Annual Fund, and these donations are tax deductible for members.
Donor history reports also track “PHF Recognition Amount” points toward earning a Paul Harris Fellow. Again, even if you have not made a contribution, you may have points if another Rotarian gifted any of his or her Foundation Recognition Points to you. When you earn Foundation Recognition Points, you can share them with another member without reducing your PHF Recognition Amount, Becky noted.
In other news:
The district wide Night for Ukraine fundraiser, held Nov. 6 in Canton, was a success, President Sharon reported. RCY members contributed in significant ways – planning the menu, arranging for entertainment, managing the auction and by attending, she said. Organizers were “very close” in achieving their goal of raising $100,000 for Ukrainian war aid. Donations are still being accepted, she added.
President Sharon said a few slots are open for the RCY-sponsored Jewels of the Alpine Europe tour in May. Contact her or Scott Schulick ASAP if interested.
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