In the Rotary world, November is recognized as Rotary Foundation Month. This month also marks the halfway point of our Rotary year, providing a timely opportunity to reflect on our progress and recommit to our goals. Each club within our district has set clear objectives for contributions to both the Annual Fund and the PolioPlus Fund. What makes our district, District 5000, truly exceptional is its consistent ability to meet or surpass these fundraising targets year after year.
Mahalo,
Dave Mozdren
DRFCC 2024-2027
davemozdren@gmail.com
November is Rotary Foundation Month
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.
In 2024-2025, the Foundation funded 458 district grants, 1,210 global grants and 69 disaster response grants benefiting over 270 million children in 36 countries. The donations to the Annual Fund- Share made 3 years ago came back to us to fund District and Global Grants. This year, a total of $101,682, including the club’s matching funds, will be utilized for District projects. In addition, we have an allocation of $70,195 for Global Grants, which are matched in part by the World Fund.
Your generosity fuels Rotary’s work. The Annual Fund-SHARE isn’t just a fund; it’s a partnership. With SHARE, members, through their clubs and districts, help decide which projects to prioritize. You share resources that empower communities near and far. You share in the pride of knowing that your district’s priorities will be achieved through District Designated Funds (DDF). And you share in the action, rolling up your sleeves to make change happen. Thank you for making a difference in our communities and changing lives with your contributions to The Rotary Foundation!
Congratulations to our top 3 Annual Fund Per Capita Giving clubs:
Honolulu Sunset - $28,069, $738.67 per capita
Upcountry Maui - $6,977, $697.75 per capita
Honolulu Sunrise - $17,123, $535.10 per capita
Many clubs use their District Grant funds for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY)
Membership growth and engagement are fundamental to the success of Rotary. Every member shares the responsibility to introduce new individuals to Rotary, fostering a vibrant and expanding community. The same principle applies to supporting the Rotary Foundation. It is the duty of every Rotarian to contribute to the foundation, regardless of the size of the donation. Last year, seven clubs were honored with banners for achieving 100% club participation in the Rotary Foundation.
The concept of EREY—Every Rotarian Every Year—is a guiding mantra promoted by Foundation leadership and club foundation chairs. Our aspiration is for every club to become an “EREY” club. To achieve this, all Rotarians in each club should contribute a minimum of $25 to the Annual Fund, and each club should attain a per capita giving of $100 or more per member.
Thank you to these clubs for earning an EREY banner for 2024-2025: Honolulu Sunrise, Downtown Honolulu, Hickam Pearl Harbor, Kihei-Wailea, Kona Sunrise and West Kauai.
Encouraging Easy and Secure Giving (Rotary Direct):
One effective method for promoting ongoing support is through “Rotary Direct.” Members can enroll in Rotary Direct via the Rotary website (myrotary.org), setting up automatic payments from their credit card to the Annual Fund on a schedule that works for them—monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. Each member selects the payment amount and frequency, and Rotary International processes the donation accordingly. Contributors receive a computer-generated receipt for each payment, and the system allows flexibility to adjust the donation amount or cancel at any time.
Currently, only 166 of our 1,342 district members have opted for Rotary Direct payments. This approach is both safe and secure, and there is a goal to double this number, aiming for more than 332 Rotary Direct participants by year’s end.
Gratitude and Commitment
Your continued support to the Rotary Foundation will perpetuate all the good that we do in our community and throughout the world.
Note From RI President Francesco Arezzo
This November, as we celebrate The Rotary Foundation, I invite you to consider not only what we give but why we give. The Foundation is more than a fund for projects. It is the beating heart of our promise that service, rooted in trust and friendship, can create lasting change.
Our Action Plan calls us to increase our impact, and the Foundation is how we make this vision real. Since 1988, Rotary and our partners have immunized nearly 3 billion children against polio. We have committed more than $2.6 billion to this cause, and last year alone we directed $146 million toward the final push for eradication. These numbers are significant, but the true impact is not in statistics — it is in the lives of children who will never again fear polio. It is in the hope restored to families and the peace built in communities once defined by disease.
A Message from The Rotary Foundation....
"Thank you – all of you - for your recent gifts to support polio eradication efforts.
Your contributions to PolioPlus combines with other donations to help Rotary and our partners deliver vaccines, perform environmental surveillance, engage community members, and implement and maintain polio eradication programs in affected regions. These areas include Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only countries where wild poliovirus is still endemic.
In addition, your donation will be matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation. This means we can make an even bigger impact as we strive to achieve a polio-free world and give the promise of a greater hope, health, and opportunity to future generations.
Thank you again for supporting The Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus Fund and bringing us closer to eradicating this disease. Because of donors and supporters like you, together, we will end polio.
Sincerely,
The Rotary Foundation"
I too would like to thank each and every one of you for your World Polio Day endeavors. You have and are making a difference in the lives of so many around the world. Thanks also to those of you who have invited me to your Club meetings and Club events. Each one so fun and each one so different. That's Rotary....
However - I would be remised if I didn't take this opportunity to thank you - our 'Veterans' - for your commitment, your dedication and your service. Yes, times are right now a bit difficult, but your time, service and commitment will never go unnoticed or unappreciated. You are our American Heros.
Mahalo Nui Loa
Roz Cooper
District Polio Plus Chair
Gate Foundation Matches PolioPlus Donations
The Gates Foundation, one of Rotary’s partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, has already given away more than $100 billion in its first 25 years. Polio remains a priority. At the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Rotary and the Gates Foundation announced a joint commitment to direct up to $450 million over the next three years to support polio eradication, a renewal of their long-standing partnership. Rotary will continue to raise $50 million per year, with every dollar matched with two additional dollars from the Gates Foundation
The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. Our fellows are committed to community and international service and the pursuit of peace. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and up to 80 for certificate studies at premier universities.
Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops the capacity of peace and development professionals to become effective catalysts for peace. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and internship and field-study expenses.
If you or someone you know wants to make a year-end gift, contact our Planned Giving Officer, Erin Groble at erin.groble@rotary.org to discuss your options or connect with our regional Major Gift Officer, Marge Cole, at marge.cole@yahoo.com.
Plan ahead. If you already know how you want to give, no need to wait for the year-end rush to make your gift, you can start the process now.
