2025 November

LET US GIVE WITH GRATITUDE

FRANCESCO AREZZO, President, Rotary International

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.

But polio is only one story among many. Each year, Rotary Peace Centers train new generations of leaders who will transform conflict into dialogue and division into understanding. In 2023-24, nearly 100 new fellows began their studies, continuing a legacy of more than 1,800 peacebuilders from over 140 countries.

When we invest in them, we are planting seeds of peace that will bear fruit for decades to come.

The Foundation also touches lives through district and global grants, supporting projects large and small. A clean water well for a rural community, scholarships for young professionals, medical care in the wake of disaster — these are not temporary gestures, but steps toward dignity, resilience, and opportunity. This is how Rotary service becomes lasting impact. And when natural disasters strike, our Foundation allows Rotary to act quickly with disaster response grants.

Our Foundation is not about what we can do alone but what we can do together. Each contribution, no matter its size, joins with others to create a collective act of faith in humanity and in the future.

The last mile of any great journey is always the hardest. We see this in our final steps toward ending polio, in our work for peace, and in every project that seeks to lift people out of despair. Yet every time we give, we declare that our work will continue regardless of the challenge.

This November, let us give with gratitude, with joy, and with hope. Through our Foundation, we Unite for Good, and in doing so, we leave behind not only projects but a legacy of peace, trust, and Service Above Self.

WHAT’S YOUR LEADERSHIP STORY?

SUE VILLA STA. MARIA, Chairman, PRMFI Our “Unite for Good” District Governors and Club Presidents now find themselves at the midpoint of their terms. Over the past five months, they have begun to write the narrative of their leadership — one defined by service, purpose, and collective endeavor. With seven months remaining, this is a fitting time to pause and reflect: How will their leadership be remembered? What enduring legacy will they leave behind?

To leave a legacy is to create a lasting, positive impact on people and communities through meaningful actions and significant accomplishments. Such a legacy may be tangible, as in the construction of a schoolhouse, the establishment of a scholarship endowment, or the initiation of a sustainable project. It may also be intangible, as in the cultivation of goodwill, the creation of cherished memories, or the imparting of wisdom and inspiration. Whatever its form, a legacy endures in the hearts and minds of those who continue the journey long after the term of leadership has concluded.

Leadership within Rotary may be likened to a relay race — one that is not complete until the baton is faithfully passed to the next runner. The true test of a leader lies not only in running one’s leg of the race with determination and grace, but also in ensuring that the baton is handed over smoothly and securely to the next leader. For if the baton is dropped, the entire team falters. Likewise, the term of a Governor or President is fulfilled only when their accomplishments, principles, and spirit of service are successfully imparted to those who will follow.

Ultimately, a true and lasting legacy is measured by what we inspire in others. It is a legacy built upon friendship, love, and integrity — one that directs future generations toward Rotary’s Four-Way Test, upholding truth, fairness, goodwill, and friendship as the guiding principles of all endeavors.

WHERE LEADERS EMERGE AND THRIVE

SONNY COLOMA, Editor-in-chief Being a District Learning Facilitator is a continuing source of energy, enthusiasm and fulfillment.

Through more than four decades of being a Rotarian, the classification I’ve held is People Management, even while I had been privileged to serve in the executive branch.

To witness the emergence, growth and development of new Rotary leaders is truly a rewarding experience. Many of today’s rising club leaders are entrepreneurs in technology-oriented organizations, or fast-rising managers in established organizations that are reinventing themselves to keep pace with the vectors of progress.

Rotary is providing learning resources that support the tapping of senior Rotarians into becoming Rotary Mentors. The Mentor need not be the Sponsor; in fact, it is preferable that the Mentor is different from the Sponsor, to afford both Mentor and Mentee to develop a robust relationship in being fellow Rotarians.

Mentors need to proactively check with their Mentee answering questions and helping the new member better understand Rotary. This should be enhanced through participation in club meetings and projects. Teaching the Mentee the basics of a “classification talk” and arrange for the new Rotarian to give a classification talk within the first two months of membership is also imperative.

The new Rotarian must also become aware of Rotary resources including: District Training Assembly, Rotary Leadership Institute, District Conference, Club’s Ebulletin, Philippine Rotary Magazine and the Rotary International website.

It is also important for the new Rotarian to become engaged in a committee or activity that enables him or her to get to know fellow members better. Moreover, there must be an early appreciation of the vital importance of The Rotary Foundation and how every Rotarian can support its programs through the Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) program.

Getting together for lunch, coffee or dinner would also enable Mentors to develop a relationship with their mentees outside of Rotary.

In sum, there are multiple benefits that may be achieved through a positive Mentor-Mentee relationship. If carried out purposively, this will enable the mentee to become a renewed Rotarian who understands and exemplifies the ethos of service to humanity.

UNDENIABLE IMPACT HOLGER KNAACK , Foundation trustee chair

Many of you will remember the theme I chose as RI president in 2020-21: Rotary Opens Opportunities. I remain passionate about these opportunities and I know you do too.

As we celebrate Rotary Foundation Month, let’s reflect on the many ways the Foundation makes the world better. Rotary is extraordinary, and the Foundation amplifies that impact.

I encourage all of you — in Rotary and Rotaract clubs — to discover this for yourselves. Go beyond the local level and engage with The Rotary Foundation globally. You can partner with clubs to boost literacy in Guatemala or fight malaria in Zambia. You can make a difference with clean water initiatives reaching millions or maternal health programs saving lives across continents.

It doesn’t stop there. Through major impact projects like Programs of Scale, we’re pursuing bold initiatives that push Rotary’s potential to create lasting change further. Greater impact and greater visibility: this is our path forward.

Many of you have asked about the status of Rotary’s biggest impact project in history — our long-term commitment to polio eradication. Recently, RI President Francesco Arezzo, International PolioPlus Committee Chair Michael McGovern, and I met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the army leadership of Pakistan.

Everyone is fully committed to eradicating polio once and for all. We were absolutely convinced by the work of Pakistan’s emergency operations centers, where experts plan and coordinate vaccination.

While some governments scale back support for polio eradication, Rotary remains committed to its pledge to raise $50 million again this year. This meeting reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to finishing this historic mission.

What excites me most is seeing how each of us can make a real difference through our Foundation. I urge everyone — especially newcomers to Rotary — to explore these opportunities. Find your passion among our areas of focus and discover projects to support, especially through global grants.

We members fund, sustain, and deliver these projects. That’s why the Foundation consistently earns top ratings from Charity Navigator. If you don’t want to lead a project, you can still be part of the Foundation through annual support.

Our fundraising goal for 2025-26 is an ambitious $500 million. Your gift this month will create countless opportunities.

We have incredible opportunities before us, and the impact we achieve together through The Rotary Foundation is exponential. The proof is undeniable.