Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation have had to make important decisions in light of the current financial environment. At the January 2009 Trustees meeting, a decision was made to reduce the 2008-09 Matching Grant budget in order to conserve The Rotary Foundation's World Fund. As of March 2, the Matching Grant budget has been fully committed, and the Trustees are unable to approve any additional grant applications. As a result of the budget reductions, no new Matching Grant applications will be accepted in the 2008-09 Rotary year.
Senior Coordinator, Programs & Presidential Initiatives
Programs Division (PD210)
Rotary International
1560 Sherman Avenue
Evanston, Illinois 60201-3698 USA
www.rotary.org
TEL: +1 847.866.3000
FAX: +1 847.866.6116
Send your comment to: editor@ourblooddrive.org
Where do we go from here:
Commenting on Rotary International's financial situation, PP Ken Schefel writes at a discussion forum at the website of Rotary E-Club London Centenary, UK (District 1130):
Having lived through the last of the great depression in the late 1930's, I can assure you that the economics we see today will make better people of us and that we will emerge greater citizens of the world. I get concerned when I hear that Governments will create jobs and massive spending will save us all. Business and professions create jobs, and people who earn and spend money stimulate business. Rotarians have supported projects that teach how to grow things, how to fish, how to save, how to treat, how to medicate, feed and nurture. We will continue, but we must also earn and then share our earnings. Rotary will recover and will again proper and share the wealth as in the past.
Ken
(PHF+3, Director & Newsletter Editor ; Rotary Club: Rotary eClub London Centenary, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. E-mail: kscheffel@nc.rr.com
Club President Robert Steinberg of Rotary E-Club London Centenary writes about the same subject:
A growing economy is the key. Until massive layoffs stop, and unemployment begins to reverse, people will continue to not spend, further shrinking the economy. People are frightened, not yet confident of their future, so they will not spend, though they have jobs. We have been frightened since 9/11, and were incessantly reminded to stay frightened whenever we are in a airport. "Security Level" is O R A N G E. With the collapse of Wall Street, under the "watchful eyes" of the SEC, our distrust increases.
In yesterday's news story, The New York Time reports those same AIG executives based in London, in the same business unit that brought the company to the brink of collapse, are still going to get multimillion bonuses, calling this a contractual obligation. What happened to the idea that bonus were for good performance, not just coming to work?
But I do agree with Ken, we will come out of this, but I am afraid the psychological effect of the pain and the scared feeling of insecurity will take a very long time to be forgotten. Recov ry will be very slow without government action. I hope the EU wakes up to this, as well, before it is too late.
Dr. Robert Scott Steinberg,
PHF+2, President 2008-2009
Rotary E-Club London Centernary. Home: Hoffman Estates, Illinois USA, e-mail: erotarylondon@sbcglobal.net
FOOTNOTES:
For additional project details, contact programs@rotary.org or the local Rotarian or club listed.
ProjectLINK is a searchable database that lists Rotary club and district community service projects in need of funding, volunteers, donated goods, and/or partners for a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant, and completed projects that can be used as examples of best practices.