TRF

In 1956, the R.I. Board urged clubs to give emphasis to the foundation during The Rotary Foundation week, in mid-November each year. Due to successful efforts of clubs and districts in 1982 the Trustees changed it to The Rotary Foundation Month, still observed every November.
This particular chapter will be on TRF-The Rotary Foundation.

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
Mile Stones in Building Better lives

The Rotary Foundation has overcome all the barriers to help people in need, thereby promoting world understanding and peace.
Sixth RI President Arch C. Klumph established The Rotary Foundation as an endowment in 1917.
The Rotary Foundation was formally named in 1928 and awarded its first grant in 1929: US$500 to the International Society for Crippled Children. It was Paul Harris who anonymously donated US$500 to TRF and requested to give a grant of equal amount to this society.

In 1931, The Rotary Foundation was recognized as a trust
Following RI founder Paul Harris's death in 1947, Rotarians worldwide gave the Foundation more than US$1million, enabling it to launch its first program: international scholarships for graduate students. This Scholarship now called Ambassadorial scholarships.
In 1957, the Foundation began recognition of individuals as Paul Harris Fellows for contributions of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund or restricted fund.
Matching Grants Projects have brought hope for a better life to people since 1965, with nearly 20,000 grants awarded, totaling more than US$198 million.
In 1965, the Group Study Exchange Program was also established, enabling business and professional men and women to participate in vocational activities in countries other than their own.
The Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants program, was created in 1978.
The Rotary Foundation was registered as a not-for-profit corporation in 1983 under the laws of the State of Illinois, USA.
The PolioPlus program was launched in 1985. It adopted the goal in 1988 of immunizing all the world's children against polio by 2005

The Permanent Fund Initiative began in 1996, to build the fund's capacity to help meet the increasing demand for the Foundation's programs.
In 1999, seven Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution were established.
The first awards were made from the Scholarships Fund Pool for Low-Income Countries in 2001.
The Foundation received the US$1 million Gates Award for Global Health in 2002 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The one-year fund raising campaign-Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio- concluded in 2003, raising more than US$130 million by August 2004.
The District Simplified Grants and Individual Grants programs began in 2003, the latter providing continued support for Rotary Volunteers and other individuals to plan and carry out service projects.
The first class of Rotary World Peace Scholars graduated in 2004
The PolioPlus Partners program was re-launched in 2004 with expanded responsibilities in support of global polio eradication.

In 2004, the Children's Fund was established within the Permanent Fund, to encourage Rotarians to increase help for children through the Foundation's humanitarian programs.

The Every Rotarian, Every Year initiative began on 1 July 2004,
encouraging every Rotarian to make an annual contribution of
US$100 or more to the Foundation's Annual Programs Fund.