International Fundraising at The Rotary Foundation
“So, you work for Rotary?” he says with glass in hand. “I have an aunt who goes to lunch meetings every week – I think she’s a member of a Rotary club. But what do you guys actually do?” As the sole donor researcher at The Rotary Foundation, this is a fairly typical cocktail party conversation. Please pretend you have a canapé in your hand and read on.
A lawyer named Paul Harris and his friends created the first Rotary club in Chicago, Illinois, USA in 1905 to recreate the friendly, close knit feeling of a small town. Rotary clubs are so named because initial meetings rotated from one member’s office to the next. The first Rotary club outside the US was chartered in Winnipeg circa 1912 changing the organization into Rotary International. When you fast forward 100+ years, you find a global network of 1.2 million members providing “Service Above Self” to more than 200 countries. Rotary’s best know programs are its international college scholarships and efforts to eradicate polio.
To fund educational opportunities, humanitarian projects, and eliminate the polio virus from the face of the planet, Rotary clubs and Rotarians worldwide donate to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). TRF then distributes grants through Rotary clubs and Rotary’s partners to change lives in their communities. In 2009-10, Rotarians around the world contributed C$263 M (US$269 M) and TRF distributed C$183 M (US$187M) in grant awards. The five countries that donated the most that year were the US, Japan, India, Germany, and South Korea.
With a presence in more than 200 countries, there is not a hope that TRF could hire enough fundraisers to reach each and every constituency. Instead, Rotary has branch offices in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland that support local Rotary clubs. TRF has full time fundraisers in five of those offices; the remaining two have staff with part time fundraising responsibilities. David Bender, the Director for International Fundraising, coordinates the global fundraising efforts from the world headquarters in Evanston, Illinois. The Foundation heavily relies on local volunteers to promote support for the programs of The Rotary Foundation. The fundraisers based in North America also do international fundraising, though not in quite the same way as their colleagues based elsewhere. As projects and scholarships overwhelmingly take place outside of North America, the gift officers based in Evanston educate US and Canadian donors about the needs and dreams of those overseas.
My co-workers tease and call me a “department of one” as I’m the only donor researcher supporting all of the gift officers worldwide. In addition to providing “bread and butter” research profiles for my co-workers, I link project information and the frontline gift officers. Prior to joining the fundraising department, I worked as a grant officer at TRF working with grants seekers from almost every part of the world. When I joined the fundraising department, I brought my grant database access and program knowledge with me. Some days I leave my Lexis Nexis searches aside and dig through grant files looking for spectacular photos to illustrate a grant proposal. When my gift officers travel to visit Rotary clubs, they frequently ask for reports on grant participation to customize their presentations. It helps build connections when they highlight the Rotary Club of Ontario’s fabulous work educating children in Malawi or the Rotary Club of Vancouver’s dedication coordinating clean water projects in Bolivia.
Just like those first Rotary clubs, some of your organizations might be thinking of reaching outside your national borders. To help you on your way, my gift officers share their counsel on raising support in the countries and areas where they work. Here is their advice:
Ms. Yumi Jo, Major Gift Officer in South Korea
- Koreans appreciate recognition for their donations in the form of naming a building, statue, or project. Another possibility is having a special thank you event with celebrities.
- Partner with a large company (e.g. Samsung, LG) and invite the employees to participate in the NGO’s project while you request a donation from their employer. Company donations to NGOs create a good impression in customers’ eyes.
- On-line giving is increasingly popular among younger Koreans. Well known web portal sites usually have a giving section advertised with a banner. You could approach the portal and request a partnership.
- If you are approaching individuals, it can be helpful to create a connection between a donor and a single beneficiary like a child or an elderly person living alone. They can exchange letters to build their relationship.
- People can feel uncomfortable if asked questions about their wealth.
Mr. Stefan Neukom, Fund Development Advisor in Switzerland
- In continental Europe, active fundraising is not yet as widespread and institutionalized as in some countries. That is because it has a refined social wefare systems that provides for people in need. However, after the financial downturn and reduced governmental budgets, people could see an increased need for private support.
- Be patient. European cities are strongly influenced by historical family ties and business networks. Building relationships and trust with those outside their traditional inner circle takes long term commitment and endurance.
- It’s beneficial to hire local staff as language is a very important part of national identity in large western European countries. They will also provide an entree to influential local networks with their long-established personal relationships.
- Generally speaking in western Europe, asking for money is seen as impolite and could cause a potential donor to withdraw their support because they felt pushed. Instead of aggressively asking for money, wait for the donor to tell you when they want to support the organization.
Mr. Joaquin Mejia, Sr. Coordinator for Latin American fundraising
- If you are expanding into Latin America, familiarize yourself with each country’s local laws. Do not make the mistake of assuming the laws in Argentina apply in Chile. If you proceed without a guaranteed legal status, you could put everything in jeopardy.
- The only Major Gift fundraising strategy that works well is gaining support through personal contacts and conversations.
- Unless your organization is championing an issue controversial in Latin America (e.g. gay marriage, abortion) it would be wise to avoid the impression that your NGO is identified with a given political agenda. While an endorsement from past US President Jimmy Carter might gain support in the U.S., that strategy would most likely create unnecessary resistance in Latin America.
Ms. Shakuntala Raha, Supervisor – International Fundraising in India
- Ask for gifts towards programs of priority to the donor. Projects taking place in their country of residence usually take precedence.
- Fundraising events like cultural programs and campaigns have been very successful strategies.
- Direct telephone calls requesting large contributions should be avoided as a first step. There should adequate cultivation beforehand through communication, information sharing, and meetings.
So now if you see anyone with a little gear wheel pin in their lapel, you can impress them with your insider knowledge. Ask them how the latest polio eradication campaign in India is going and watch them smile. Who knows, they might even invite you their weekly Rotary club meeting.
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Sabine Schuller, MLIS works at The Rotary Foundation as a Research Specialist where she identifies and analyzes potential U.S. and other donors for her gift officers based around the world. She has been an international business development analyst and a program officer, and is now enjoying her work as a donor researcher. She is a member of APRA-Illinois’ Program Committee.