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The 2009-2010 Meeting of the RI Board of Directors

November 2009 Meeting

The second meeting of the 2009-10 RI Board of Directors was held on 2–5 November 2009, in Evanston, Illinois, USA. At this meeting the Board reviewed reports from 17 committees and recorded 90 decisions.

Club and District Matters - The Board replaced the current regional Rotary International membership coordinator program with a new Rotary coordinator program. Rotary coordinators will have a broad role in efforts to increase club membership. They will be trained in all aspects of RI programs and will promote best practices for the strengthening of clubs and districts. The Board authorized the president-elect to appoint 41 new Rotary coordinators to serve in the same geographical regions as the regional Rotary Foundation coordinators, beginning in 2010-11.

The Board amended its policy regarding the definition of a properly functioning Rotary club to include the adherence to Rotary policies, procedures, and best practices. Clubs that do not meet these criteria will be considered non-functioning. Effective 1 January 2010, directors and officers/employment practices liability insurance will be included in the U.S. Rotary Club and District Liability Insurance Program.

RI Administration and Finances - The Board adopted revised RI mission and vision statements and amended RI's strategic priorities.

The RI Mission: We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

The RI Vision: We will be the service organization of choice with dynamic, action-oriented clubs whose contributions improve lives in communities worldwide.

RI Strategic Priorities:
Support and Strengthen Clubs
Focus and Increase Humanitarian Service
Enhance Public Image and Awareness
At the request of the president-elect, the Board suspended the Rotary Code of Policies section on appointments to Rotary Foundation Trustees, which requires the president-elect to submit to the Board the names of individuals he intends to appoint as trustees, until after the conclusion of the 2010 Council on Legislation.

The Board confirmed that, notwithstanding RI Bylaws section 12.020.5., the RI Bylaws deadline of 1 June for submission of names for membership on the director nominating committee is firm, and that any individual submitted by a governor after that deadline (except as provided in RI Bylaws section 12.020.7.) may not serve as a member of the director nominating committee.

The Board accepted the audited statements and report on RI's financial results for 2008-09. The results will be published in the annual report.

RI Programs, Communications, and Awards

The Board received a report on Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge, indicating that as of 27 October, RI has received over US$100.8 million toward the challenge. The Board also received an update on PolioPlus, which noted that while four countries remain endemic for the wild poliovirus (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria), much progress has been made in containing the virus from spreading.

To increase awareness of the Rotary Peace Centers, the Board encourages district governors to include the peace centers in all appropriate district events and agreed to consider making the centers a topic for discussion at the 2010 RI institutes.

The Board agreed to appoint an ad hoc committee to develop the details of a new Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs) pilot project. RAGs under the pilot are to serve as an available resource to one or more of the Future Vision Plan's six areas of focus. Additionally, these revised RAGs are to be controlled and managed by a seven-member board; they will continue to identify club and district projects that are supported by existing Foundation programs; they will be subject to RI circularization policies; and they will be required to establish a Rotary Foundation donor advised fund to accept all charitable funds they receive.

The Board selected 144 recipients for the 2009-10 Service Above Self award, which recognizes exemplary humanitarian service provided on a continual basis by Rotarians who might otherwise go unrecognized. The names of the recipients will be announced at the end of the Rotary year.

The Board recognized the new Fellowship of Rotarian Magicians.

International Meetings - The Board reviewed and approved plans for the 2011 RI (New Orleans) Convention, including its logo, promotional slogan (Let the Good Times Roll…Again!), preliminary program, official host area, registration fees, and budget. It agreed to pursue the proposal from Atlanta, Georgia, USA to host the 2017 RI Convention.

July 2009 Board Meeting Highlights
The Board welcomed the appointment of Eric E. Lacoste Adamson as 2009-10 RI vice-president, Michael Colasurdo, Sr. as 2009-10 treasurer, and elected José Alfredo Sepúlveda as chair of its executive committee.

The Board formally ratified President Kenny's appointment of Gustavo Gross C., Lynn A. Hammond, Ashok M. Mahajan, and Wilfrid J. Wilkinson as Rotary Foundation trustees.

On recommendation of President Kenny, the Board established the 2009-10 RI committees and resource groups, and approved their terms of reference.

The Board agreed that zones 2, 8, 11, 15, 19, 21, 24, and 33 shall select committees in 2009-10 to nominate RI directors for election at the 2011 RI convention.

The Board confirmed the 2009-10 RI budget with revenues of US$87.9 million and expenses of US$87.3 million.

The Board approved The Rotary Foundation's 2009-10 budget of US$67.3 million for all Foundation programs, with expenditures coming from unrestricted Annual Programs Fund contributions.

Highlights of Actions Taken by the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation

October 2009 - The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International met from 26-29 October 2009 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Administration - The Trustees elected Trustee Bill Boyd to serve as chairman-elect and Trustee John F. Germ as vice-chairman during 2010-11. The Trustees' annual meeting will be held 25-29 October 2010 in Evanston. The chairman will decide the dates of all other 2010-11 meetings.

The Trustees voted John F. Germ to be a non-voting member of the 2010 Council on Legislation.

The Trustees adopted requirements and general criteria for packaged global grants, which are a new concept to the Foundation within the Future Vision plan. Details on these grants will be provided to Future Vision pilot districts during their training at the 2010 International Assembly.

Fund Development - The Trustees received a progress report on Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge and were advised that as of 24 October, World Polio Day, US$99 million had been raised.

Subject to further refinements, the Trustees created three levels within the Arch C. Klumph Society effective 1 July 2010, and amended the criteria for Level 4 Major Donor recognition as follows:

Level 4: US$100,000 - $249,999.99
Arch C. Klumph Society: US$250,000 - $499,999.99
Arch C. Klumph Society: US$500,000 - $999,999.99
Arch C. Klumph Society: US$1 million and above
The Trustees agreed that the goal of the Permanent Fund is to: assist Rotarians in fulfilling their local and global philanthropic goals;
support the programs of The Rotary Foundation; ensure a strong future for The Rotary Foundation by providing a continuing stream of income to meet the increasing demand for Foundation programs.

Programs

The Trustees: Approved 16 Matching Grants involving Rotary clubs and districts in Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, India, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mozambique, New Zealand, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States.
Approved PolioPlus Grants for Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, India, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
Approved the list of candidates to be awarded 2010 Rotary Peace Fellowships. Agreed to allocate funds for 50 master's degree and 50 certificate Rotary World Peace Fellowships in 2010-11.
Agreed to use the shorter titles of Rotary Peace Centers and Rotary Peace Fellows for Rotary and public purposes.
Thanked the Rotary Peace Centers Major Gift Initiative Committee for its success in raising approximately US$44,000,000 toward the goal of US$95,000,000
Agreed to plan for a Rotary Peace Symposium to be held in conjunction with the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.
Agreed that a minimum of three years must pass between the completion date of a Rotary Peace Fellowship (certificate program) or Ambassadorial Scholarship, and the date of application for a Rotary Peace Fellowship (master's degree), with the understanding that Ambassadorial Scholars and Peace Fellows (certificate program) are eligible to apply for the Peace Fellowship (master's program).
Looked with favor on the tentative draft program for the 2010 and 2011 Rotary Alumni celebrations in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, and New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Approved 3-H Grants involving Rotary clubs in Australia, Ghana, the Philippines, and the United States.
Stewardship

Noting a decrease in world reporting for Humanitarian Grants in the October 2009 analysis, the Trustees expect that districts will improve their reporting percentages by the semi-annual analysis in April 2010.

A Humanitarian Grants Cadre of Technical Advisors recruitment and training event will be held in Kampala, Uganda, in conjunction with the 2010 Zone 20A Rotary Institute, and a regional training seminar for cadre will be scheduled prior to the 2010 (New Orleans) International Convention.

Finance - The Trustees received The Rotary Foundation's 2008-09 audited financial results as submitted by Deloitte and Touche. The results will be published in the Foundation's annual report.

New investment consultants were appointed for the five-year period beginning 1 December 2009.

The Trustees noted that as of 30 June 2009, the operating reserve balance does not meet the minimum required reserve ratio. A committee of trustees was appointed to carefully monitor the situation and review methods to reestablish the reserve.

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