The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a public charity based in Evanston, Illinois. It supports Rotary members’ service projects, scholarships, and international exchanges, with grants intended to help address community needs locally and around the world.
Key facts about The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
In short: The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International gave $25.5M across 325 grants in 2025 (avg $78K), top state California. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 36-3245072
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $25,503,267
- Grants made (2025)
- 325
- Average grant
- $78,472
- Median grant
- $43,906
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (70 of 304, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,719,960,646
- Primary geography
- California (28% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7B
+11.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$25.5M
+20.7% YoY
Grant Count
325
+12.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$78K
+6.9% YoY
Is The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 70 of 304 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $51K; repeat grants $94K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $57K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to help Rotary members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through improving health, supporting education, and alleviating poverty. Its website also identifies improving the environment as part of its mission.
Its programs include PolioPlus, which supports immunization, poliovirus monitoring, and other efforts in polio-endemic, recently endemic, and high-risk countries. The Foundation also describes global grants as supporting humanitarian projects, graduate-level scholarships, and vocational training teams. District grants can support humanitarian projects, scholarships, youth programs, and vocational training teams.
Recipients of 2025 grants illustrate the range of organizations supported. Cristo Rey San Diego High School describes its mission as educating young people of limited economic means to become people of faith, purpose, and service. HANWASH describes its mission as providing opportunities for sustainably managed clean water and sanitation in Haiti. The Pikes Peak Area Rotary Endowment says it provides funds to nonprofit organizations in the Pikes Peak region.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 325 grants totaling $25,503,267. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $1,500,000, with a median of $43,906.
The largest reported grants included $1,500,000 to Eternal Word Television Network for economic and community development; $1,250,000 to Susan B Anthony List Education Fund for maternal and child health; and $1,000,000 to Cristo Rey San Diego High School for economic and community development. Other notable grants included $685,766 to Duke University for peace and conflict prevention/resolution; $680,000 to HANWASH for water and sanitation; and $600,000 to Magis Institute for basic education and literacy.
Rotary’s website describes district grants as funding small-scale, short-term activities, with each district choosing which activities to fund. Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. For global grants, both the district or club where the activity will take place and the international partner district or club must be qualified before applying. The website says that grant applications are available to Rotary or Rotaract club members.
The Foundation also offers Rotary Peace Fellowships for master’s degree and professional development certificate study. These fellowships cover participant costs including tuition and fees, room and board, transportation, and internship and field-study expenses.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
Peace Fellowships: Master's Degree Programs Grant
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Peace Fellowships: Professional Development Certificate Program Grant
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Programs of Scale Grant Program
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
Amount
Up to US $2,000,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed across recipients in multiple states. California accounted for 28% of grant dollars, followed by Virginia at 7%, Alabama and Florida at 6% each, and North Carolina at 5%. The Foundation’s own materials also describe grants and projects addressing needs in communities locally and abroad.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 325 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $17.6M (2022) to $29.5M (2020). In 2025 it made 325 grants totaling $25.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Eternal Word Television Network ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $7.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($306,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,618 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 910 grants of 1,618 (56%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eternal Word Television Network Irondale, AL | Econ. and Community Develop.-Scholarship-DAF | $1,500,000 |
| Susan B Anthony List Inc Education Fund Arlington, VA | Maternal and Child Health-Humanitarian-DAF | $1,250,000 |
| Cristo Rey San Diego High School San Diego, CA | Econ. and Community Develop.-Humanitarian-DAF | $1,000,000 |
| Duke University Chapel Hill, NC | Peace and Confl. Prev./Resolution-Scholarship | $685,766 |
| Hanwash Inc Naples, FL | Water and Sanitation-Humanitarian-DAF | $680,000 |
| Magis Institute Garden Grove, CA | Basic Education and Literacy-Humanitarian-DAF | $600,000 |
| Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH | Basic Education and Literacy-Scholarship-DAF | $500,000 |
| Whispering Winds Catholic Conference Center Inc San Diego, CA | Econ. and Community Develop.-Humanitarian-DAF | $500,000 |
| Sharp Healthcare Foundation San Diego, CA | Disease Prev. and Treatment-Humanitarian-DAF | $360,000 |
| Life Perspectives San Diego, CA | Econ. and Community Develop.-Humanitarian-DAF | $354,443 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,719,960,646 | $462,635,498 | $392,946,470 | $25,503,267 | 325 |
| 2024 | $1,546,452,066 | $418,096,647 | $361,086,677 | $21,132,020 | 288 |
| 2023 | $1,450,379,624 | $394,945,345 | $363,098,485 | $18,025,162 | 303 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,719,960,646 | $1,546,452,066 | $1,450,379,624 |
| Revenue | $462,635,498 | $418,096,647 | $394,945,345 |
| Expenses | $392,946,470 | $361,086,677 | $363,098,485 |
| Net Investment Income | $53,347,946 | $73,761,401 | $32,167,871 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 2, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mark Daniel Maloney as chair, Larry A. Lunsford as vice-chair, and Holger Knaack as chair-elect. Trustees listed include Gordon McInally, Akira Miki, Ann-Britt Asebol, Bharat S. Pandya, Carlos E. Sandoval, Ching-Huei Horng, and Chun-Wook Hyun.
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is led by John Hewko, Chief Executive Officer since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 16 of 31 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Hewko
Chief Executive Officer
General Secretary → Chief Executive Officer, 2020
On filings since 2019
14.4 hrs/week
$186K (2019) → $280K (2025)
Mark Daniel Maloney
Chair
Trustee → Chair-Elect, 2024
Chair-Elect → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol A. Pandak
Director of Polioplus
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$159K (2019) → $194K (2025)
Cris Downey
Director - Technology Services
On filings since 2024
17.6 hrs/week
$90K (2024) → $96K (2025)
Richard Plocinik
Director of Enterprise Projects
New on the 2025 filing
15.2 hrs/week
$81K (2025)
Jennifer Jones
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Akira Miki
Trustee
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bharat S. Pandya
Trustee
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2023
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Podd
Trustee
On filings since 2023
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha Peak Helman
Trustee
On filings since 2023
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carlos E. Sandoval
Trustee
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chun-Wook Hyun
Trustee
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dennis J. Shore
Trustee
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann-Britt Asebol
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ching-Huei Horng
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gordon McInally
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ijeoma Okoro
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Alexander
Chief Communications Officer
On filings since 2019
5.6 hrs/week
$33K (2019) → $49K (2025)
Eric C. Schmelling
Chief Philanthropy Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$201K (2019) → $315K (2025)
Eric Jones
Chief Investment Officer
On filings since 2019
37.2 hrs/week
$265K (2019) → $371K (2025)
Kristopher Newbauer
Chief Human Resources Officer
Director of Global People & Talent → Chief Human Resources Officer, 2021
On filings since 2019
17.6 hrs/week
$82K (2019) → $153K (2025)
Michele Berg
Deputy General Secretary
On filings since 2019
14.4 hrs/week
$106K (2019) → $168K (2025)
Steven Routburg
General Counsel
On filings since 2019
7.6 hrs/week
$72K (2019) → $59K (2025)
Andrew G. McDonald
Deputy General Counsel
On filings since 2020
13.2 hrs/week
$62K (2020) → $73K (2025)
Julie Burke
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$56K (2020) → $214K (2025)
Michael Patock
Investment Officer
On filings since 2020
37.2 hrs/week
$179K (2020) → $214K (2025)
Nora Zei
Chief Participant Experience Officer
On filings since 2022
11.2 hrs/week
$41K (2022) → $86K (2025)
Paul Haisman
Chief Information Officer
On filings since 2023
17.6 hrs/week
$123K (2023) → $153K (2025)
Sarah Crawford
Chief Programs & Engagement Officer
New on the 2025 filing
10 hrs/week
$74K (2025)
Larry A. Lunsford
Vice Chair
Vice Chair → Trustee, 2024
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Holger Knaack
Chair-Elect
Trustee → Chair-Elect, 2025
On filings since 2023
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (34)
- Former: James Barnes (2019–2024) — Chief Programs & Member Services Officer · Filing note: Ended 10/2023
- Former: Jonathan South (2019–2024) — Investment Officer
- Former: Aziz Memon (2021–2024) — Trustee · Filing note: Began 7120
- Former: Barry Rassin (2021–2024) — Chair · Filing note: Began 723
- Former: Geeta Manek (2021–2024) — Trustee · Filing note: Began 7120
- Former: Hsiu-Ming Lin (2022–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Anand Ramakrishnan (2023–2024) — Director Enterprise Architechture & Data Eng · Filing note: Ended 12/2023
- Former: Thomas Thorfinnson (2019–2023) — Chief Strategy Officer
- Former: Ian Riseley (2020–2023) — Chair
- Former: Jorge Aufranc (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Hendreen Dean Rohrs (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Marcelo Demetrio Haick (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Gulam A. Vahanvaty (2019–2022) — Trustee · Filing note: Began 7118
- Former: John F. Germ (2019–2022) — Chair · Filing note: Began 7118
- Former: Per Hoyen (2019–2022) — Trustee · Filing note: Began 7118
- Former: Sangkoo Yun (2019–2022) — Vice Chair · Filing note: Began 7118
- Former: Faiz Hanif (2020–2022) — Chief Information Officer · Filing note: Ended 4212021
- Former: Brenda M. Cressey (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Kr Ravindran (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Michael F. Webb (2019–2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Seiji Kita (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Hipolito Ferreira (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Cristian Downey (2021) — Director - It Infrastructure
- Former: Gary Huang (2019–2020) — Chair
- Former: Julia Phelps (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Kenneth Schuppert Jr. (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Lori Carlson (2019–2020) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Bernadette Knight (2019) — Senior Director of Finance
- Former: Mario Camargo (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Mary Beth Growney Selene (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Orscelik Balkan (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Richard Kick (2019) — Chief Information Officer
- Former: Ron Burton (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Victor Barnes (2019) — Director of Programs & Grants
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $371K, to Eric Jones (Chief Investment Officer). 16 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: (847) 866-3000
Website: https://rotary.org
Frequently asked questions about The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
How much does The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International give each year?
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International gave $25.5M across 325 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $21.1M across 288 grants.
What is The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's typical grant size?
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's median grant in 2025 was $43,906, and its average grant was $78,472, across 325 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International that year got $51K on average.
Where does The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International give grants?
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's top state is California, with 28% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Virginia (7%) and Alabama (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (14 grants), Washington, DC (7 grants), El Cajon, CA (3 grants) and Atlanta, GA (3 grants).
Does The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 325 grants with a stated purpose on The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Econ. and Community Develop.-Humanitarian" (139 grants), "Econ. and Community Develop.-Humanitarian-DAF" (125 grants) and "Disaster Response-Floods" (13 grants).
Who are The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's largest grantees?
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's largest 2025 grantees include Eternal Word Television Network ($1,500,000), Susan B Anthony List Inc Education Fund ($1,250,000) and Cristo Rey San Diego High School ($1,000,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($306,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International?
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International reported $1.7B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $462.6M.
What does The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to help Rotary members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through improving health, supporting education, and alleviating poverty. Its website also identifies improving the environment as part of its mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International?
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check rotary.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's EIN?
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3245072. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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