The Rotary Foundation of Rotary
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a humanitarian nonprofit organization based in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1917 with an initial contribution of $26.50, the Foundation has grown into a major global force for charitable giving. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity and serves as the philanthropic arm of Rotary International, enabling Rotary's 35,000 clubs worldwide to develop and implement sustainable community projects.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.5B
+6.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$21.1M
+17.2% YoY
Grant Count
288
-5.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$73K
+23.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Rotary Foundation's mission is to enable Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by:
- Improving health
- Providing quality education
- Improving the environment
- Alleviating poverty
The Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects since its founding over 100 years ago.
Primary Program Areas
PolioPlus Program: Rotary's flagship effort to eradicate poliovirus worldwide. The program provides financial support and coordinates volunteer efforts to ensure children receive immunizations and that surveillance of the virus remains strong in polio-endemic, recently endemic, and high-risk countries. Rotary partners with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the CDC, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Donor-Advised Funds: A charitable giving vehicle that allows individuals and Rotary-affiliated groups to make grant recommendations to support either Rotary Foundation programs or other IRS-qualified charitable organizations.
Grantmaking
The Foundation offers multiple grant programs:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation funds projects globally, with particular activity in California, New York, and Texas. Recent grant announcements indicate active grantmaking in Nigeria, Panama, Turkey, India, Colombia, Zambia, and Egypt.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024 (most recent tax filing):
- Total Revenue: $418,096,647
- Total Expenses: $361,086,677
- Total Assets: $1,546,452,066
- Total Liabilities: $102,000,000
- Employees: 268-285
The Foundation operates a donor-advised fund and has provided first-class or charter travel to key employees or officers.
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since August 1983 (EIN: 36-3245072)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,546,452,066 | $1,450,379,624 | $1,368,299,313 |
| Revenue | $418,096,647 | $394,945,345 | $435,448,669 |
| Expenses | $361,086,677 | $363,098,485 | $339,608,162 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $73,761,401 | $32,167,871 | $68,864,652 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary
Peace Fellowships: Master's Degree Programs Grant
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION OF ROTARY
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Peace Fellowships: Professional Development Certificate Program Grant
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION OF ROTARY
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Programs of Scale Grant Program
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION OF ROTARY
Amount
Up to US $2,000,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Trustee Chair: Mark Maloney
- Chief Executive Officer & General Secretary: John Hewko
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARRY RASSIN BEG 723 | CHAIR | 40 | — |
| BHARAT S PANDYA BEG 723 | VICE-CHAIR | 20 | — |
| MARK DANIEL MALONEY BEG 723 | CHAIR-ELECT | 20 | — |
| AKIRA MIKI | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| AZIZ MEMON | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| CARLOS E SANDOVAL BEG 723 | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| CHUN-WOOK HYUN BEG 723 | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| DENNIS J SHORE BEG 723 | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| GEETA MANEK | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| GREG PODD | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| HOLGER KNAACK | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| HSIU-MING LIN | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| JENNIFER JONES BEG 723 | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| LARRY A LUNSFORD BEG 723 | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| MARTHA PEAK HELMAN | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| JOHN HEWKO | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 14.4 | $234,567 |
| JULIE BURKE | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 20 | $173,984 |
| MICHELE BERG | DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY | 14.4 | $138,141 |
| ERIC JONES | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER | 37.2 | $354,550 |
| DAVID ALEXANDER | CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER | 5.6 | $40,325 |
| JAMES BARNES END 1023 | CHIEF PROGRAMS & MEMBER SERVICES OFFICER | 10 | $74,020 |
| PAUL HAISMAN | CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER | 17.6 | $128,589 |
| ERIC C SCHMELLING | CHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER | 40 | $260,737 |
| KRISTOPHER NEWBAUER | CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER | 17.6 | $129,219 |
| STEVEN ROUTBURG | GENERAL COUNSEL | 7.6 | $50,710 |
| NORA ZEI | CHIEF PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE OFFICER | 10.4 | $68,970 |
| ANAND RAMAKRISHNAN END 1223 | DIR ENTERPRISE ARCHITECHTURE & DATA ENG | 18.4 | $103,410 |
| CRIS DOWNEY | DIRECTOR - TECHNOLOGY SERVICES | 17.6 | $89,711 |
| ANDREW G MCDONALD | DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL | 13.2 | $70,650 |
| MICHAEL PATOCK | INVESTMENT OFFICER | 37.2 | $208,650 |
| JONATHAN SOUTH | INVESTMENT OFFICER | 37.2 | $195,176 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant announcements include:
US$2 million Programs of Scale award supporting high-quality maternal and newborn care in Nigeria
Rotary announces US$2 million Programs of Scale grant to work with farmersUS$2 million Programs of Scale grant to work with farmers in India
Rotary announces US$2 million Programs of Scale grant to work with farmersUS$2 million Programs of Scale grant to foster peace in Colombia
Rotary announces US$2 million Programs of Scale grant to work with farmersNew grant supporting scaling of a proven malaria program in Zambia
Rotary announces US$2 million Programs of Scale grant to work with farmersUS$2 million grant to fight cervical cancer in Egypt
Rotary announces US$2 million Programs of Scale grant to work with farmersRelief efforts following earthquakes in Turkey
Contact Information
Main Address: 1560 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL 60201-3698
Phone: 847-866-3000 or 866-976-8279
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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