There was a time when many Rotary clubs made it a practice to charge members on a quarterly billing to support the Rotary Foundation and then send the money off to the foundation with in a single check. This practice had many advantages to the Rotary Foundation and the members who really wanted to provide support, but sometimes failed to fulfill that internal commitment.
Over the years some unintended problems crept into the system. Local Rotarians are not always the best bookkeepers and would occasionally make the contribution without crediting the individual Rotarian. Distressingly there are instances where the local club found a need for a short-term loan to cover a shortage of cash flow for other expenses like paying the caterer; the short-term borrowing of money intended for the Rotary Foundation would occasionally become a long-term liability. Whatever the cause of these problems the consequences of greater magnitude then anyone thought possible.
The good news can be found in how technology has made the solution so simple and the results so much better. You can sign up for a recurring gift to the Rotary Foundation with as little as $10 being transferred from your bank or credit card as often as once a month. I discovered the Rotary Direct program several years ago when a club I belonged to managed to prove that even some of our best clubs can mess up the simplest of processes.
You can sign up on the Rotary Foundation website http://www.rotary.org/contribute. Rotarians registered for Member Access can set up their Rotary Direct account by clicking on the Contribute to The Rotary Foundation link within Member Access. Donors may also enroll using The Rotary Foundation Contribution Form (123), by selecting “Make this a recurring contribution”.
This is such a simple way to be sure that you are part of the every member every year plan and do it without creating problems in your life or the life of your Rotary club. It truly is time to reconsider having a Rotary club bill members and forward the money to the Rotary Foundation.