Doing Good in the World - Giving to the Rotary Foundation

As we were leaving the Rotary Club meeting last week, someone asked me, “What do you feel when you donate to the Rotary Foundation?”  Not knowing how serious the questioner meant to be, I gave her a flippant answer and went on about my business.

However, as I was driving back to my office I started thinking about that question again. 

By the time I got back to work, I figured out what it is I feel when I give to the Rotary Foundation.  It is the sense of God’s grace pouring out on me as I share some of my material blessings with someone else; someone who I don’t know, someone who will never know me, someone who can’t possibly pay me back.  Yes, God is giving me His grace in abundance.  How else can I account for the warm feeling I get in my heart?

It is easy to give when you are expecting something in return.  Funny thing is, when you expect something in return you really aren’t giving anything, are you?  Its more of an “investment” than a donation, isn’t it?  When you hope that your actions perhaps help you sell more widgets or gain another client, you haven’t given from your heart, you’ve only given from your pocketbook.

Conversely, when you give to someone without any thought as to repayment or benefit accruing to you because of your ‘gift,’ not only are you giving from your pocketbook, you are also giving from your heart.  And that is many, many times more satisfying.

Now this grace you receive can also be found when you give to your church, or to any number of other worthwhile charities.  But I know when I donate to the Rotary Foundation my money benefits so many others in so many ways.  For the first two years, the earnings the Foundation makes off of my donation are used to fund the many incredible things the Foundation does around the world.  Then, after that two year period, my donation comes back to the Rotary District, and it is used to help fund projects in our District, sometimes even in Cheyenne.  So the money works and works and works.

I see the reports from the Rotary Foundation with respect to amounts given to it by our Club members.  So, I know there are many, many Rotarians who give more than I do to the Foundation.  However, there are a surprising number who don’t give anything.  Please consider a gift to the Rotary Foundation, or better yet, please consider becoming a Sustaining Member (minimum $100 donation per year) or a Paul Harris Fellow ($1,000 donation).  Your heart will be very proud of you!

Follow the link and learn how your contributions to The Rotary Foundation are making a difference:  http://vimeo.com/34051471