Reaching a Milestone
The Rotary Club of Prior Lake recently achieved a milestone. Through fundraisers like Prior Lake Rotary’s Lakefront Music Fest, the club has been able to give generously. But that generosity goes beyond the club level to the individual members of the club. Members have given more than $500,000 ($504,391 actual) to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). The Foundation is the charitable arm of Rotary International whose money is used for projects and programs. This is a special year for The Rotary Foundation as it celebrates its centennial anniversary.
Although the Rotary Club of Prior Lake is in its 38th year, the giving to TRF has seen unprecedented leaps in the last 5 years. In those 5 years, individuals have given $131,739. Not coincidentally, the Club’s current Foundation Director, Paul Hofslien, took over in 2012. Paul, a member of over 22 years and past club president, has led the Foundation committee that educates members and collects pledges to the Foundation. The club is perennially in the top tier in the District in per member giving. This year, both the total dollars and the per capita giving are new high thresholds for the club.
About the accomplishment, Paul said, “Passing this level of giving is a huge milestone. It shows the generosity that our club members have. They want to help make the world a better place. I am very proud to be associated with such people.” When asked what his focus has been since he took over the Foundation committee, Paul stated, “Two main things: to educate members of all the good The Rotary Foundation does in the world, and to increase the level of giving to the foundation by members by making the members feel pride in giving their money. They know that the money they give is being used wisely.”
Paul has taken his experience, knowledge, and passion for The Rotary Foundation to the District level as the Fund Development Committee Chair. The main goal of the committee is to encourage Rotarians throughout the District to make The Rotary Foundation their charity of choice. And there is good reason for that: TRF is a highly lauded non-profit organization when it comes to financial oversight and transparency. It has been placed at or near the top by numerous non-profit watchdogs including Charity Navigator. In fact, 91% of the funds are spent directly on programs.
Of all the dollars given by the District to The Foundation, 50% of the dollars come back to the District in three years to be used for projects and programs. Prior Lake Rotary has used these dollars over the years including the first international project that was initiated in the 1994-1995 Rotary year for an irrigation project in Chimbote, Peru. Rotary Foundation dollars have also been used for other local and international projects like starting the STRIVE program in the school district, the Gateway Park to Lakefront Park, and digging wells in The Gambia. Said Prior Lake Rotarian Guy Selinske, who has initiated some of these projects and serves as a mentor on the District’s Grant Subcommittee, "Using Foundation dollars is a great way for Rotary clubs to leverage their funds and to engage in projects they otherwise would not have the wherewithal to take on. In some cases, the club can put up as little as $8,000 and that can translate into $36,000 for grants and projects."
Paul Hofslien is in his 5th year as the Club's Foundation Director