The Rotary Club of Brandon #1344 disperses funds back into the community through many different initiatives to raise money and support Westman - and they've been doing that for 102 years!

Local club Chair, Don Partrick, says they've had a fantastic year of granting funds to many organizations and projects within the Westman Region throughout 2023.

A scroll through their Facebook page showcases all the events that they helped to fund through sponsorship and donations! 

"On average per year over the past 10 years, we have averaged between $70,000-80,000 through various endeavors each year back into the community," shares Partrick. "I say back into the community because those funds came from fundraising efforts and activities that the club worked to raise funds with."

"Our club has always been a very diligent organization," he notes. "We've been excellent in managing our funds and dispersing our funds."

Rotary Club members make up their granting committee to collect and follow up on grant applications in order to learn more about what the organization and the project is all about. 

"We're always looking for projects to support but every one of them is analyzed by us to ensure we're maximizing the value and the benefit that our club will be part of.  That's very important to us and we work very hard at doing that."

The Rotary Club's fiscal year is from the start of July to the end of June the following year, and in that they contribute to many, many different projects.

Partrick says the Brandon Chapter of Rotary makes a financial contribution each year to Rotary International to support world-wide initiatives and international health funds, such as the Polio Plus campaign.

Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Their goal is to rid the world of this disease.  As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, they've reduced polio cases by 99.9% since their first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.

Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from polio. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, states the Rotary Club's website. 'But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.'

"The contributions that we give to Rotary International is a very small percentage compared to the amount of funding that we put into the community.  And our Rotary Foundation is made up of Rotary members and there are absolutely no administrative costs in managing and doling out whatever generated funds there are. The gross net goes back into the community."

A required annual audit is the only administrative costs that might be spent, however often a local accountant agency offers their services at no cost to the Rotary Club.

Contributions into the Westman Community from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023

  • The Rotary Club of Brandon #1344 – Rotary District 5550
  • The Brandon Rotary Club Westman Foundation Inc.
  • Westman Child & Family Services (Elspeth Ried)
  • Rotary International (President event)
  • International Peace Garden
  • Ukraine relief
  • Brandon Christmas Relief
  • Western Manitoba Youth Choir
  • Rotary International Foundation (Evanston, Ill.)
  • Royal Canada Legion wreath (Remembrance Day)
  • Shelter Box (international project)
  • Ripple Effect (Guatemala) District 5550
  • Counseling Centre (Brandon)
  • Adventures in Citiozenship (Westman Children to Ottawa)
  • Seniors for Seniors
  • Food for Thought (Brandon)
  • Canada Health and Housing
  • Brandon Kiwanis Kar Rally
  • RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award)
  • Brandon University scholarships
  • Brandon University Foundation – Centennial Bursary

 

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