Rotary’s partnerships provide the tools and resources to make projects more successful
Rotary has been partnering with other organizations for decades. Its work as a spearheading partner with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has put Rotary on the world stage as a leader in the fight to eradicate polio, and its partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has engaged Rotary members in finding sustainable solutions for bringing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services to those who need them.
In addition to these high-profile partnerships, Rotary has agreements with a number of other organizations that offer members and clubs the opportunity to tap into resources and training.
“Partners bring complementary skills, knowledge, and the ability to create something really valuable,” says Ingrid Schwab, a senior specialist in service and project partners at Rotary International. Erica Gwynn, Rotary’s program manager for the RI-USAID Partnership, adds that working with global partners allows Rotary members to get involved in largescale programs. “This moves us from charitable giving to programs of impact,” she says.
Rotary members bring immense value to these partnerships. “The superpower of Rotary is our social capital, which is our membership,” says Amanda Ottman, RI’s partner relations manager. Gwynn agrees: “We are positioned to convene, to influence decision-makers, and to amplify the voices of the unheard.”
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
Over the years and to this day, Rotary International has built significant and sustainable partnerships with many outstanding public, private and non-governmental organizations – with each providing valuable resources and mutual benefit.
For more information on partnerships and a complete list of current Rotary International Partners, click here.
Here are a few of Rotary International's partners organizations, what they do and how you and your club may be able to get involved...
PEACE CORPS
The Peace Corps allows volunteers to immerse themselves in other cultures and work side by side with local leaders to tackle their host communities' most pressing challenges. Peace Corps volunteers serve in more than 60 countries and work with nongovernmental organizations, host-country governments, and local community members to address local needs.
Peace Corps volunteers work in communities around the world to address local challenges and promote better understanding between Americans and other peoples. Peace Corps volunteers can provide Rotary clubs with a connection to a project or a group that needs assistance. For example, clubs in Minnesota and the Dominican Republic partnered with Peace Corps volunteers to implement a water and sanitation project in the Dominican Republic. Peace Corps volunteers and returned volunteers can also help Rotary clubs understand the culture and the specific needs of the region where they were posted.
Rotary clubs can work with Peace Corps volunteers to identify a project's prospective beneficiaries, assess communities, and involve community members in projects. When Peace Corps volunteers return, they can give presentations at Rotary club meetings and find clubs interested in partnering on international projects.
Click here to learn more and/or contact Peace Corps to get involved
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is dedicated to increasing access to education for children, especially girls, in the poorest countries so they can unlock their full potential. As a partnership and a fund, GPE mobilizes global and national investments and brings partners together to help governments build strong education systems that are based on data and evidence.
The strategic partnership between GPE and Rotary connects Rotary clubs and districts with GPE partner countries. GPE and Rotary International both recognize the importance of partnerships and public-private collaboration as fundamental toward achieving education for all children, especially for the poorest who face a greater risk of being left behind.
GPE works to improve outcomes and achieve gender equity in education by bringing together governments and other stakeholders to work toward common goals. Rotary and GPE are working together in several partner countries, with an initial focus on Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The partnership will give Rotary members a seat at the table with other international organizations, government partners, and the private sector to contribute insights about educational needs based on their involvement in local communities.
Click here to learn more
INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICS AND PEACE
The Institute for Economics and Peace is a nonprofit think tank dedicated to advancing peace and dedicated to measuring and reporting on the economic value of peace. It offers educational and community-based programs to increase stability in communities.
Clubs and the institute will work together to create a Peace Academy, an online training program with interactive tools and webinars about new peacebuilding methods and the underlying causes of conflict. Clubs will also participate in Positive Peace workshops in Mexico and Colombia, which bring together diverse groups of community leaders and peacebuilders to discuss projects on conflict resolution.
The goal of this partnership is to provide education to Rotary members and to encourage them to support peacebuilding projects in their communities. One of the partnership’s main initiatives is the Rotary Positive Peace Academy — an online training program created specifically for Rotary members. This program is free and open to all Rotary members, who earn a certificate upon completion. Rotary members in Colombia and Mexico have utilized the training to create peace programs for youth leaders.
Click here to learn more, download a guide to help you plan and host an impactful Positive Peace event and contact the Rotary-IEP coordinator to get involved
ASHOKA
For 40 years Ashoka has found exceptional Changemakers from around the world and guided them to grow unexpected ideas into transformative social progress. Ashoka's network enables over 4,000 social entrepreneurs to learn from one other while creating faster, more impactful large-scale change. Venture and Fellowship, the core of Ashoka's work, identifies leading social entrepreneurs with transformative ideas and provides them with the support and community they need to thrive. It is through these Ashoka Fellows that we see a world where everyone can be a powerful contributor with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Ashoka invites the Rotary community to be part of this movement to build an Everyone a Changemaker world. By partnering with Ashoka, the Rotary family gains access to a wide range of experts in social entrepreneurship and change-making who are equally vested in bringing about support and resources to improve the lives of their communities. Rotary's areas of focus align closely with Ashoka's vision and various programs to create solutions to local challenges through social entrepreneurship.
This NGO sponsors the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship, which supports social entrepreneurs in developing innovative solutions to challenges around the world. Rotary members can take advantage of this partnership by inviting one of Ashoka’s network of 3,500 social entrepreneurs to a club meeting, or by working with Ashoka fellows on a project.
Click here to learn more
USAID: WASH & HEARTS OF EUROPE
USAID is one of the world's largest governmental aid agencies that drives development results.
USAID's strategic partnerships with Rotary offers two avenues of service for Rotarians.
The Rotary-USAID WASH Partnership assists communities and governments to plan, finance and deliver safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, while sustainably managing water resources at large-scale.
The Hearts of Europe initiative is a program in which U.S. clubs work with clubs in Eastern Europe on global grant projects and aims to foster collaboration, networking, and friendship among Rotary clubs in select Eastern European countries and the U.S. Rotary and USAID jointly fund grants in specific Eastern European countries around Rotary’s areas of focus. The goal of the partnership is to develop cross-cultural ties and promote relationships between countries that could open doors for projects, professional exchanges, and friendship. Rotary members in the United States and in the Hearts of Europe countries can take part and work together in this special global grant opportunity.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Habitat for Humanity, a global nonprofit, works with families and individuals in need, helping them build or improve homes.
Rotary clubs can work directly with local Habitat chapters by assessing communities that need better housing, securing in-kind contributions for building homes, and volunteering on building projects. Clubs can also work with chapters to improve water and sanitation conditions and help people develop the skills and independence they need to build better lives.
MEDIATORS BEYOND BORDERS INTERNATIONAL
Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI) brings mediation and peace skills to communities around the world. MBBI works to improve a community's capacity to heal after conflict, reconcile differences, and prevent issues from escalating.
By working with MBBI, Rotary members can:
- Become trained peace conversation facilitators
- Get assistance with conducting community assessments and planning and implementing projects
- Tap into peace resources and a network of global peacebuilding experts
- Get involved with one of MBBI's other programs
SHELTERBOX
ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and supplies to assist survivors immediately after a disaster.
Rotary and ShelterBox have worked together for more than 20 years, offering aid worldwide to thousands of families that have been devastated by disaster and conflict.
Founded in 2000 by a Rotary member in the United Kingdom, ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and essential supplies to help communities through their toughest times.
Every disaster is different, and every community is different. ShelterBox doesn't believe that one set of solutions works in all situations, so its team members spend time talking with affected families to make sure it can help them in the right way. By putting families first, ShelterBox provides the support families need to transform their own lives.
ShelterBox and Rotary officially became project partners in disaster relief in 2012. This partnership is instrumental to Rotary's disaster response strategy. One of the most important elements of the relationship is the opportunity for Rotary members to serve countries affected by disasters. Members can also take action by connecting their own communities with disaster-affected communities worldwide. By working together, we're able to combine resources to support areas immediately after a disaster and make a start on long-term recovery.
Rotary is the cornerstone upon which ShelterBox is built, and remains in the DNA of everything that ShelterBox does. It was a Rotarian's "people of action" spirit that founded ShelterBox in 2000 and because of Rotary's vast global network the two organizations have helped over 1.6 million people in 100 countries. More recently the partnership has ensured that lifesaving shelter and aid has helped families protect from the threat of coronavirus.
Rotary works with ShelterBox in all phases of disaster relief: identifying regions that need support, volunteering in relief efforts, facilitating meetings with government officials and relief agencies, and funding supplies. Rotary can also help with logistics, including customs clearance; house deployed teams; arrange transportation; and offer language interpretation.
Rotary members can help ShelterBox with its emergency disaster relief efforts by:
- Connecting ShelterBox response teams with local governments and organizations that are working in a disaster area
- Raising vital awareness and funds to help ShelterBox support communities and families in their recovery
- Volunteering with ShelterBox to educate others about disaster response and advocate for survivors as they start their recovery
- Becoming your club's ShelterBox coordinator to keep up-to-date with developments during an emergency
- Helping with customs and import guidance, liaising with response teams, coordinating transportation or interpretation, or providing other logistical support
As your club's partner, ShelterBox can help attract new members and inspire your community through raising awareness of the impact of our partnership around the world. Together we can share stories of hope and resilience from the communities we reach in partnership every year.
Click here to learn more and contact ShelterBox to get involved
TOASTMASTERS
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization with more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924, it has helped its members become more effective speakers, communicators, and leaders through a worldwide network of clubs, much like Rotary.
By working with Toastmasters, Rotary and Rotaract members will have more opportunities to improve their leadership and communication skills, broaden their networks, and increase their impact.
Clubs and districts can get involved in this alliance by learning more about Toastmasters, exploring its resources and public speaking tips, visiting a local Toastmasters club, or watching a video to learn what happens at a Toastmasters meeting.
You can also invite members of Toastmasters to visit your club, be a guest speaker, or participate in a service activity.
If Toastmasters doesn’t have a club in your area, you can still use the organization’s online resources.
Find answers to frequently asked questions.
Click here to learn more and contact Toastmasters to benefit from the alliance.