The Fourth Object of Rotary is the aim of International Service.

Rotary strives to encourage and foster the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world of fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.  Globally, Rotary partners with other organizations to increase the impact made by each group on their own.

Rotary’s International Programs

Peace Fellowships

Are you looking to make a significant impact on the world by promoting tolerance and cooperation? Each year, Rotary funds some of the world’s most dedicated and brightest professionals to study as a Peace Fellow at our Rotary Peace Centers. These fellows are committed to the advancement of peace, and often go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement and international organizations.

What are Rotary Peace Fellowships?

Each year, Rotary selects individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centers. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation and all internship/field study expenses. Two types of peace fellowships are available.

Master’s Degree

We offer master’s degree fellowships at premier universities in fields related to peace and conflict resolution and prevention. Programs last 15­–24 months and require a practical internship of two to three months during the academic break. Each year we award up to 50 master’s fellowships from these institutions:

• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US
• International Christian University, Japan
• University of Bradford, UK
• University of Queensland, Australia
• Uppsala University, Sweden

Professional Development Certificate

For those with more extensive experience in peace-related fields, we offer a three-month program in peace and conflict resolution at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. This program incorporates two to three weeks of field study. We award up to 50 certificates each year.

End Polio

Rotary, along with our partners, has reduced polio cases by 99 percent worldwide since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. We are close to eradicating polio, but we need your help. Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, here are some ways to make a global impact and protect children against polio forever.

Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2 billion children against polio in 122 countries. For as little as $0.60, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.
 

Global grants

Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. Grant sponsors form international partnerships that respond to real community needs.

What They Support

Global grants can fund these activities:

• Humanitarian projects
• Scholarships for graduate-level academic studies
• Vocational training teams, which are groups of professionals who travel abroad either to teach local professionals about a particular field or to learn more about their own

How to use them

A key feature of global grants is partnership, between the district or club where the activity is carried out and a district or club in another country. Both sponsors must be qualified before they can submit an application.

To be successful, your application must:

• Be sustainable and include plans for long-term success after the global grant funds have been spent
• Include measurable goals
• Align with one of our areas of focus
• Respond to real community needs
• Actively involve Rotarians and community members
• Meet the eligibility requirements in the grants terms and conditions

Applications are accepted throughout the year and reviewed as they are received.

How they are funded

The minimum budget for a global grant activity is $30,000. The Foundation’s World Fund provides a minimum of $15,000 and maximum of $200,000. Clubs and districts contribute District Designated Funds (DDF) and/or cash contributions that the World Fund matches. DDF is matched at 100% and cash is matched at 50%.