Rotary International

"We aren’t going to bring peace to the world by waving a wand….It’s up to you.  You create the magic with every project completed, every dollar donated and every new member."
                                                                                                                                                                    Stephanie Urchick, 2024-2025 Rotary International President

 

Members of Rotary see a world that could be better and that they can help to make better, too. A massive, and massively complex organization, Rotary International (RI) boasts more than 1.2 million members in over 35,000 clubs in 220 countries of the world.

Seven Areas of Focus

  • Promoting Peace
  • Fighting Disease
  • Providing Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
  • Saving Mothers and Children
  • Supporting Education
  • Growing Local Economies
  • Supporting the Environment
Members around the globe are working to eradicate polio wherever it exists. Since first launching its signature project, End Polio, 30 years ago, the goal of ridding the earth of this disease is now in sight. Rotary, along with its partners, has reduced polio cases by 99.9% worldwide by immunizing nearly 3 billion children against polio in 122 countries.
 

Beyond Membership

 
Rotary is dedicated to building international relationships in order to improve lives and create a better world to support peace efforts and end polio forever.  Beyond club members, hundreds of thousands of participants are involved in Rotary programs such as Rotaract, Interact, Youth Exchange, Rotary Community Corps, Rotary Peace Centers, and more.
 

Rotaract clubs are organized by Rotary clubs to promote leadership, professional development, and service among young adults aged 18-30. There are more than 8,000 Rotaract clubs in 167 countries.  The Rotary Club of Madison engages with Rotaract students from UW–Madison.  To learn more, visit the UW Madison Rotaract Website:  https://www.rotaractclubuw.com/.

Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace one young person at a time. Students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens. Exchanges for students 15 to 19 years old are sponsored by Rotary clubs in more than 100 countries.

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.

For more information about Rotary International, visit:  www.rotary.org.