Incoming Rotary leaders receive training in the new grant model in January.

By Rotary Foundation Trustee Ashok M. Mahajan

Buddha said “do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” This, in my opinion, is a call for service.

But for Rotarians to undertake projects that change lives, seeing the future is important. We work for a future where people everywhere can live in peace and harmony, enjoy a decent standard of living, and know that their children are safe and have a bright future.

The Future Vision Plan, the Rotary Foundation’s new grant model, is all about looking into the future to fund large-scale, sustainable projects that have a lasting impact. Future Vision moves the Foundation into a second century of service. It will bring about stronger clubs, better projects, increased donor base, greater global reach, increased contributions and enhanced public image for Rotary.

The simplicity of the new grant model is obvious. Twelve different grant types under the old system have been slimmed down to three. Grant-related activities will be processed online.

The Future Vision committee has worked long and hard, and deliberated for many hours, to bring us this plan. At Rotary’s annual training event in San Diego recently, incoming district governors, district Rotary Foundation chairs, and regional Rotary Foundation coordinators were trained on the new model. Now it is our part, as Rotarians, to ensure its successful roll out.

When Rotarians undertake service projects, they find happiness and satisfaction in knowing they are helping create a brighter world for communities that lack the basic necessities of life, necessities addressed by Rotary’s six areas of focus.

Such happiness is not something you put off for the future. It is something you design and plan for in the present. And that is what the Foundation’s new grant model does.

• Learn more about the new grant model
• Watch a video about sustainability