Rotary is a volunteer organization of 1.2 million business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service 
and help build goodwill and peace. 
 
Rotary is a volunteer organization of 1.2 million business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service 
and help build goodwill and peace. About 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas conduct projects to 
address today’s challenges — including illiteracy, disease, hunger, poverty, lack of clean water, and environmental concerns — while 
encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations.

As the world’s largest private provider of international scholarships, The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International helps more than 
1,000 students annually to study abroad and serve as cultural ambassadors. Rotary also partners with seven prestigious universities 
around the world, providing opportunities to earn a master’s degree in peace and conflict resolution.

PolioPlus is Rotary’s flagship program. By the time polio is eradicated, Rotary club members will have contributed US$850 million 
and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than two billion children in 122 countries. Rotary is a spearheading partner in the 
Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Founded in Chicago in 1905 as the world’s first volunteer service organization, Rotary quickly expanded around the globe. Today, club 
members meet weekly to plan service projects, discuss community and international issues, and enjoy fellowship. Clubs are 
nonpolitical and open to every race, culture, and creed.