Coldwater Township Sunrise Rotary Foundation
The Coldwater Township Sunrise Rotary Club (CTSRC) was chartered on October 8, 1986. In the following year, the Club founders had the foresight to establish the Coldwater Township Sunrise Rotary Foundation (CTSRF). The original intent of the CTSRF was to raise $40,000 for the Endowment and potentially eliminate the need for future fundraising activities. However, over the years, the Sunrise Rotary Club’s fundraising activities and events have become a hallmark for the Club which is widely recognized and respected in the community. As the Club’s fundraising capability increased, the size and scope of the charitable projects the Club has supported in the community has also increased. The Sunrise Rotary Club members believe that the active, dedicated engagement of our diverse membership with the strength of our Foundation set us apart from other community support organizations and have underpinned the success the Club has enjoyed over the history of the organization. The CTSR Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 organization and all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, however we always advise our patrons to consult with their tax advisor.
Just as the Club has grown and strengthened over the years, our Foundation has also grown and evolved. With donations from members and the public plus the Club’s commitment to donate 50% of the proceeds from the annual Drawdown event in January, the Foundation Endowment grew to $165,000 by 2013. With the oversight of the Foundation Board and a prudent investment strategy the Endowment has reached $400,000 level in the past couple years. We encourage support from our membership at whatever level they are comfortable with and have established a recognition program that recognizes giving levels and includes accumulative donations. There have been several years in the recent past where 100% of the members have donated at some level to our Foundation – quite an achievement and an indication of how important the Foundation is to our membership. The Foundation distributes funds every year based on a calculation specified in the bylaws (4% of the 5 year average of the fund value at the fiscal year end) and has primarily focused on supporting education and scholarships, although has the flexibility to fund other charitable projects as long as they qualify under the IRS 501c3 regulations. In fiscal year 2020/2021 the Foundation will have around $15,000 to distribute of which $7,000 is current earmarked for supporting scholarships.
The Foundation is overseen by a Board of Directors and is governed by the established bylaws which are reviewed on a routine basis. The Board currently consists of 11 Directors including 4 officers, the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. Directors are elected to three-year terms and the Directors terms are staggered so that generally no more than 4 director’s terms expire in any given year. Officers’ terms are also 3-year terms. Directors and Officers are nominated and elected during the annual meeting which occurs after the fiscal year ends on June 30. There is also a requirement that two of the Foundation Board’s directors are also directors of the Club’s Board to ensure that there is continuous collaboration and communication between Boards. Over the past couple of years, the Foundation Board has undertaken a major initiative to strengthen the governance process including several revisions and improvements to the bylaws, establishment of an approved Gifting Policy, creation of an approved Gift Receipt (for donations), additional financial reporting plus the addition of an external audit (every three years), establishment of electronic data storage and additionally is now in the process of adding the capability to accept on-line donations and credit/debit card giving. We encourage anyone who might be interested in becoming a Foundation Director at some point to let any Board member know their interest.
In 2018 several of our Club members partnered with external stake holders and initiated a project called the Sunrise Rotary Promise Project. Click here to learn more!
