The TRF meet titled ‘Million Dollar Opportunity’ organised by RI District 3233 in Chennai in honour of TRF Trustee Chair Holger Knaack’s visit was an evening of renewed commitment as Rotary leaders highlighted how generosity, trust and strategic giving continue to transform lives across the world.
“Rotary indeed opens opportunities for many, many people,” said Knaack. While Rotary offers members friendship, leadership and shared values, he stressed that the Foundation’s greatest role is in creating opportunities for those it serves. He thanked the district’s major donors, AKS members and CSR partners for their generosity. “It’s not about the money. It’s about what the money is doing. But to be honest, of course, it’s also about the money. Otherwise nothing would work,” he said candidly. For him, the true reason behind giving is trust. “The Rotary Foundation is a trustful foundation. It is our foundation. It is run by us.”
To illustrate this credibility, he cited Bill Gates, whose Foundation matches Rotary’s polio contributions two-to-one. “After we collect $50 million, the Gates Foundation transfers $100 million to our account. That is what I really call trust,” he remarked.
Sharing an anecdote about a 93-year-old donor in Berlin who questioned “overhead costs,” he explained why Rotary invests heavily in stewardship and measurement. “Planning, assessment and measurement are not overheads. They ensure impact,” he said. Introducing the framework of input, output, outcome and impact, he explained how Rotary evaluates whether projects truly create lasting change.
Whether it is dialysis machines helping patients live with dignity or farmer-support programmes improving family livelihoods, Rotary now focuses on measurable, long-term results. “We are putting more emphasis on impact, not just on money,” he noted.
Quoting former RI President Cliff Dochterman’s theme: Real happiness is helping others, he said, “that is exactly what we are doing with our Rotary Foundation. Through the Foundation, donors can turn their dreams — of clean water, education and health — into reality.”
Ending polio remains his deepest aspiration. Though India has been polio-free for over a decade, he warned of complacency after a recent detection of the virus in Germany. “Let us keep our promise that no child will ever be crippled by polio again,” he urged.
Calling TRF “the backbone of Rotary” and “our window to the outside world”, Trustee Bharat Pandya said that through the Foundation, Rotary’s global impact becomes visible — from school upgrades in Gujarat and Project Orange in Chennai to WASH projects in Nepal and medical missions in Africa. Highlighting the link between Foundation work and membership, he shared survey findings showing that Rotarians who participate in global grants are more engaged and satisfied. “Humanitarian grants are a powerful tool to attract, engage and retain members,” he noted.
Pandya shared an example of his club’s eye care initiative. “At Rotary Club of Borivili, we run an eye bank and processing centre. While many eye banks collect donated eyes, very few are equipped to process and assess corneas for transplantation. In Mumbai, there are only three such centres, and one is run by our club,” he said.
For over a decade, the facility has restored sight to more than 2,500 people. But one experience stood out. Last year, the club members visited a school on the outskirts of Mumbai where 150 blind girls were studying, to see if any could be helped medically. After screening, they found that 12 girls were corneally blind, a condition that could be corrected. “All 12 underwent successful surgery. Today, they are studying in regular schools, confident and independent. That is the power of Rotary’s work… truly life-changing.”
He also spoke of the “multiplier effect” of TRF, recalling how a $1,000 contribution from his club grew into a $117,000 project through matching grants. Recalling his tenure as governor of RID 3140, when the district became the world’s top contributor, he said it changed perceptions about India’s giving capacity. “We proved that Indians are capable of giving, not just taking,” he said.
RI Director M Muruganandam congratulated Trustee Chair Knaack and Trustee Pandya on inaugurating the Rotary Peace Center at the Symbiosis University, Pune. Quoting the Four-Way Test, he urged members to “walk the talk,” reminding them that Rotary is an extended family bound by values. Linking Rotary’s seven Areas of Focus to global challenges, he said, “Where there is a lack of education, there is misunderstanding. Where health is poor, there is suffering. Where children are not protected, the future is uncertain — and that is where Rotary steps in.”
Earlier, introducing the trustee chair, PRID A S Venkatesh highlighted his love for youth programmes and long association with Rotary, noting that Knaack and Suzanne had hosted 45 youth exchange students.
Referring to TRF contributions as “investments in humanity”, DG D Devendran urged members to “give not out of excess, but empathy.” District Rotary Foundation Chair L Neelakantan shared that the district, born out of bifurcation and in only its second year, had contributed $1.03 million to TRF last year. Citing initiatives like Project Orange, mobile health units and smart classrooms, he said, “We are not just giving grants. We are building systems.” This year, “we are building our $1.2 million goal across all three pillars of the Foundation — Annual Fund, Endowment Fund, Polio Fund and the Grants. Every dollar raised will be converted into real impact,” he said.