RI’s five-year financial forecast

A robust financial system is in place at the Rotary International to ensure a transparent stewardship of money collected from Rotarians and funds are being well-spent to enhance the participants’ experience, said RI director A S Ventakesh, who is also the RI Board’s treasurer.

Giving a financial overview of Rotary at the zone institute, he said, “budgeting is done five years ahead, with a couple of assumptions on membership growth and per capita dues over this period being factored in.”

Only informed guesses are made for the five-year growth projections as we move forward and the Council on Legislation, which meets every three years, has decided to raise annual dues by $4 and $3.5 in the next two years, said Venkatesh. The RI Board prepares a well-balanced budget with revenue and expenses matched, “and it monitors that financial process and ensures that members, clubs and districts are served better.”

Around two-thirds of revenues are from membership dues, but there is a slight drop in membership in fiscal 2022 (2021–22) compared to what was projected in fiscal 2019, he said. The RI Board has estimated revenues of $93 million in fiscal 2027, up from $74 million (provisional) from fiscal 2023. “RI will continue to invest in programmes, projects and membership support. The Rotary Learning Centre at rotary.org has all the resource material for leadership training and support initiatives for members,” he said.

RI will continue to invest in programmes, projects and membership support.
– A S Venkatesh, RI Director

While 57 per cent of revenue is spent on Rotarians and their support programmes, 21 per cent is invested on assets, branding etc, and 22 per cent on administration and compliance expenses as RI has offices in seven countries.

Having 37,000 clubs in 221 countries and territories, Rotary is looking forward to enhance its digital presence and further meet the expectations of its members, he said.

On different occasions, “I was asked by members on how Rotary spends their collected money. Rest assured, we have a financial system so that it is impossible to do anything wrong with your money.”