From local projects such as helping out with Cass County COA’s Front Street Crossing fitness center to large, international causes such as helping eradicate polio, contributions from Rotary Clubs from around the planet have fueled initiatives that improve the lives of others.

Making these things possible is the Rotary Foundation, which organizes the lump donations from Rotary Clubs and directs them toward worthy causes — on a local, regional and global scale.

Rotary District 6360 Assistant Governor Karl Kincade explained the

operation of the charity-arm of the international service organization during Thursday’s meeting of the Dowagiac Rotary Club. Kincade, a longtime member of the Berrien Springs/Eau Claire club, was invited to inform the club about the operation of the three levels of the foundation by Dowagiac club treasurer Bob Cochrane.

Like the club itself, the Rotary Foundation exists in many different forms — at the local, individual chapter level; the district level, with leaders comprised from chapters across several communities; and the international level, which handles projects on behalf of the entire Rotary organization, Kincade explained.

Internationally, the Rotary Foundation has around $1 billion worth of funding, a portion of which is donated every year for humanitarian projects, scholarships for graduate-level academic studies and vocational training teams. The largest of these projects has been Rotary’s longstanding efforts to eliminate the spread of polio in developing nations, a project that have partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for funding, Kincade said.

“We got some real firepower around the world,” he said. “They can work on polio and other international causes because they have the size and stroke that can handle those big projects.”

The international foundation also passes on funding for similar projects at the district level; this past year, the District 6360 received $33,000, which was available for distribution to individual clubs for service projects.

The area district itself has its own foundation as well, which has amassed around $250,000 worth of funds, Kincade said. Similar to the international foundation, the district foundation board awards grant requests from clubs, donating between $500 and $2,500, the assistant governor said.

The district raises money for the foundation through its district-wide raffle every year — the largest contributor to which, per-capita wise, is from the members of Dowagiac Rotary, Kincade said.

Finally, the Dowagiac club has its own foundation, which sets aside between $1,600 to $1,700 for local and international causes every year, said Foundation President Larry Crandall.

“We’re happy to be able to contribute to the community, in a small way,” Crandall said.