The Rotary Foundation, the central pillar of Rotary International’s humanitarian work, has its origins in the visionary inspiration of Arch Klumph, Rotary International’s sixth president.

In 1917, at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Arch Klumph proposed the idea of an endowment fund “for the purpose of doing good in the world”.

This suggestion, seemingly modest at the time, was to become the foundation of The Rotary Foundation.

Arch Klumph envisioned a mechanism by which Rotary could extend its reach beyond the local projects of individual clubs.

He saw the need for a structure capable of supporting large-scale, long-term projects.

Initially, the fund’s growth was slow.

However, Arch Klumph remained an ardent supporter of the idea, tirelessly promoting the Foundation to Rotarians around the world.

Under his continued leadership, the Foundation began to take shape in the 1920s, laying the foundations for what was to become a major global philanthropic organization.