With all the donations made and matched, grants given, expenditures of our District and clubs and value of volunteer time, throughout, the economic impact of our District 5040 in the past year is estimated to be as high as CDN$6.3 million, according to Past District Governor and District Foundation Chair Lorne Calder.
When Lorne was District Governor Nominee he made a presentation on Rotary Club Central. 
He stressed the importance of “Why” a club makes an important contribution to Membership, Foundation and Public Image when it sets goals and reports those achieved to indicate as accurately as possible the impact all our clubs have had within our communities, our District and the world.
It was clear then, as it is now, that we have Rotarians who gave of their time (volunteer hours), who donated generously to our Foundation or did both! From our clubs reporting into RCC we were able to calculate the Economic Impact (GDP) of Rotary at the club level, Area level, District level and at the RI level using some simple calculations.
Lorne said that each Rotarian throughout District 5040 gave an average of at least 60 volunteer hours to our communities and our world in 2021-22: a total of 75,000 hours, of those reported.
At US$25 per hour, a rate a John Hopkins University study determined as the value of Rotary volunteer time, Lorne says, "The value of that huge contribution by our clubs, small and large throughout our District, especially coming out of the pandemic restrictions, was over CDN$1.8 million! That's amazing 'service above self'."
Lorne adds, "Then there is the tremendous value of our members' financial generosity in supporting various Rotary projects and causes of CDN$1.7 million. What a productive, generous and service-minded team we all are in giving back to our community. Thank you all."When you factor in the District 5040 volunteer hours contributed, the donations by our members, matched 2:1 in the case of End Polio by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and all the dues paid, meals, events and social activities that amounts to the estimate of an amazing
$6.3 million.
Throughout the world, Rotary:
• contributed at least the under reported total of 47 million hours, at US$25 per hour, for an estimated value of US$1.18 billion;
raised on average US$50,000 per club, among our 36,767 clubs, for a total of US$1.84 billion;
• made donations to The Rotary Foundation's Annual Program Fund of US$135 million;
• gave out District and Global Grants to clubs and groups of clubs and Districts a total of more than US$305 million.
• contributed at least the under reported total of 47 million hours, at US$25 per hour, for an estimated value of US$1.18 billion;
raised on average US$50,000 per club, among our 36,767 clubs, for a total of US$1.84 billion;
• made donations to The Rotary Foundation's Annual Program Fund of US$135 million;
• gave out District and Global Grants to clubs and groups of clubs and Districts a total of more than US$305 million.
Lorne says, "When you look at what we give, in time and dollars, and what we spend in our communities throughout the world and we include our Interactors and Rotaractors and their volunteer hours and fundraising initiatives the GDP for District 5040 would even be higher. When we use the same formulas for RI Globally the Economic Impact for Rotary is estimated in the US$5.5-$6.0 billion range annually WOW!
"An example of ultimate impact of Rotary on our world is Polio Plus, with our US$51 million matched twice by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation up to US$100 million means that over time 20 million children are able to walk today and lead productive lives because of the years of billions of children reached and vaccinated.
"Then there are our other programs such as the Peace Scholarship Program at seven universities in the world, and wide range of programs such as heart transplants, prosthetics and so on. They are priceless!"
To learn more soon plan on attending our District Grant Seminar:
register on Thursday, March 23rd at 7 pm, or Monday March 27th at 7 pm.