Of all the recognitions a Rotarian can receive, the Paul Harris Fellow stands apart. It is not given for years of membership, for chairing a committee, or for attending every meeting. It is given for a tangible act of generosity: a cumulative contribution of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation. In a service organization built on the principle that one person's giving can change the world, the Paul Harris Fellow certificate is the tangible proof that a specific person put real resources behind that belief.
Named for Paul P. Harris—the Chicago attorney who founded Rotary International in 1905—the award has been given to millions of individuals around the world since it was established in 1957. The foundation of the award: $1,000 to the Rotary foundation.
The threshold is simple and specific: Paul Harris Fellow recognition is conferred when an individual's cumulative contributions to The Rotary Foundation reach $1,000. This is not a membership fee, not a dues payment, and not a club fee—
It is a philanthropic contribution to The Rotary Foundation, the separate 501(c)(3) organization that funds Rotary's global humanitarian work, including:
• Polio eradication through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
• Rotary Peace Fellows scholarships at universities worldwide
• Global Grants for large-scale international service projects
• District Simplified Grants for community-level service
• Vocational Training Teams and other professional exchange programs
Contributions can be made in a single $1,000 payment or accumulated over multiple years through the Foundation's SHARE system, which allows donors to track their cumulative giving toward the $1,000 threshold.
District 6420 Governor Tina Curtis recognized Gloria Miner & Tom Miner for their Paul Harris +2 giving and Ann Murphy for her Paul Harris +7 giving. Tina said, “I want to celebrate the fact that they are continuing to invest in Rotary's ability to do good. Thank you for that commitment—and for helping make Rotary's impact possible far beyond our own communities.”