Good Works
In 2019-20, the Sebastopol Rotary raised 0ver $200,000 for charity and contributed hundreds of hours of volunteer time to good works in West Sonoma County and around the world, as part of Rotary International’s various initiatives.
Our Community
Locally, we focus our efforts on three areas:
Education. We recognize that our children’s education can be greatly enhanced by our club’s support. Our programs fall into two categories: 1) recognition of teacher and student excellence; and 2) support for instructional initiatives. Our programs reach from elementary schools to junior college. While the club and the club's charitable foundation support these efforts, much of our education work is funded through the Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation, which has built up over the years to the point where its endowment is now approaching $1 million. See what we do.
Youth Programs. We believe that we can provide experiences outside a student’s school that will give him or her a chance to develop and build leadership skills. See what we do.
Community Service. The members of the club appreciate and value the many organizations in West County that are dedicated to improving community life. We recognize that these organizations need either volunteers or grants to reach their goals. Every year we invite applications from them for help, and we do our best to step up to assist the worthiest of the proposals. We also have our own committee that advocates for families and children through education and raising awareness of local resources available to those harmed by domestic violence in our communities.
Starting in 2017, the Club began identifying projects that could help victims of the Tubbs Fire. Then, the Club expanded that help after the Russian River flooded in 2019, which was, in turn, followed by the Kincade fire. This year, the Club has gone further. In response to the pandemic and the subsequent stay-at-home orders, the Club decided to put all its community grant effort into helping disaster victims. See what we do.
International
Our reach extends well beyond West County because we vigorously support Rotary International’s important programs that support improving societies abroad and bringing peace to our world. See what we do.
Polio Eradication. Rotary International has been committed for decades to the elimination of polio around the world. The project has become one of the most highly successful disease prevention efforts in history, to the point where almost the entire world is polio free. See what we do.
Health and Education. Rotary International has spent over $5 billion in the past century supporting health and education initiatives around the world. Through RI, the club has had the chance to participate in such worthwhile projects focused abroad for decades. The list of opportunities is long, and grows every year, as club members find projects that deserve both club money and volunteer effort. At times the club has identified projects where it works on its own or leads the Rotary effort; other times it joins other clubs in Northern California in our District 5130, and at other times, we join with clubs from around the country or around the world to collaborate on a goal. We have a long history, but we'd most like to tell you about what we are doing right now. See what we do.
Community Development. Rotary International works with its clubs oversees to help sustain and improve impoverished communities. The specific projects can vary; we’ve helped build water systems and create micro-loan organizations. See what we do.
Download the website sponsorship guide