Today is the 30th anniversary of the incorporation of The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona. The following article about our history appeared in both Rotary district newsletters on January 1 and with these photos of a few of the recently funded grant recipients.The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona was officially incorporated January 9, 1991. This followed work by the original founders during 1990 to organize so they could incorporate as a non-profit charitable foundation.In April of 1992, TRVFA was recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charitable foundation.The founders worked with leaders in all three Arizona Rotary Districts at the time to go through a process to have TRVFA be authorized as an ongoing joint district project in the State of Arizona. To qualify for this status, the District Governors of all three districts as well as the District Governor Nominees signed documentation certifying that at least two-thirds of all Rotary Clubs in each of the three districts had elected to support their districts' participation in the multidistrict activity. On October 7, 1993, Spencer Robinson, Jr., who was the General Secretary of Rotary International at that time, signed a document certifying that the Rotary International Board of Directors had authorized Districts 5490, 5500, and 5510 to continue to be organized and conduct this multidistrict service activity. For readers who enjoy Rotary history and would like to see a copy of this historic document,CLICK HERE.
The current Board of Directors of TRVFA has established an ambitious fundraising goal for this anniversary year of $300,000, with the hope of growing beyond each successive year going forward.
Donations to TRVFA qualify for the Arizona income tax credit for donations to a Qualifying Charitable Organization (QCO code is 20698). For most donors, their donation may not cost them anything in the long run. Since they receive a dollar for dollar credit on their state income tax - they will either pay an equally smaller amount when they file their tax return or receive a larger refund.
For TRVFA to qualify as a Qualifying Charitable Organization, grant recipients must meet specific low income guidelines and reside in the State of Arizona.
The vocational education grants provided by TRVFA are currently limited to $2,000 per scholar in order to be able to serve more students. The majority of vocational education programs cost considerably more than that amount. The board has set the ambitious fundraising goal with the hope of increasing that maximum grant amount.TRVFA is the only Qualifying Charitable Organization in Arizona which was formed by Rotarians to work together on a multi-district on-going Vocational Service project. Still managed by Rotary Volunteers, it is hoped that recognition of this 30-year anniversary will be a point of pride, and Rotarians will advocate for support within their clubs and in each Rotarian's circle of influence.
TRVFA grants literally enable the recipients to lift themselves out of poverty, Help someone help themself. Go totrvfa.org and click
The answer is that I got a lot of help along the way. That's not to say that I didn't work hard and struggle, I certainly did. However, along the way various people, often strangers, looked at me and said, "I'm going to take a chance on you and I am going to invest in your future." One of those people was a boss who made me a manager before I was old enough to really know what I was doing. One of those people was a family member who believed in the idea I had for starting a business. There are countless people who contributed to my success and I am grateful.
TRVFA Board Member Diane Ventura-Goodyear is also serving as District Governor of Rotary District 5500 from July 2020 through June 2021. In her role as District Governor, Diane has become very aware that there is a lack of knowledge about The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona as well as some incorrect information that many she comes in contact with believe to be true.
Rotarians attending the District 5495 Conference June 22, 2019 had an opportunity to hear from vocational education grant recipients telling about the profound difference their TRVFA support has made in their lives. CLICK HERE or on the image to watch a video of their presentation.
The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona was recently recognized for our transparency with a 2019 Gold Seal on our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile! GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. More than 8 million visitors per year and a network of 200+ partners use GuideStar data to grow support for nonprofits. In order to get the 2019 Gold Seal, TRVFA shared important information with the public using our profile on www.guidestar.org. Now our community members and potential donors can find in-depth information about our goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress. We’re shining a spotlight on the difference we help make in the world. CLICK HERE or on the image to check out our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile.
