Rotary International is one of Evanston’s largest employers, one of the city’s largest property taxpayers (averaging $3.8 million a year) and has been an economic anchor for the city for decades, but many Evanston residents are not familiar with the background and mission of the service organization.

Rotary was formed in 1905 in Chicago so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas, form meaningful, lifelong friendships and give back to their communities.

“Rotary was the original LinkedIn,” said John Hewko, chief executive and General Secretary of Rotary International.

Rotary now brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. The organization connects 1.4 million members from more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries.

Local and global

Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping those in need in their own communities to working on global initiatives.

“Rotary has a number of strategic initiatives, including promoting peace, providing clean water and sanitation in developing countries, supporting education, and protecting the environment, but our top philanthropic priority is the eradication of polio,” Hewko said.

The Rotary International Headquarters building, One Rotary Center, is located at 1560 Sherman Ave. in downtown Evanston. Rotary International uses about 45% of the space, and the balance is leased to other organizations. The Rotary building, over the last five fiscal years, has contributed more than $18.7 million in property taxes.

According to Rotary International and city officials, in addition to the more than 700 Rotary employees that work, shop and dine in Evanston, the organization also contributes more than $1 million annually to Evanston’s economy with over 2,000 visits from Rotary members (according to pre-COVID figures).

Rotary has contributed $2.6 billion and countless volunteer hours to the fight to end polio over the last 35 years. The organization launched its polio immunization program, PolioPlus, in 1985.

In 1988, when more than 350,000 people in 125 countries were stricken annually by the disease, Rotary became a leading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), along with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, later became partners too.

Since the GPEI initiative was launched, the incidence of polio has declined 99.9%. Polio is now found in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. So far in 2023, there have been only nine cases of wild polio in these two countries.

Peace Fellowship

The Rotary Peace Fellowship is another major program for the organization. Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded Peace Fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of Rotary’s Peace Centers, located at major universities worldwide. There are both master’s and certificate programs. More than 1,700 Peace Fellows have graduated from Rotary Peace Centers since the program began in 2002.

Rotary raises approximately $430 million annually, with $100 million coming from the Gates Foundation. Local Rotary clubs access these funds by applying for grants that support the strategic initiatives of the organization. In addition to disease eradication, Rotary is focused on community-driven projects that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water and sanitation, grow local economies, support education, protect the environment and provide care for mothers and children.

One Rotary Center is also one of the premier conference centers on the North Shore. The Center includes conference rooms and a 187-seat auditorium offering fully equipped, state-of-the-art spaces and capabilities for a variety of meetings, events, seminars and corporate gatherings. The building’s conference facilities are wired to handle simultaneous interpretation in eight languages, similar to the system used at the United Nations.

“We are honored to have our world headquarters in Evanston,” Hewko said. “Evanston has been a great place to call home, and our visitors are always impressed with its stunning lake views and small-town atmosphere.”

Those interested in learning more about or joining Rotary can visit www.rotary.org and click on the “join” tab. There are several local Rotary clubs in Evanston and the greater Chicago area.

Editor’s note: This story has updated to correct the number of Rotary International employees, the details of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, some polio statistics and the number of Rotary Peace Fellowships awarded.