PRID & Trustee-Elect of The Rotary Foundation A.S. Venkatesh in Conversation with ARRFC & PDG Sandip Agarwalla
ARRFC & PDG Sandip Agarwalla: I have prepared a few questions that touch on your vision for the Foundation’s future, the evolution of membership, and your personal leadership journey. Dwelling on vision and future impact, how is The Rotary Foundation adapting its funding priorities or global grant structure to address emerging world challenges such as climate change or post-pandemic recovery that might not fit neatly into the current seven areas of focus?
PRID & Trustee-Elect, TRF, A.S. Venkatesh: Thank you, Sandip. First, let me thank everyone here for inviting me, especially Sandip, my good friend, and for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts. It is always a privilege to be invited to the Rotary Club of Bombay. It is also a chance to meet some of my old friends. I am seeing Saurabh Sonawala after a long time. Those of you who may not be aware, Saurabh and I did our engineering together years ago. If I tell you the number of years, you will guess my age, so I am not going there. We were classmates at IIT Madras long back, so it is nice to see Saurabh here.
Going back to the question, Sandip, adaptability is one of our Action Plan focus areas. So we can adapt to emerging needs and emerging requirements. However, let us not forget that The Rotary Foundation is an elephant. It takes time to move. It is not a cheetah that can turn around quickly. It takes time because we are a large establishment present in over 150 to 200 countries with 1.2 million members. So it takes time to make some changes. But having said that, we have never been found wanting in times of crisis, emergencies, or immediate needs. For example, post-COVID, we had COVID grants immediately disbursed. Almost 175 districts got COVID grants immediately. So we were quick to adapt. Even during the Ukraine war, we created a fund on humanitarian grounds, not political grounds. So we have demonstrated our ability to adapt, which we have done in the past and will do in the future as well.
Coming to areas of focus. Honestly, till date, I have not come across a project other than building construction that could not fit into an area of focus because they are so all-encompassing. Even what you mentioned about climate change fits in because we now have Environment as one of our areas of focus, which was not there about 10 to 15 years ago. We realised the need for adding that, and we did so. Right now, other than building construction, I cannot think of any project that does not fit into an area of focus. If you do come across any such project, I will be happy to take it to the Trustees and create another area of focus if need be. Our aim is to ensure humanitarian needs are met, and whatever it takes to do so, we will do.
Sandip Agarwalla: I have always maintained that Rotary presents each one of us a with canvas in which you can paint in many colours. What is the Foundation doing to make the impact of grants more visible and accessible to new and younger members who may be more digitally focused, helping them connect local fundraising efforts directly to global results?
A.S. Venkatesh: I need to go back a little for this question. Fundraising efforts are not the starting point for any Rotarian’s engagement in Rotary or The Rotary Foundation. Engagement should start with being part of a project, not necessarily fundraising. Fundraising will come automatically. The moment you are engaged, aware, and have a lived experience of what a project does to the community and beneficiaries, fundraising will happen automatically. So the starting point should really be investing your time and getting engaged in some activity.
If you permit me, I want to share a short story which I studied during my IIM days. It was about the confectionery mix maker, Betty Crocker. When Betty Crocker launched this cake mix in the 1950s, it was a wonderful product, and everybody knew how tasty it was, but the sales did not take off. They placed it in every supermarket in the United States, yet it did not take off. Then someone had a bright idea. They removed the egg from the mix and sold it without the egg, asking customers to crack an egg and add it themselves. The sales then boomed. What changed was that it became my cake. Earlier, it was Betty Crocker’s cake. Now I was contributing by adding the egg.
That is applicable to Rotary. It has to become my Foundation. Giving money alone does not make it mine. I need to be part of it and have hands-on experience. So my message to the younger generation, digital or otherwise, is simple. Give them a chance to play a part in a project. Fundraising will come later. Let them experience the joy of making a difference personally.
Sandip Agarwalla: How can The Rotary Foundation help Rotarians better articulate its value to potential new members and the public? And what are your favourite success stories to share other than polio?
A.S. Venkatesh: Polio is Rotary’s success story, but individual stories resonate more deeply. What affects you personally is what you remember. Let me share one. Before global grants, we had matching grants. There was a small event in my Club where we donated 50 benches to a Panchayat Middle School in Kattankulathur on the outskirts of Chennai. At that time, I had no understanding of the Foundation. I was simply asked to put up the banner and later collect it.
After the programme, one girl stayed back, seated on the bench, while everyone else went out. I asked her why she had not gone. She said this was the first time in her life that she was sitting on a bench instead of the ground. She wanted to experience it for some more time. Then she said something that changed my perspective. She called me God because I had given her this opportunity. I felt ashamed because I had not contributed anything to the Foundation then.
On the way back, I called my Club President and asked what I could do. He said I could become a Paul Harris Fellow. I immediately wrote a cheque. That day I felt I had earned perhaps one per cent of the credit she had given me. This experience changed me. My message to younger members is simple. Do not be spectators. Be players. Participate and experience it. Then you will spread the message naturally.
Sandip Agarwalla:
We have a lot of khiladis (players) in our club, so there is no need to worry about that. Beyond PolioPlus, are there plans to create another signature, easily marketable campaign that every Rotarian from every country, regardless of club size, can rally behind to increase public awareness?
A.S. Venkatesh:
Whatever I say is only guesswork. If you ask me whether there is a corporate project in the pipeline, as far as I know, no. The reason, I think, is that we are still not completely out of polio. It is not fair to talk about another project and dilute our efforts towards a cause we have been struggling with for over 30, 35, even 40 years. So it is unlikely that a corporate project will be announced until polio is eradicated.
Secondly, what could that project be? The way I see Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation functioning in the last five to ten years, there has been increasing emphasis on regionalisation and regional autonomy. What works in the United States may not work in Japan. What works in Japan may not work in India. What works in Brazil may not work in Europe. Rotary realises that one size does not fit all. Therefore, the way forward is to let each region decide what works best for them. I doubt there will be a single corporate project going forward. It will likely depend on regional relevance.
Sandip Agarwalla:
About your Rotary journey, Venky. What inspired you to join Rotary, and what has kept you engaged through becoming a Past Governor, Past Rotary International Director and now Trustee-Elect?
A.S. Venkatesh:
If I follow the Four-Way Test and respond honestly, it might be politically incorrect given my current position, but the truth is that I did not join Rotary to do service. That was the last thing on my mind. I joined Rotary to make friends outside my profession and business.
For the first couple of years, I had nearly 100 per cent attendance because I got to meet people outside my profile. That is why I joined Rotary. However, that is not why I stayed. Today, what keeps me engaged is the difference I can make in people’s lives.
When I studied at IIT, our fees were extremely low. Less than ₹2,000 for my entire B.Tech. It certainly cost the institute far more to educate me. That means thousands of taxpayers funded my education without even knowing me. If I had the right to benefit from society, I also have a duty to give back. The Rotary Foundation gave me the opportunity to contribute without knowing who the beneficiaries are, just as those taxpayers did not know me. That is what keeps me in Rotary today.
Sandip Agarwalla:
You make an important point. The Peace Programme of Rotary is not fully understood, yet it is one of the largest commitments of the Foundation beyond polio. Could you explain its significance?
A.S. Venkatesh:
Peace is often misunderstood as the absence of war. It is not. Many of us have never seen war, yet are we truly at peace? Peace means knowing you can sleep tonight without worrying about where your meal will come from, or wake up tomorrow without fearing disease.
Rotary’s peace initiatives aim to provide a safe ecosystem where people can live without fear. Recently, the latest Peace Centre opened in Pune at Symbiosis University. Graduates from these centres work globally in conflict zones to help communities live in stability.
I remember visiting a Rotary-supported school in Barbados. The school also housed a dispensary and a meal centre. Children told me they were happy because they received food and medicine. That is peace. Not the absence of war, but access to basic needs.
Sandip Agarwalla:
This is very far-reaching because our Peace scholars, who are fully sponsored by The Rotary Foundation, go back into society. They may join think tanks or NGOs and may not always join Rotary, in fact very few do. However, even if they work with other organisations and contribute to positive peace in the way you described, the world still benefits.
If we now look at corporate synergy and consider your background in corporates, how can Rotary better bridge the gap between corporate social responsibility and the grassroots service model of our clubs?
A.S. Venkatesh:
For any organisation to grow, not by small margins but exponentially, partnerships are essential. You cannot hope to double what you are doing by working alone in a short span of time. In the corporate world, this is called mergers and acquisitions. In Rotary, we call it partnerships.
You need to join hands with like-minded organisations or those who fill gaps in your plans. For example, if we want to undertake projects requiring one billion dollars and our annual collection is around 400 to 450 million dollars, how do we reach that level? By partnering with others.
This is where corporates come in. They complement our strengths. They have resources but lack the grassroots volunteers we have. We have the volunteers, but not the same financial capacity. When we join hands, both aspirations are met. Corporates want to make a difference but lack foot soldiers. We want to make a difference but lack the scale of resources. Together, this partnership ensures long-term sustainability.
This is exactly what we are doing in India today. Rotary Bombay would be very familiar with CSR, which is now an India-specific activity of the Rotary Foundation. There was an opportunity to raise more funds through CSR in India, and the Foundation amended its framework to accommodate this. It was a way of adapting to emerging needs. As a result, CSR funding has grown because it complements both sides.
Sandip Agarwalla:
Thank you. Venky, you are well-regarded for your thoughts on growth and the Rotary experience. Looking at the next generation, beyond flexibility, what fundamental change must we make to Rotary’s value proposition to appeal to leaders of 2026 and beyond?
A.S. Venkatesh:
I would like to think I am still quite young, but since you are asking about youngsters, let me refer to feedback from focus groups of people aged between their twenties and thirty-five.
Three key points emerged. First, they do not want speeches. Second, they do not want fixed time commitments. We often mistake attendance for engagement in Rotary, and that must change.
If everyone attended every meeting at the Rotary Club of Bombay, subscriptions would likely need to double because most Clubs operate on financial cross-subsidy from absentee members. We accept this because it works for us, but to attract younger members, we need a mindset shift.
They do not need weekly speeches. They already access information through Google, AI, Meta and other platforms. Traditional talks are no longer appealing. Similarly, networking is no longer a physical activity alone. This generation is networked continuously online.
Our traditional selling points, such as attendance and networking opportunities, are no longer sufficient. We must adapt. Encourage them to lead projects in their own communities, even if they cannot attend meetings regularly. Over time, they may integrate more fully into Rotary. Initially, we must help them realise their own aspirations rather than expecting them to align with ours.
Sandip Agarwalla:
The Foundation places strong emphasis on sustainability, and global grant applications involve rigorous scrutiny. How do you balance running a multi-million dollar foundation with Rotary’s volunteer spirit?
A.S. Venkatesh:
The Rotary Foundation provides funds, while Rotary clubs and districts provide people. There is no competition between the two.
Some regions need resources while others have surplus. The Foundation connects these needs. It essentially matches those who require assistance with those who can provide it.
Going forward, I believe the Foundation should move away from small projects and allow districts and clubs to handle them. Instead, it should focus on large-scale initiatives through grants. Sustainability comes with scale.
Currently, we have one Programme of Scale each year. Perhaps we should aim for ten. Projects such as malaria elimination in Zambia, cervical cancer vaccination in Egypt, or agricultural initiatives in Maharashtra and Gujarat demonstrate the impact of scale.
Sandip Agarwalla:
Finally, for aspiring leaders at various levels, what is one piece of guidance for those who wish to grow but do not know where to begin?
A.S. Venkatesh:
I hesitate to call it advice. I can only share my experience. I have never declined an assignment in Rotary, whether at Club, district, zone or international level.
Even if the role seemed smaller than one I had previously held, I accepted it. Anyone who wishes to grow should do the same. Accept opportunities and demonstrate your capability through action.
Sandip Agarwalla:
Venky, as we conclude, thank you for sharing your insights. Your transition to the Foundation comes at a critical time, and it is reassuring to know that its future is in capable hands. We look forward to following your journey as Trustee-Elect and beyond.