Five Facts

Five Things You Need to Know About Us

 

1. The Four Way Foundation (Foundation) was incorporated in the State of California in April of 2010 as a Public Benefit Corporation.

2. The primary purpose for its creation was to help fund local and international projects for the Rotary Club of Petaluma Sunrise (Club). That is still the case.

3. The Foundation and Club are two separate legal entities that, by law, must operate separately and independently of each other. They each have their own Board of Directors that make policy decisions only for their organization.

The Foundation was formerly known as the Petaluma Sunrise Rotary Foundation. The name was changed in 2025 to help provide clarity of the difference and separation of the two organizations without changing their primary purpose.

4. The Foundation does not involve itself in any Club events, activities or fundraisers. Their only relationship with the Club is that the Foundation provides grants to the Club for Club projects. This is done through a grant process with an Annual Grant and Donor Designated Funds.

The Donor Designated Funds include:

  • Community Service Projects (for projects based in our local community)
  • Fred Rodgers/Vocational Grants (for those interested in non-academic careers)
  • International Projects (including literacy, water and sanitation, maternal & child health, and economic & community development)
  • Kenya Empowerment (Rotary International Global Grant, turning a village into a strong community)
  • Kurt Schau Leadership Development
  • Monarch Butterfly/Environment (growing milkweed for Monarch’s habitat)
  • Petaluma Egg Hunt (free annual community event for children 1-13 years)

Anyone can donate to these funds, and they are to be used only by the Club for projects.

5. The Foundation supports large projects from any non-profit organization that wishes to create a world of difference. In 2021 the Foundation received a bequest from Bob Wahl, a former Club member. The Foundation plans to grow this bequest with additional donations, bequests and investments. However, the Foundation retains the discretion to award any amount to a worthy long-term charitable project.

Click here to see the Grant Guidelines as outlined by the Foundation.