Lions Clubs International Foundation News
Dear Montana Lions,
Another month and YOUR FOUNDATION continues meeting crisises and meeting needed services all around the world. This presently includes the United Stated with forest fires in the west and hurricanes in the south.
I know I am always asking for your support, but, YOUR FOUNDATION does not stop because of the season or a weekend. The Salvation Army is asking for donations, but, how much of what they receive is used for administration fees just for salaries? I do not know, but I do know how much of the donations given to our Foundation goes to administrative costs. NOTHING! 100% of your dollar goes to provide releif to those in need.
Please consider giving to YOUR FOUNDATION to provide relief to those in need now and the needs in the coming months. We have had 3 hurricanes reach landfall and it is not the height of the hurricane season. Fire season has months to go and who knows what else YOUR FOUNDATION will be called upon to provide relief.
Go to lcif.org/donate and make a donation, even if it is $5. If every Montana Lion donated $5 a month that would be about $8,300 a month or $99,600 a year. We have averaged that in Grants to us for several years, and, there are clubs in Montana with plans to continue providing needed services to our fellow Montanans!
Thank you for your support, PDG Lary Garrison, District 37 LCIF Chair
By MontanaLions2020 USA/Canada Forum Goes Virtual
Now is the time to stay home but still get the benefits of attending the USA/Canada Forum – the premier event for Lions of North America! See the info below and click on the image to go to their web page.
Lions Clubs International Foundation Update
As of July 17, 2020 LCIF has awarded 333 grants totaling $5,128,692 to Covid-19 frontline relief.
For the 2019-20 year 40 individuals and 19 clubs donated a total of $15,951.66 to LCIF from District 37. It is undeniable that we as individuals and as clubs have had a challenging year, however, there are over 1600 individuals and 69 clubs.
2.4% of our members donated a total of $9,061.66 and 27.5% of our clubs made a donation of $6,890.00 with District 37 donating $1,200 to LCIF in memoriums.
This year we closed the $100,000 grant from LCIF toward the state-of-the-art vision equipment used throughout the state of Montana. We also were granted a $95,000 grant to the Laurel Lions for a handicap accessable dock and walkway at the Lions Park. We also have a proposed grant for handicap swings at the Worden, Montana park to be presented to the BOD in August.
For the past several years we as a District have blessed with hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit our communities. From Vision Equipment to and Emergency Generator District 37 has been well served by our Foundation at International.
I do not know what you can afford to give, be it $5 or $5,000,000, but I am certain every Lion in Montana can afford to make a donation that fits somewhere between those amounts. As you make your donations this coming year please remember our Foundation at International. 100% of funds are used for humanitarian needs as well as being tax deductable. Donations can be made at lcif.org/donate, or mailed to LCIF, Dept. 4547 at Carol Stream, Illinois 60122-4547 USA.
Yours in Lionism- Lary
Mid-Winter Rally Scheduled for January 2021
This event has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid Pandemic.
LCIF Update
Dear Montana Lions,
We have come to the end of another Lionistic year, and what a year it has been. A pandemic that has challenged our clubs in ways we never imagined. A loss of meetings, fundraisers, service projects and our annual convention.
The last report shows that only 46.3% of District 37 Lions Clubs supported the Lions Clubs International Foundation this Lionistic year. District 37 received over $100,000 from LCIF for the Lions Park in Laurel for a handicap fishing dock and an Emergency Preparedness Grant during this Lionistic year.
There are several grants being worked on from around our district at this time. Is one of them for your community? Why not? We at District 37 and the former MD37 have received over $1,000,000 dollars during the past 50 years.Your Foundation is there for you, not just every other club around the world. At the same time it needs your support to continue to meet humanitarian needs here in Montana as well as around the world.
Visit lcif.org/donate to donate online and to learn about other ways to give.
Yours in Lionism,
PDG Lary Garrison, LCIF Chair
2020 Club officer Training
District 37 held online club officer training in May of 2020. There were 4 sessions and they were recorded. The recordings are available on YouTube by clicking on the links below:
The District is planning on repeating some of the online training classes in the future. We also hope to have 4 regional in-person training sessions in the Spring of 2021.
CAMPAIGN 100 Extended Due To COVID-19
When visiting clubs I occasionally hear a Lion say we need to take care of the United States first and that they are tired of the United States supporting relief to other countries and that those countries never help us in return. That is not how our Lions Clubs International Foundation works.On some years the Lions of the United States donate more money to the Lions Foundation than is returned in grants to the United States, yet, on other years the Lions Foundation grants more money in grants to the United States than donations from the United States.
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ry day Lions and Lions Clubs worldwide make donations to the International Foundation not knowing when or where that donation will be used. Every day our Lions Foundation receives those same donations not knowing where or when they will be needed. Where will the next fire, flood or earthquake occur? No one knows, but our Foundation is ready to quickly respond anywhere in the world. When will the next hurricane or tornado occur? No one knows, but our Foundation is ready to quickly respond anywhere in North America. Disasters don’t make their needs known until they occur i.e. COVID-19!
Do we make a donation to the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, the Alzheimer’s Association or any other charity with the expectation we or someone we know will be the beneficiary? Most of us are hopeful we or our relatives or friends will never need it, but we do know that someone somewhere will.
In the long run Lions in the United States will hopefully always donate more to our Foundation than we receive, but it is a fact that the majority of our donations are used in the United States.
Because other disasters do not stop for COVID-19, Campaign 100 has been extended for another year. You or your club can make a donation at: [email protected] or by calling 1-630-203-3836. Remember individual donations are tax deductible.
Lary Garrison, District 37 LCIF Chair
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