Rotary's Role in Helping Tucson Kids Learn to Read ~ Virtual Meeting

The Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation was established in 1975 to provide a means of receiving and disbursing charitable contributions from members, other Rotary Clubs and the general public.  The Foundation is established as a 501(c)3.  It was noted in a 2017 report that since its inception, the RCOT Foundation has distributed over $5.2 million to various charities.  Over the last 10 years approximately $2,050,000 was distributed to 100 charitable organizations. This is in addition to all of the funds raised and distributed for scholarships to the U of A and Pima Community College and various international projects.
 
Since 2004 the primary fundraising focus from The Foundation and the Club has been the challenge with improving literacy in Tucson.  Secondary focuses have been:
  1. Family/ Life Skills, (including single head of family households): Programs or projects that Tucsonans in need could use developing basic life skills, including but not limited to parenting, financial management, getting and keeping a job and accessing local resources.
  2. Workforce Training, (including all ages and retraining): Training and retraining Tucsonans for careers that will be important to improving the local economy and earnings for individuals.
Today, however, we are going to bring everyone up to date regarding our focus and success while addressing literacy.
 
Jim Murphy ~ Biography
 
Jim Murphy, has been a resident of Tucson since 1946, graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School and attended the U of A.  He had a public service career of over 40 years having been elected as a member of the Tucson City Council, twice elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors and serving 22 years as an Assistant County Administrator.  He has been an owner/partner of three small businesses, and has been and still is very active in nonprofit leadership.  He started Rotary in 1997 and has served on the Board of Directors  and the Foundation Board, as President of the Club (2004-05), the Chair of a District RYLA (1999-2000), and Chaired  the District Centennial GALA (2005). Jim is a Paul Harris Fellow, Chaired the 11th Annual TCCS and was honored with the Orville S. McPherson award.   He is married to Connie (PHF) and has two daughters (PHF) and three grandchildren (PHF); his son-in-law is also a PHF.  His business card notes “In Transition” as his business reference. 
Sponsors