New Member Induction

We inducted three new members to the Club on Friday.  Brandi Caudill, from First National Bank, returning member Greg Wiemken, and his son Bradley Wiemken.  The Wiemkens are joining as community partners with their podiatry practice.

Club and Foundation Giving

At this month’s club meeting, we took a deep dive into how our donations are made, what the Strongsville Rotary Foundation supports, and how we—as members—can guide that process.

A $250 sponsorship request for a preschool prom sparked thoughtful discussion at the board level. This raised a broader question—how well do we, as a club, align our giving with what members most value?

From there, we reviewed the history and role of the Strongsville Rotary Foundation, founded in 1994 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which allows donations to be tax-deductible. The Foundation and Club have distinct roles: the Foundation supports larger, charitable contributions, while the Club handles smaller, local initiatives and projects.

Over the years, we’ve donated over $1 million to charitable causes and over $280,000 in scholarships. Notable projects include:

$145,000 to the Strongsville Food Bank

$43,000 for the Wintergreen Cabin

$25,000 for Pat Catan football stadium

$15,000 for the high school music department’s grand piano

$61,000 for Ukrainian relief efforts

Ongoing support for Camp Cheerful, Southwest General, Safety Town, and more

Financial trends showed strong giving rebounding post-COVID, with a combined $116,000 in donations in 2024, up from a low of $37,000 in 2021.

The presentation emphasized the importance of member-driven donation ideas, transparency, and thoughtful stewardship. Several ideas were raised to improve the process:

Creating a formal application process for larger donations

Making donation decisions a two-month process to allow better vetting

Encouraging recipients to report back on the impact of our giving

Hosting quarterly town hall-style meetings for open club discussion

We closed the meeting with a live poll asking members to rate how strongly they support different types of charitable programs. Here’s what stood out:

Most Strongly Supported Causes:

Community Programs – 4.6 / 5 average

Child-Centered Programs – 4.4

Veterans Programs – 4.3

Educational Programs – 4.2

Moderately Supported:

Disaster Relief – 3.7

Health and Wellness – 3.7

Lower Priority:

Sports Programs – 3.2

This insight helps guide our giving priorities moving forward and ensures our Foundation funds reflect what matters most to our members.  If you would like your voice to be heard board meetings are open for all club members to attend and share their opinion, or you can talk directly to the board members.