On Saturday, April 16th, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the coastal area of Ecuador in Rotary District 4400, which is a “Sister District” of District 5150. A state of emergency has been declared. While Rotary International is not a “first responder” organization, if you would like to send contributions, our District recommends any one of the following three options:

Questions regarding Disaster Relief Efforts in Ecuador may be sent to leah-reich@att.net.

On Saturday, April 16th, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the coastal area of Ecuador in Rotary District 4400, which is a “Sister District” of District 5150. A state of emergency has been declared. While Rotary International is not a “first responder” organization, if you would like to send contributions, our District recommends any one of the following three options:
  1. Immediate Relief:  ShelterBox USA
    A ShelterBox response team is travelling to Ecuador to carry out assessments of the damage so that immediate deployments can be sent.  http://shelterboxusa.org/news_global.php?id=1391
To contribute via ShelterBox, make checks payable to “ShelterBox USA” and send them to:
         Jim Carriere
         1030 Third Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
ShelterBox is an official Project Partner of Rotary International that provides immediate assistance to people affected by disaster.  Donations made today will replace the gear taken to Ecuador so that ShelterBox is prepared to respond to future disasters worldwide.
  1. Local Rebuilding Effort:  The Rotary Foundation District 5150 Donor Advised Fund
    Recognizing that Rotary’s strengths are in long-term disaster recovery efforts, our District established a Donor Advised Fund where monies may be deposited now and designated at a future time to go to a:
  • Global Grant to aid District 4400 recovery efforts in local communities or
  • Nonprofit organization that specializes in rebuilding infrastructure
To contribute to this fund, make your check payable to “The Rotary Foundation DAF” and on the Memo line, write: “Account #504-Ecuador Earthquake.” Send your checks to:
         Jim Botko
               3006 Topaz Dr
               Novato, CA 94945
       Checks will be collected and sent for deposit in our Donor Advised Fund to be used specifically for
rebuilding efforts in Ecuador.
Please note, with both Options #1 and #2 above, contributions will not receive TRF recognition, but contributions are tax-deductible and each donor will receive a letter acknowledging their tax-deductible contribution.
  1. Local Disaster Relief & Recovery:   Disaster 4400 Disaster Relief Fund
Contributions may be made directly to the Disaster Relief Fund established by District 4400 in Ecuador.  Information about working with a U.S. intermediate bank to contribute funds, along with contact information for District Governor Manuel Nieto, is included below.
Please note, with Option #3, donations to this account will not receive TRF recognition and may not be tax-deductible.
INTERMEDIATE BANK:
CITIBANK
NEW YORK, NY
FEDWIRE or ABA: 021000089
SWIFT CODE: CITIUS33
BANCO DE GUAYAQUIL
ACCOUNT AT INTERMEDIATE BANK: 36140531
BENEFICIARY BANK:
BANCO DE GUAYAQUIL
SWIFT CODE GUAYECEGXXX
BENEFICIARY:
NAME OF CUSTOMER: DISTRITO 4400 DE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
CUSTOMER´S ACCOUNT NUMBER:   41233184
Contact information: District 4400 District Governor Manuel Nieto gob15_16d4400@hotmail.com
Be sure to fully understand the risks and ramifications if you choose to fund a Rotary club or district in Ecuador either directly or through a club foundation.  It can be difficult to track the use of monies and may open club foundations to significant liability. In addition, funds contributed may not be tax deductible for Rotarians.