27-28 President Resource Hub
Prepare for a successful term.
Welcome, Presidents Elect!
You’re about to begin one of the most meaningful and inspiring journeys in Rotary leadership. As incoming club presidents, you hold the opportunity to shape a year of impact — fostering connection, purpose, and growth within your club and community.
This is your season to prepare, to learn, and to lead with intention. It’s a time to develop your vision, strengthen relationships, and equip yourself with the tools to guide your club to new heights.
This webpage is your one-stop hub — a curated collection of resources, tools, and inspiration designed to support your leadership journey and help you build a year that’s effective, empowering, and fun.
Page Overview
- How to Prepare
- Key Dates
- Rotary Learning Center
- Resources & Reference
- Grant Qualification
- Tools
- Support Team
- Frequently Asked Questions (coming soon)
How to Prepare
Your year as president elect is a vital time to lay the foundation for a successful term. This planning phase allows you to develop and align your vision with your club’s strategic goals and set the tone for impactful leadership.
As president elect, you'll collaborate closely with your assistant governor and incoming club leadership team to shape your club’s direction. Use this year to build momentum, strengthen your leadership skills, and prepare your club for success.
Key Steps to Take:
- Complete online training in the Rotary Learning Center — focus on courses designed for club presidents
- Assess your club’s health by identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks
- Set realistic, measurable annual goals that align with your club’s long-term vision
- Create an action plan to achieve those goals with clear steps, timelines, and accountability
- Appoint your committee chairs early to ensure strong team alignment and project ownership
- Prioritize leadership continuity to maintain momentum across service projects and club operations
- Attend PELS (Presidents Elect Learning Seminar) — your essential leadership launchpad
- Participate in our District Assembly for hands-on learning and networking
This is your moment to plan with purpose — and lead with confidence.
Not sure where to start? Use the President Elect Planning Calendar [PDF] to guide your journey.
Key Dates
Here is an overview of key meetings, trainings or events you should plan to attend. Please contact DGE Tony Villanueva (tvillanueva@lakinspears.com) or 2027-2028 Chief of Staff, Sunny Singh (SunnySFRotary@gmail.com) with any questions:
Date: | Event: | Location: | Time: | |
November 14th, 2026 | Pre-PELS 1 (Register Here) | Rotary Terrace | 7:30am - 2pm | |
Second Wednesday of Every Month until June 9th, 2027. | District Governor Elect -President Elect Monthly Meetings- Via Zoom | Zoom (Already on your calendars) | 5:30pm - 6:30pm | |
| January 9th or January 16th | TRF Learning Session for PEs. | Jan 9th at Rotary Terrace or January 16th at Visual Concepts Entertainment, Novato. (PICK ONE) | 9am to 12pm. (Only go to one of these sessions) | |
February 6, 2027 | Pre PELS 2 & Grants Management Learning | Rotary Terrace | 8:00am–5:00pm | |
March 5-7th, 2027 | FarWest PELS, Mandatory | San Jose Doubletree | ||
March 13th, 2027 | Grants Management Training (Make-up Session) | Rotary Terrace | TBD | |
| March 20th, 2027 | District Assembly | Redwood High School, Larkspur | 7:30am - 2:30pm | |
March - May, 2027 | Post-PELS Training | MyRotary.org (Learning Center) | ||
June 26th - June 30th, 2027 | RI Convention (Register Here) | Barcelona, Spain | ||
July 1st, 2027 | Happy Rotary New Year! LETS GO PRESIDENTS! |
Rotary Learning Center
Rotary International has a robust online learning resource with materials that are designed to help you learn new skills and become more successful in what you do.
Step One: Log-in to Rotary's Learning center by visiting Rotary.org/learn. Use your MyRotary account credentials to log-in. You must log-in first for the links below to work.
Step Two: Click on a course name below to go directly to the course.
Getting Started With the Learning Center (15 mins)
Get Ready: Club President (15 mins)
Managing Club Business (30 mins)
Working With Other Club Leaders (30 min)
Minimizing Risk (15 mins)
Rotary’s Action Plan and You (15 mins)
Best Practices for Engaging Members (45 mins)
Rotary Club Central Resources (15 mins)
Managing Prospective Member Inquiries (30 mins)
Rotary Foundation Basics (Optional, 45 mins)
Vibrant Clubs in Action (15 min)
Creating a Club Culture of Belonging (15 min)
Fostering Engagement and Belonging (15 min)
Preventing and Addressing Harassment (45 min)
Protecting Personal Data (30 mins)
Rotary’s Change Model (30 min)
Resources & References
Ready for a deep dive? Use these manuals to learn more about the role of the Club President and help you begin to build a plan for your term.
Club Awards:
Club Awards (Pending)
DG Visits:
Rotarian of the Month (ROTM)
ROTM List (Pending)
Sites:
Documents:
RI Policies (Pending)
District Policy Manual (Pending)
The Rotary Foundation Reference Guide
TRF Plan (Pending)
Pre-PELS Documents:
PELS (1 & 2 & TRF)
Photos & Videos:
2027 District Assembly Photos - Available in April-May 2027
2027 District Assembly Videos - Available in April-May 2027
Grant Qualification (Update Coming Soon)
Did you know there are grant funds available to do service projects during the 2027-2028 Rotary year (your term as Club President)? District Designated Funds (DDF) provide funding for District Grants and Global Grants. Each Club is allocated DDF annually by our District based on the Club’s prior 3 years of donations to The Rotary Foundation’s (TRF) Annual Fund.
This money is available to clubs that complete the grant qualification process. As President-Elect, you are responsible for helping your club qualify for the grant application process.
- Grant Qualification Requirements. (Update Coming Soon)
- Grants Policies and Procedures (Update Coming Soon)
- DDF Fair Share Transfer Form (Update Coming Soon)
- Grants Management Learning Sessions (you and one other member of your club are only required to attend one)
- February 6, 2027 (Rotary Terrace, South San Francisco)
- March 13 (Rotary Terrace, South San Francisco)
- Documents that MUST be signed and submitted by March 15:
- District 5150 Addendum MOU [PDF]. (Update Coming Soon)
- The Rotary Foundation MOU [PDF]. (Update Coming Soon)
Tools
- How to Pay Your Invoice (Rotary International dues and fees)
- Update your club membership data
- Add club officers to My Rotary
- Add club officers to Clubrunner (Club website| District website)
- Set and track goals in Rotary Club Central | Watch Video Tutorial
- Take a course in the Learning Center
- Three Year Goal Setting_Club
- How to view information EN
- How to set a goal EN
- How to access Rotary club central EN
- How to report progress on a goal EN
Support Team
You have a large network to support you as Club President. Consider reaching out to the following resources for help:
Immediate Past Club President
Club Board Members