Chapter 21, Partners outside Rotary: formalizing what you already know¶
Your members already know these people¶
Look around the table at your next club meeting. One of your members is a volunteer firefighter. Another sits on the city council. A third is a Red Cross member. Your past president knows the hospital director. A member's spouse runs the local branch of a social relief organization.
These personal connections are a considerable asset. But informal personal connections do not survive a change of presidency, the departure of a member, or the chaos of a disaster at 3 a.m.
The objective of this chapter: turn your personal ties into operational protocols. A phone number in a personal address book is useless if the owner of the book is themselves a disaster victim.
The 5 families of partners¶
1. Rescue and emergency¶
| Actor | What they do in a disaster | Contact to prepare | What Rotary adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Cross / Red Crescent | Shelters, first aid, water, restoring family links | Local delegate | Funding, additional logistics, volunteers |
| Fire and rescue services | Emergency rescue, extrication, fires | Brigade commander | Logistical support (member vehicles, facilities) |
| EMS / medical emergency services | Emergency medical care, triage | Medical director | Patient transport, logistical support |
| Civil protection | Official coordination, evacuations | Regional / local authority | Human resources, professional expertise |
| ShelterBox | Emergency shelters, survival kits | rotaryrequest@shelterbox.org | Field coordination, needs assessment |
ShelterBox deserves special attention. It has been an official Rotary partner since 2012, specialized in emergency shelters. When a disaster destroys housing, ShelterBox can deploy family tents, survival kits (cooking utensils, blankets, tools), and modular shelters. Activation goes through DNA-RAG or directly by email to rotaryrequest@shelterbox.org.
2. Humanitarian and social aid¶
| Actor | What they do | Contact to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Caritas / Catholic Relief / faith-based aid networks | Food aid, clothing, support | Local manager |
| Salvation Army | Food, shelter, emergency aid | Local captain |
| Food Bank | Food distribution | Director |
| UNHCR | Protection of displaced persons | Regional office |
| Migrant / diaspora associations | Translation, cultural support | President |
3. Faith communities¶
Faith communities are often the first to mobilize. They have reception halls, established solidarity networks, and a trust relationship with the most vulnerable communities. In a disaster context, these are not rescue organizations, they are community anchor points.
| Community | Typical resources |
|---|---|
| Catholic / Protestant parishes | Meeting rooms, volunteer network, food aid, moral support |
| Mosques | Solidarity network, reception space, food aid |
| Buddhist / Hindu temples | Quiet spaces for psychological support, community network |
| Synagogues | Mutual aid network, community logistics |
Concrete action: Identify the 3-4 main places of worship in your intervention area and make contact with their leaders. Not to talk religion, to talk logistics and reception capacity.
4. Local authorities and public services¶
| Actor | Role in a disaster |
|---|---|
| City hall / municipality | Official coordination, opening gyms and halls, emergency housing |
| County / regional council | Financial resources, logistical support |
| Water / electricity / gas utilities | Restoring networks, emergency shutoffs |
| Schools and colleges | Potential emergency shelters (gyms, cafeterias) |
5. Local economic actors¶
| Actor | Resources in a disaster |
|---|---|
| Large retailers | Food donations, bottled water, hygiene products |
| Transport companies | Trucks, vehicles, logistics |
| Hotels | Emergency housing (under agreement with the municipality) |
| Pharmacies | Medicines, essential products |
| Gas stations | Fuel for generators |
| Construction contractors | Debris removal, tarps, temporary repairs |
Formalizing partnerships: the MOU¶
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a document that formalizes mutual commitments between your club and a partner. It does not necessarily carry binding legal value, but it clarifies who does what, with what means, and within what framework.
When to sign an MOU¶
- Any partnership that exceeds 2 weeks or 5,000 USD
- Mandatory for Global Grants (TRF requires it)
- Recommended for recurring partnerships (local Red Cross, city hall, field NGOs)
- Useful for preventive agreements (before the disaster)
Essential contents of an MOU¶
| Article | Contents |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Type of disaster, area, target population, duration |
| Rotary commitments | Funding, volunteers, material, district coordination |
| Partner commitments | Staff, expertise, logistics, reports |
| Budget | Breakdown by line item, payment terms |
| Coordination | Meeting frequency, focal points, reports |
| Communication | Mutual mention, Rotary logo usage, photos |
| Duration and termination | Dates, renewal conditions, notice period |
| Stewardship | Interim and final reports, supporting documents, impact evaluation |
The complete MOU template is available in the Operational Templates (form 8). Print a few blank copies and keep them in your emergency kit. In the middle of a disaster, being able to pull out a structured document and fill it in within 30 minutes with a partner is a real operational advantage.
The OCHA cluster system: for major disasters¶
When a disaster reaches international scale and the United Nations agencies deploy, humanitarian coordination is organized by clusters, thematic groups led by a UN agency.
Your club will probably never work directly with OCHA. But if the disaster is severe enough to trigger an international response, understanding this system allows you to position yourselves intelligently.
The clusters and Rotary's role¶
| Cluster | Lead agency | Possible Rotary role |
|---|---|---|
| Shelter | UNHCR or Red Cross | ShelterBox provides support. Your club can contribute via ShelterBox. |
| Water / WASH | UNICEF | WASH-RAG coordinates the Rotary contribution. WASH Global Grants possible. |
| Food | WFP (World Food Programme) | Local distribution through your club. Financial donations. |
| Health | WHO | Rotarian health professionals as members. |
| Protection | UNHCR | RAGFP + Rotary Peace Fellows. |
| Education | UNICEF / Save the Children | School projects via Global Grants. |
| Recovery | UNDP | Long-term Global Grants for reconstruction. |
How your club fits in¶
A Rotary club can participate in cluster meetings as an observer or local partner. If you are in an area affected by a major disaster with international presence:
- Identify the cluster relevant to your action (WASH if you work on water, Health if you have mobilized doctors, etc.)
- Contact the cluster coordinator via the local authorities or OCHA
- Delegate a member with the time and availability to attend meetings (often daily in the acute phase)
- Share your field data, clusters need local information
Rotary's added value in this context: you are already there. Large international NGOs arrive within a few days, but you have been in the community for years. This knowledge of the ground is irreplaceable.
Building relationships before the disaster¶
Relationships are built before the disaster, not during. A Rotarian who shows up for the first time during a crisis offering to help will be less effective than a Rotarian whose face has been known by the local Red Cross manager for 3 years.
7 concrete actions to take every year¶
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Invite the local Red Cross manager to a club meeting (mutual presentation, not a 45-minute speech, 15 minutes, Q&A, exchange of cards)
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Participate in a civil protection exercise organized by the municipality or regional authority. Send 2-3 members. This gives you visibility and credibility.
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Meet the fire brigade commander once a year. A 30-minute coffee is enough.
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Participate in the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (October 13, UN). Organize a joint event with a local partner.
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Sign a protocol or letter of intent with key organizations (Red Cross, city hall). Not a contract, a one-page document that says "in case of disaster, we will cooperate in the following manner".
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Share your emergency plan with local partners. They will know what you can offer, and you will know what they expect.
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List Rotarians who are also members of other organizations (volunteer firefighters, reservists, Red Cross volunteers). These dual hats are natural bridges between Rotary and rescue actors.
Partner directory: the document to keep up to date¶
Your club's Disaster Coordinator keeps an up-to-date directory of actors present in the territory. Simple format: a table with 5 columns.
| Organization | Type | Contact (name + phone) | What they can provide | Last update |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Red Cross | Rescue | ___ | Shelters, first aid, water | //____ |
| City hall | Authority | ___ | Coordination, gyms, housing | //____ |
| Fire service | Rescue | ___ | Rescue, extrication | //____ |
| Food Bank | Social aid | ___ | Food distribution | //____ |
| Hospital | Health | ___ | Care, triage | //____ |
| ShelterBox | Rotary partner | rotaryrequest@shelterbox.org | Shelters, survival kits | //____ |
| Local transport company | Private | ___ | Trucks, logistics | //____ |
| Parish / mosque | Community | ___ | Rooms, volunteers, social bond | //____ |
Update this directory once a year. Distribute it to all members of the disaster committee. Store it in the cloud AND as a printed version in the emergency kit.