Rotary Club of Columbia

What Rotary Club of Columbia does

The Rotary Club of Columbia is a nonprofit civic organization founded in 1968 and affiliated with Rotary International (District 7620). It operates out of Columbia, Maryland (Howard County) and is led by an elected board of officers and approximately 19 listed members. Its core activities center on local community service and fundraising, with signature programs including the Loan Closet of Howard County (durable medical equipment lending to indigent, elderly, and handicapped residents since 2005), the Dictionary Project (~1,000 third graders annually across seven Howard County elementary schools), Rebuilding Together (home repairs for elderly and indigent residents), and the 4-Way Test Speech Contest (scholarship program). Internationally, the club supports Rotary's PolioPlus eradication effort — including member travel to India for immunization drives — and runs the Maanasi Project in partnership with Bangalore Midtown Rotary, a mental health initiative now serving 187 villages and over 17,000 women, men, and children in India.

The club's revenue model is grantmaking-style rather than commercial, funded by member dues (paid to the club, District 7620, and Rotary International), annual fundraising events, and donations to its own Charitable Foundation. The largest fundraiser, the William Jefferson Memorial Golf Benefit held annually at Hobbits Glen Golf Course, generates up to $45,000 in gross revenue from tournament sponsors, hole sponsors, foursomes, and individual golfers. The Final Four Fundraiser adds approximately $10,000 gross per board through NCAA basketball pool squares, with proceeds supporting Scholar-Athlete Awards. Since its founding, the club has contributed more than $1 million to community nonprofits, organizations, and scholarships. 100% of members contribute annually to the Rotary International Foundation. Outreach and recruitment are community-led: prospective members are invited to weekly Tuesday evening meetings (currently virtual with periodic in-person meetings at Periodic Table restaurant) and referred through existing Rotarian networks. The club uses its Wix-hosted website and a Facebook page as primary channels, with no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or AI/ML component.

Name

Rotary Club of Columbia

Legal name

Rotary Club of Columbia

Website

https://columbiarotary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Rotary Club of Columbia is a 1968-founded nonprofit civic organization in Howard County, Maryland (District 7620, ~19 members) that funds and delivers community service programs — including the Loan Closet, Dictionary Project, Rebuilding Together, and PolioPlus — alongside international humanitarian work such as India's Maanasi Project.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Service Organization

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAFAC

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

SECONDARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDAJAJAG

Student Clubs & Organizations (General Interest, Cultural, Service)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Extracurriculars & Athletics (School-Run)

SECONDARYEDAMAOAB

After-School Public Speaking & Debate Clubs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Public Speaking & Debate Clubs

SECONDARYMPAKACAE

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

Keywords

• Community service organization
• Charitable fundraising programs
• Volunteer service projects
• Humanitarian initiatives
• Nonprofit civic club

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellicott City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Contributions and Donations: 100% of the club's membership makes annual contributions to the Rotary International Foundation. Members pay annual dues to the club, their Rotary district, and Rotary International. The club also accepts donations to its own Charitable Foundation.
2. William Jefferson Memorial Golf Benefit: Annual golf tournament fundraiser held on the second Monday in September. Generates up to $45,000 per year from tournament sponsors, hole sponsors, and individual golfers. Funds are distributed to local nonprofits through the Charity Awards program in spring.
3. Final Four Fundraiser: 100 squares are sold per board for NCAA Final Four basketball game. Raises $10,000 gross per board, with funds going toward Scholar-Athlete Awards program.
4. General Donations: The club accepts donations through its website to the Club's Charitable Foundation. Donors can contribute any amount and write notes specifying their intended purpose.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Rotary Club of Columbia is a nonprofit civic service organization that convenes business and professional leaders for weekly meetings while operating recurring charitable programs (Dictionary Project, Loan Closet, Rebuilding Together, PolioPlus, Maanasi Project, 4-Way Test Contest) and signature fundraising events (William Jefferson Memorial Golf Benefit, Final Four Fundraiser). Funds raised are directed to local community service in Howard County and to Rotary International's global humanitarian mission.

Product overview

The Rotary Club of Columbia is a non-profit service organization (Rotary club) that provides community service programs and fundraising activities rather than commercial technology products. Its programs include the William Jefferson Memorial Golf Benefit (annual fundraiser), Dictionary Project (distributing dictionaries to Howard County third graders), 4-Way Test Speech Contest (scholarship program for high school students), Loan Closet (durable medical equipment lending program), Rebuilding Together (home repair assistance for elderly/indigent residents), Final Four Fundraiser (NCAA pool fundraiser for Scholar-Athlete Awards), PolioPlus (international polio eradication support), and the Maanasi Project (mental health assistance in India). These are charitable programs and community service activities, not commercial products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• William Jefferson Memorial Golf Benefit Annual fundraising golf tournament held at Hobbit's Glen Golf Club to raise charitable contributions for the club's local and international humanitarian programs. Targeted at club members, sponsors, and local supporters.
• Final Four Fundraiser Charitable fundraiser tied to the NCAA Final Four, launched in 2022, that generates contributions for the club's humanitarian mission. Targeted at members and donor networks.
• Dictionary Project Literacy program providing dictionaries to local students as part of the club's community service focus. Targeted at children in Howard County schools.
• Howard County Loan Closet Community service program that loans durable medical equipment to Howard County residents in need. Targeted at local residents requiring mobility or medical equipment.
• Rebuilding Together Volunteer-driven home rehabilitation program supporting low-income homeowners in the Howard County area. Targeted at vulnerable homeowners needing critical home repairs.
• PolioPlus Rotary International's global polio eradication initiative supported by the local chapter through fundraising and awareness. Targeted at international vulnerable populations.
• Maanasi Project International humanitarian initiative supported by the club to address community needs beyond the local area. Targeted at international beneficiaries identified through club partnerships.
• 4-Way Test Contest Ethics and leadership program based on Rotary's 4-Way Test, engaging students and participants in ethical reasoning activities. Targeted at local students and youth participants.

Named customers24 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bangalore Midtown RotarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangalore Midtown Rotary has become a partner in the Maanasi Project, an international mental health initiative started by club member Geetha Jayaram. The project provides medicine and medical assistance to women with varying degrees of mental illness in India, now reaching 187 villages and over 17,000 beneficiaries.
• Rotary International FoundationcoreOthersThe Rotary Club of Columbia's parent organization. 100% of club members make annual contributions to the Rotary Foundation. The Foundation enables Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through health support, education, and poverty alleviation programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Howard West Rotary: One of six other Rotary clubs operating in Howard County, MD. Meets Mondays at 7pm at Turf Valley Country Club. Directly comparable as a sister local Rotary club recruiting from the same Howard County professional pool and running analogous community service programs.
• Columbia Town Center Rotary: Lunchtime Rotary club meeting Wednesdays at 12:15pm at the Columbia Sheraton. Directly comparable as another Howard County Rotary club targeting local business and professional leaders with the same community service mandate.
• Columbia Patuxent Rotary: Friday-morning Rotary club meeting at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center. Directly comparable Howard County Rotary club with identical Rotary International affiliation, member profile, and service focus.
• Ellicott City Rotary: Rotary club meeting at Tersiguel's in Ellicott City, sharing the same District 7620. Directly comparable as a neighboring Howard County Rotary club competing for the same member and donor base in the Columbia/Ellicott City corridor.
• Elkridge Rotary: Rotary club meeting Wednesdays at 6:30pm at The Elkridge Furnace Inn. Directly comparable as another District 7620 Rotary club operating in the same regional market with the same member/business leader target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Lions Clubs International: Global service-club organization with parallel local chapters, similar membership dues + fundraising + community-service model, and analogous health/community causes (e.g., vision, diabetes). Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same civic-service category competing for the same volunteer pool.
• Kiwanis International: Long-established global civic-service club with local chapters targeting business and professional members for community fundraising and service. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same local civic-club category competing for member hours and charitable dollars.

Regional players

• Howard County Community Foundation: Howard County-based grantmaking foundation. Comparable as a regional civic/philanthropy organization operating in the same geography with an overlapping nonprofit-grantmaking mission and overlapping nonprofit beneficiary roster.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rotaryclubofcolumbia
• Xx.com/rotarycolumbia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-rotary-club-of-columbia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rotary Club of Columbia