Rotary is a volunteer service organization. At the heart of each club are service projects designed to return value to local, national and international communities.

The Rotary Club of Five Points is no exception to the mission of Rotary. We perform several major service projects on a yearly basis (described below) and others as they arise.

Funds Disbursement – The Rotary Club of Five Points raises money by parking cars at University of South Carolina home football games.  Approximately half the money collected is distributed to South Carolina Education Television (SCETV). The Rotary Club of Five Points distributes the remainder of the funds to non-profit organizations. 

If you are interested in applying for a contribution to your non-profit organization, please submit the Funds Disbursement Form along with a Letter of Request on your organization’s letterhead and a current Financial Report for your organization.

Request for funding must be received by May 1 in order to be considered. Mail request to: Rotary Club of Five Points, PO Box 5472, Columbia, SC  29250.

The Rotary Foundation – Each member of the Rotary Club of Five Points is an active contributor to The Rotary Foundation, the international charitable endowment of Rotary International. Grants made by the Rotary Foundation impact the world from the local to global level.  Click for more information.

The Cart Fund – The Rotary Club of Five Points actively supports the Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (CART) Fund by collecting change at each club meeting.

SCETV Telethon – On one night each Spring, Rotarians from our club staff the SCETV call center on a volunteer basis. Funds raised for SCETV’s endowment from our parking project are also presented at this time.

Youth Initiatives – The Rotary Club of Five Points engages in at least three youth related projects each year and others as they arise. Two of our youth projects focus on the Richland County School District 1 Schools that serve the Five Points area of Columbia. A teacher appreciation luncheon which recognizes teachers and provides a small gift for classroom supplies is held annually. A Dictionary Project, which distributes free dictionaries to elementary age children is also held annually. Finally, the Club does a “backpack” project each year where children’s backpacks are filled with toys and personal items. These backpacks are donated to the SC Department of Social Services who provide them to children during emergency intervention situations.

International Initiatives – The Rotary Club of Five Points has been a participant in the Gift of Life program where children from poorer countries are brought to the United States for surgery – at no cost. We have also sponsored a water project to provide clean water to a community in Ecuador. Finally, we are active supporters of the global outreach programs of Rotary International such as the Ambassadorial Scholarship Program and Group Study Exchange Program.