Rotary International (RI) supports and guides Rotarians and clubs in their pursuit to promote the Object of Rotary. The highest governing body of RI is the Convention, where every club has the right to send an official representative and where every Rotarian has the right to participate. The spokesperson of RI is the president, whose term is one Rotary year. 

The RI World Headquarters is in Evanston, Illinois, near Chicago. Around 530 people work under the leadership of the Secretary at the Headquarters. In addition to the World Headquarters, RI has seven international offices in various parts of the globe. The Europe/Africa office (EAO) located in Zürich serves Finnish Rotarians.

The Rotary Foundation is one of the biggest private charity actors in the world, and it is repeatedly ranked high in the comparison of these actors with regard to transparency and reliability.

TRF coordinates and finances the global service activities of Rotarians. The work of TRF is based on voluntary donations and on the capital revenue which are channelled to training and education projects and humanitarian aid.

An important incentive is the granting of Paul Harris Fellow Awards, one for each donation of one thousand dollars. Globally, over one million PHF Awards have been granted. Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary.