Rotary International supports and guides Rotarians and clubs in pursuing Rotary’s goals. The highest decision-making body of Rotary International is the annual convention, to which every club has the right to send an official representative and which every Rotarian has the right to attend.

The figurehead of Rotary International is its annually rotating president. For the Rotary year 2025–2026, the RI President is Francesco Arezzo from Ragusa Rotary Club, Italy.

Rotary International’s headquarters is located in Evanston, Illinois, near Chicago. Approximately 530 people work at the headquarters under the leadership of the General Secretary. In addition to the headquarters, Rotary International has seven regional offices around the world. The European and African Office (EAO) in Zurich serves Finnish Rotarians.

The Rotary Foundation is one of the world’s largest private charitable organizations, consistently ranking among the top in transparency and trustworthiness comparisons of such organizations.

The Rotary Foundation coordinates and funds Rotarians’ worldwide service activities. The Foundation’s work is based on voluntary donations and returns on capital, which are channeled into educational projects and humanitarian aid.

An important incentive is the awarding of the Paul Harris Fellow recognition for every thousand-dollar donation. More than one million PHF recognitions bearing the name of Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris, have been granted worldwide.