“The thing that amazes me is the people who maybe have the least to give, give a much greater percentage of their assets than somebody like me.
That's the real story. That inspires me to do more, as well.” --District 6250 2026-27 Governor Scott Ryan, a recent Arch Klumph Society member and Rotarian of the Holmen Area Rotary Club.
Ryan’s take on philanthropy:
- It’s exciting to help fund RI because it makes such an extraordinary difference in people’s lives.
- The rewards that return to a donor exceed those contributed.
- Pay attention to the heroes in your life and emulate them.
What could possibly be more fundamental than drinking water? Scott Ryan, District 6250’s Governor for 2026-27, learned that lesson early on in his Rotary journey, having visited Peru on a Rotary trip. Ryan said “witnessing the gift of clean water” changed his life because he then fully realized the power of Rotary projects. He saw how a relatively small amount of money changed the lives of people who previously had to boil river water to avoid dying.
“Little bio sand filters were literally saving lives. And that’s really how I got to think about giving,” he added.
Ryan soon had the goal of becoming a Paul Harris Fellow and kept going from there, to the point that he has now become an Arch Klumph Society member. These are RI’s largest donors, cumulatively giving $250,000 or more to the Rotary Foundation.
Ryan decided not to wait until he passed away to make a difference for others because he’d “miss the joy of giving.”
“I’m having so much fun and I want to share that with others.” He does so by supporting the 7 Areas of Focus, which he says are so fundamental he couldn’t possibly favor one area over the others.
“I've really enjoyed the problem-solving that Rotary has done that governments and countries haven't been able to solve. And we are doing it without the barriers of politics or religion, or even language.” He says Rotary overcomes it all and tackles problems.
“What I have found is that when I challenge myself to give more, I receive exponentially more in return,” Ryan explains. “I don't understand it, but it seems like in opportunities or relationships, that happens.”
There are plenty of philanthropic heroes out there, and Ryan suggests emulating one you know because each of us can always do a bit more.
“Giving makes you feel good,” he says. “It's a muscle that you exercise. It really can change your perspective on life and humanity, and your purpose.”