Laurie Menzel is a Major Gifts Officer for The Rotary Foundation, Zone 33. Laurie’s area of responsibility includes Northern Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Delaware, and part of Tennessee. Laurie works from her home office in Alexandria, Virginia and travels throughout the area to meet individually with donors. Laurie comes to Rotary after three years with Girl Scouts’ Nation’s Capital, the largest Girl Scout Council in the U.S., where she was a key member of their major gifts team. In addition to securing major gifts, she chaired their Planned Giving Outreach Committee, which worked closely with volunteers to identify and cultivate potential planned gifts from their peer members; created major donor recognition events; and trained their board members on fundraising. Prior to moving to the Washington DC area, she spent 13 years in Stuttgart, Germany through her husband’s career in the Air Force. Laurie earned a Master’s degree in Non-Profit Management from Regis University. She is a Rotarian (West Springfield, VA club) and remains active with local community service projects. 

Rotarians from the RC of Kathmandu Mid-Town and Dr. Milan Maharjan, Chairperson of Ear Care Nepal (ECN), appear in the picture below.  The big piece of equipment is an operating microscope that will be used in the performance of ear surgeries.  To the right is a portable, battery operated audiometer, which is used to facilitate ear screening without access to electricity.  This piece of equipment is needed to overcome problems posed by frequent power outages in Nepal; and an impedance meter, a very important diagnostic tool that ECN can now use to perform better diagnoses of ear problems prior to surgery.  Global Grant 1637950 provided this equipment at a cost of approximately $19,000.  The Grant is also paying for the screening of 5000 Nepalese children for hearing problems and ear surgery for 100 good candidates for ear surgery to prevent or reduce hearing loss.

The Rotary Club of Potomac-Bethesda is the international sponsor of this Global Grant.  The Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town is the host Club.  Additionally, financial contributions were provided by the Rotary Clubs of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Metro Bethesda, and Pleasant Valley, New York, as well as various individual donors.