RSM International Charity Foundation

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King, Jr

All of the MBA classes at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) have passionately believed in the ideology expressed above by Martin Luther King, Jr. Therefore, in addition to understanding and appreciating the principles of business strategy, they have invested time and energy in supporting causes with which they identify. The common theme amongst the different classes in recent years has been the education of under-privileged children. Due to the international nature of the RSM, the whole world has been the stage for implementing these projects.
Whilst the various MBA classes and different alumni groups have supported a variety of charities and disaster relief efforts for many years, and a social responsibility student club has been in existence since year 2000, these efforts were formerly not coordinated on an RSM-wide level until recently. A Charity Board that serves to unite the energy of all MBA classes and the Alumni Association has been established by the class of 2008.
The goal of the RSM International Charity Foundation is to empower those in need and create conditions so that they are able to help themselves. This will be attained by taking children off the street and providing them with education and shelter. Once the children have some basic knowledge (e.g. literacy) it will be easier for them to build on this and become ever more knowledgeable.

The RSM International Charity foundation aims to:

• coordinate charitable efforts across the MBA programs
• encourage alumni and students to work together on these issues
• increase interaction among current students in different MBA programs
• ensure documentation and continuity of best practices
• provide substantial support to needy cause for more than a year
• involve RSM school in the charity events

After a significant amount of planning and groundwork by the original organizing committee, the foundation was formally registered in with the Chamber of Commerce in Rotterdam in January 2008. Its status as a non-profit organization makes it eligible to accept corporate donations, and for the donors to be able to claim tax benefits.

Composition

The board is formed of representatives from the full time MBA classes, the Executive MBA classes, the One MBA class, the alumni board members and finally representatives of the school. The board has the flexibility to adopt either a single charity or multiple charities depending upon the wishes of all its constituent members. For the past year and this coming year it was a unanimous decision to support Peduli Anak.