Funding the SDGs! Two ways.

Funding these can happen at least two ways without the financial sacrifice of honest taxpayers, adding to government debts, or burdening all non-profit sources with an impossible goal.

Either big business and billionaires will recognize that it is in their own self-interest to achieve the 17 goals quickly and comprehensively.

In June 2023, Bank of America Chair & CEO, Brian Moynihan spoke on the state of the economy, the U.S. financial system, and capitalism.  He said, ‘the SDGs will cost approximately’ “$6 trillion annually”. “Governments are too debt burdened” and “charity is insufficient”. “Business leaders” “like the oil companies” and others must step up and prioritize a balancing of ‘short-term gains’ with ‘long term interests’. ‘Profits must be good for business and society all the way down to the community level’. “Capitalism” “requires a greater purpose than making more profit.” Neither capitalism or profit making is sustainable without these SDG goals being achieved.'  C-span covered this interview hosted by the City Club of Cleveland. Program ID: 529044-1 https://www.c-span.org/video/?529044-1/bank-america-ceo-remarks-city-club-cleveland

Or “We the people” must advocate globally for every government to establish an enforceable means of tapping the private wealth within offshore accounts estimated between $21 trillion and $32 trillion. Much of which should have been funding human development and environmental protection all along.

TRUTH:  There is no shortage of money in the world. Only a lack of wise political will to do what needs to be done for ourselves and future generations.  If not now, when?  If not us, who?  And if not, everyone suffers the consequences.

The Hidden Cost of Secrecy: Offshore Wealth and the Betrayal of Global Responsibility

Between $21 trillion and $32 trillion in Offshore accounts: The greatest source of funding for the SDGs.  

Rotary’s motto is Service Above Self. Addressing offshore secrecy is one of the great service challenges of our time. It’s not about politics—it’s about integrity, equity, and the shared future of humanity.

The vast sums hidden in offshore accounts—estimated between $21 trillion and $32 trillion—represent more than just financial opacity; they signify a global moral crisis. These funds, shielded from public scrutiny, are often wielded by oligarchs, kleptocrats, tax-evading elites, drug cartels, and extremist organizations to consolidate power, fuel corruption, and perpetuate inequality. The secrecy of offshore finance enables a global system where the privileged few avoid the very responsibilities that underpin stable and just societies.

At its core, this secrecy undermines democratic governance. When wealthy individuals and corporations use offshore structures to dodge taxes, they erode the tax base that funds education, healthcare, infrastructure, and environmental protection. The result is a society in which the majority bears the financial burden while a powerful minority siphons resources into private vaults. In many developing countries, this means less funding for clean water, basic medical care, or food security—foundational needs that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are designed to address.

Moreover, the funds hidden offshore are not inert. They are often deployed to corrupt political systems, finance violence, degrade the environment, and protect authoritarian regimes from accountability. The same mechanisms that shelter stolen wealth also protect those who fund deforestation, human trafficking, and fossil fuel exploitation. These actions are not victimless crimes—they leave real people hungry, sick, and vulnerable.

Redirecting even a fraction of this offshore wealth toward the SDGs could catalyze transformative change: ending extreme poverty, ensuring universal education, securing climate resilience, and building fair economies. But this requires not just policy reform—it requires public outrage, transparency, and global cooperation.

In a world of abundant wealth, it is not scarcity but secrecy that threatens human progress. Breaking open the offshore vaults is not just an economic imperative—it is a moral one.

This is a Rotary International opportunity for uniting humanity.

An excellent and strategic focus given Rotary members, global reach, community credibility, and commitment to service, Rotary is uniquely positioned to help build the political will to address offshore financial secrecy—without engaging in partisan politics. 

What follows is a list of specific, nonpartisan actions to be undertaken and shared with all other organizations committed to bringing sanity to humanity:

Humanity's Call to Conscience: Unmasking Offshore Wealth to Fund the Global Good

Rotary and other organizations have long stood for ethical leadership, community service, environmental protection, human rights, and justice for all.  Yet today, a quiet crisis undermines those very values: trillions of dollars are hidden in offshore accounts, beyond the reach of governments and communities. These funds—estimated between $21 and $32 trillion—often belong to oligarchs, corrupt officials, organized crime networks, and wealthy individuals avoiding taxes. This isn’t just a financial issue; it’s a humanitarian one.  And much of this hidden wealth should have been invested in human and environmental health. With health and education being the twin engines of community development and non-violent global sustainability. 

This hidden wealth persistently deprives societies of the resources needed to build hospitals, educate children, feed the hungry, and protect the environment. It also enables behaviors that destabilize democracies, empower authoritarian regimes, and destroy ecosystems. While Rotary and many NGOs work tirelessly toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), these goals remain chronically underfunded—not because the money doesn’t exist, but because too much of it is locked away from public benefit.

But there is hope. Because Rotary is nonpartisan, respected, and global, and its members can speak with moral authority across political divides. We can be the voice that says: It’s time to shine light into the shadows while uniting other organizations to join in this vital and urgent task. 

What Rotary Members and others can do (Nonpartisan Actions):

 1.     Educate and Inform:

o    Host public forums or club programs on the impact of offshore finance on poverty, education, and climate.

o    Invite speakers from groups like Transparency International, the Tax Justice Network, or investigative journalists to share insights.

 2.     Promote Transparency Standards

o    Advocate for beneficial ownership transparency (knowing who actually owns companies and trusts) at local and national levels.

o    Support open contracting and financial disclosure in Rotary’s public service partnerships.

3.    Engage Fellow Rotarians Globally

o    Partner with clubs in other countries to raise awareness about how secrecy jurisdictions harm both rich and poor nations.

o    Launch a Rotary Action Group or task force on “Ethical Finance for Sustainable Development.”

 

4.     Support Legislative Reforms (Nonpartisan Framing)

o    While Rotary avoids partisan politics, members can support transparency legislation on a personal level and encourage civic dialogue about financial fairness.

o    Promote public registries and anti-money laundering enforcement as tools for good governance, not partisan goals.

 

5.     Amplify the Message

o    Publish op-eds, social media posts, or club newsletters about the ethical and economic cost of secrecy.

o    Use Rotary’s global platforms—such as international conferences or the Rotary Foundation—to highlight the need to redirect hidden wealth toward the SDGs.