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By
JEAN B. REYNOLDS
Editorial Assistant
The
Navy League's commitment to the educational goals of sea-service
families was significantly advanced this summer through the creation of
the Navy League National Foundation, which is believed to be
the first charitable foundation ever formed by the Navy League. The
principal goal of the new organization is to greatly expand the number
of scholarships awarded by and through the Navy League in the coming
years.
"The
creation of this foundation is the result of both a shared vision and a
steadfast commitment held by some of the Navy League's most involved and
dedicated members," said Navy League National President John R.
Fisher. "Through the Foundation we have the opportunity to provide
a focus for our charitable intentions and to really make a difference in
people's lives."
Over
the last 10 years, the Navy League has awarded scholarships to numerous
deserving children of sea-service families, "principally through
the dedicated efforts of the Navy League's Scholarship Committee,"
Fisher pointed out. In June, the Navy League Board of Directors voted to
accept the committee's recommendation to disband the committee itself
and create the Foundation as a separate, independent, but supporting
organization of the Navy League. The Foundation is governed by its own
15-member Board of Trustees, the chairman of which is appointed by the
national president of the Navy League.
"The
scholarship program has virtually unlimited potential, both in terms of
benefiting the sea services and in attracting charitable support,"
said Edward J. Campbell, chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees
and a member of the Navy League's National Advisory Council.
"Creating the Foundation enables us to credibly approach both
internal and external constituents on behalf of this outstanding
cause."
Several
Navy League members already have included the scholarship program among
their charitable priorities. Barbara Cameron of Las Vegas, Nev., endowed
a scholarship in 1994 in memory of her husband, Wesley C. Cameron.
"Wesley always wanted to help students," she said. "So I
knew this would be a truly meaningful way to honor his life. Every year
a student from a sea-service family is assisted with college expenses in
his name. I am very proud of both my association with the Navy League
and of this gift. And I really enjoy receiving the letters from the
young men and women recipients as they describe their ambitions and
their hopes for their futures."
The
scholarships obviously mean a great deal to the students as well.
"I am thankful from the bottom of my heart," said Adele
Grundies, the 1999 winner of the Stanley Levinson Scholarship.
"Every day I am exhausted from the energy it takes to complete my
school work and still participate in extracurricular activities. It is
awards like this that validate my efforts and help me to keep
striving."
Gifts
in honor and in memory of important individuals and events promise to be
a substantial focus of the Foundation's development efforts. Karen
Coltrane, a development professional with 10 years of nonprofit
fundraising and public relations experience, was hired in August to
serve as the Foundation's executive director.
"People
are using charitable giving much more often as a means for expressing
admiration, appreciation, or congratulations," Coltrane said.
"Scholarship endowments--and even annual gifts to the general
scholarship fund--in honor or memory of spouses, children, mentors, and
others are a wonderful way to demonstrate how much people mean to us
while also helping some deserving young person who needs assistance with
the cost of higher education."
There
is little doubt that the need exists, as more than 600 requests for
scholarship applications already have been received for next year's
awards.
Thanks
to the hard work of the Scholarship Committee and the generosity of Navy
League members over the last 10 years, the Foundation was able to begin
operation with 12 named endowments. A percentage of the income generated
from the endowments is carefully invested and used to fund each student
award, ensuring that the scholarships will be granted into perpetuity.
"Careful stewardship of the endowment fund is probably the most
important responsibility of the Foundation," said Albert H.
Friedrich, chairman of the Foundation's Finance Committee and a past
national president of the Navy League. "Donors want to know that
their money is safely invested and is being used as they have directed.
We take those responsibilities very seriously."
Managing
the risk associated with the investment portfolio is not the primary
concern for E.G. "Scotty" Campbell--who, with his wife Renee,
funded the Navy League's first endowed scholarship in 1989. "I said
this when we made our first payment on our scholarship," he said,
"and I know now how true it is today: The only risk involved with
this important cause is the risk of not giving enough."
For
additional information about the Foundation and about the several
possible ways of contributing to the Navy League scholarship program,
e-mail Matt Schatzle at mschatzle@navyleague.org
or telephone (703) 528-1775. The address is 2300 Wilson Boulevard,
Arlington, Va., 22201-3308.
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