[CQ-Contest] W0AIH Memorial Scholarship

[Allan W Schlaugat]

From KA9FOX:

> Hello all!
>
> I'm excited to relay that a memorial has been created to honor Rev. Paul
> Bittner, WØAIH, after his passing last week.  Since Paul was so giving to
> others, it seemed fitting that there be a way for the giving to continue
> and, with that, "The Rev. Paul E. Bittner, WØAIH, Memorial Scholarship" has
> been created, via the ARRL Foundation. When fully funded, there will be a
> $1,000 scholarship awarded to a young, deserving ham going into college...
> every year... forever!  Such a great way to keep the memory of WØAIH alive!
>
> Hams interested in making this happen can contribute via check or credit
> card. Since the ARRL Foundation is an IRS-recognized non-profit
> organization, donations can be tax deductible. More info on how to donate
> (and about tax deductions) can be found at:
>
> https://www.gofundme.com/w0aih-memorial-scholarship-fund
>
> Please consider making a small contribution (even $5 would help!). Thanks,
> in advance, for your support!!
>
> 73 - Scott KA9FOX
>
> P.S. Please feel free to forward this email to others that may be
> interested in helping us make this happen.
>

Also here are some questions & answers from KA9FOX:

Hello again!  I've received a few questions regarding the WØAIH Memorial
Scholarship and I thought it would be beneficial to share the answers to
these questions with everyone:

*Q) Why do you need $25,000 to establish the scholarship fund?*
A) In order to have a "permanent" scholarship (i.e. an annual scholarship
given in Paul's honor, every year, *FOREVER*), there needs to be enough
funds so that the annual scholarship award is only using the "earnings" on
the fund, and not denting the initial endowment.  More information on the
ARRL's website at http://www.arrl.org/sample-terms-of-reference .  If the
scholarship fund is not fully funded at the $25,000 level, then there will
still be scholarships awarded in Paul's honor, every year, until the fund
is depleted.  Obviously, we would LOVE to have a permanent scholarship
instead, so that we can honor Paul's memory long into the future.  As Paul
was famously known to say: "Think Big!"  Please consider a donation
<https://www.gofundme.com/w0aih-memorial-scholarship-fund> -- every little
bit helps.

*Q) Who will administer the scholarship fund?*
A) The ARRL Foundation, which is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization, and is separate from the ARRL itself, will administer the
fund.  The ARRL Foundation administers about 100 scholarships
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-foundation-announces-2018-scholarship-recipients>
(not
all are permanent).  The ARRL Foundation has its own Board of Directors, as
well as a Scholarship Committee.

*Q) How are the scholarship winners chosen?*
A) Paul's family will be able to give input as to their preferences for the
ideal recipient (i.e. priority given to Dakota or Central Division and/or
going in to the electronics field, etc. -- or they can opt to let the
committee find the best candidate without any special preferences).  The
ARRL Foundation's Scholarship Committee reviews all scholarship
applications, and tries to match the best applicants with these criteria
for each scholarship.  Then the Scholarship Committee presents its
recommendations to the ARRL Foundation Board of Directors for final
approval.

*Q) The GoFundMe website seems to charge fees -- is it better to send a
check, instead?*
A) The only fees that the GoFundMe.com
<https://www.gofundme.com/w0aih-memorial-scholarship-fund> website charges
is standard credit card processing fees, which is 2.9% + 30 cents per
transaction.  On a $20 donation, that amounts to 88 cents, which seems
reasonable, considering the ease and convenience of donating online. The
GoFundMe site also will ask for a "tip" to help run their site, but it is
completely optional and you can set that tip to 0.  To answer the
question... yes, mailing a check to W0UC (payable to "ARRL Foundation" with
"W0AIH Scholarship" in the memo field, would maximize the donation (no
fees). You can also give your donation check to Paul W0UC at the visitation
or funeral service this weekend, if you are attending, and save the stamp.
Those making donations via check will still be listed on the GoFundMe site
as a donor (we will manually add those, as the checks arrive). See the
GoFundMe site for more information on making a donation by check or credit
card, and information about tax-deductions:
https://www.gofundme.com/w0aih-memorial-scholarship-fund

If you have any other questions, feel free to let me know!  Thanks, in
advance, for your help in establishing "The Rev. Paul E. Bittner, WØAIH,
Memorial Scholarship"!!

73 - Scott KA9FOX