As a result of the dues increase a couple of years ago there has been a small uptick in the number of members who have described financial hardship as a reason for not being able to renew their memberships. It's been a while since I circulated details of two Foundation funds established to provide some help. Note that one of them is not public and should not be given any external publicity. Directors should contact Lauren Clarke/KB1YDD in the Development office to get the process started if they identify a qualified candidate. -- Tom The Jesse Bieberman Meritorious Membership Grants Approved: <1983 Terms of Reference The name of the membership fund is The Jesse Bieberman Meritorious Membership Fund. The name of the membership grant is The Jesse Bieberman Meritorious Membership Grant. Purpose and Criteria The fund, endowed through the generosity of Mrs. Bieberman and by direct contributions, was established in the name of Jesse Bieberman, W3KT, Past-Director of the Atlantic Division, whose special empathy for the elderly and disabled was well known to the amateur community. The fund is intended to provide for a one-year membership extension for applicants meeting the following criteria: US ARRL membership* of 25 years or more; AND, 65 years of age or older; AND, with a known financial need. (*No foreign members eligible, except at ARRL Executive Vice President's direction). Nomination procedure Recommendations for Meritorious Membership will be accepted only from Division Directors. Recommendations will be forwarded to the ARRL Circulation Department Manager. Grant of membership . . Upon notification from the Circulation Department Manager, the Foundation Treasurer shall transfer funds, from the Jesse Bieberman Meritorious Membership Fund to the ARRL Membership General Fund sufficient to cover the membership fee for those selected, for the period of one year. Circulation Department personnel will then update membership records accordingly. Letters to notify those granted Meritorious Membership shall be prepared by the ARRL Foundation Secretary. Maintenance of the fund Grants shall be made only from the interest income on the Jesse Bieberman Meritorious Membership Fund. Direct contributions shall be solicited for this fund, at least annually, to enable granting a greater number of Meritorious Memberships. To the extent that additional contributions to the fund generate sufficient interest income, additional grants may be made. MS3888/488 The Member-To-Member Matching Fund Approved: April 1999 The fund was created by a concerned ARRL Member in 1999 to provide temporary dues assistance to Full Members of the ARRL (International and Associate Members do not qualify) who would otherwise be unable to pay their dues because individual or family finances have been severely depleted by catastrophic illness, death or disability of a wage-earning family member, loss of job, or similar financial emergency beyond a person's control. Requirements: Nomination of a Member will be made only by a Division Director, who, to the best of their knowledge, agrees that such a financial need exists on the part of said Member. The Fund would pay 2/3's of the Member's annual Full or Full Senior rate dues (rounded up to the nearest dollar) for up to 5 years. The member would be responsible for the remaining 1/3 portion of dues. A Member cannot be eligible for other ARRL dues-rate reductions (Blind, Family, or Youth rates) or for assistance from another ARRL Foundation fund (such as the Jesse Bieberman Meritorious Membership Fund.) *** Information about the fund is to be limited to the ARRL Board family, ARRL Foundation Directors, and appropriate members of the ARRL Headquarters staff. *** Member recipients of this matching fund will remain anonymous, to preserve their privacy. The initial fund donor and all subsequent donors will also remain anonymous. ===== e-mail: k1ki@arrl.org President, ARRL Foundation http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/ Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444