Policies And Procedures For Scholarship Funds

Each Scholarship Fund shall be administered and operated in the manner set forth in the document or documents establishing such Fund (hereinafter called the "Fund Agreement"), to the extent consistent with the following policies and procedures. Each such Fund shall be subject to WCF's Bylaws, to WCF's Procedures for Establishment and Operation of Funds and Affiliated Trusts, and to this instrument. Any fund of WCF, regardless of its date of establishment, is a Scholarship Fund that is subject to these policies and procedures to the extent a scholarship or scholarships may be granted therefrom to or for the benefit of a selected or designated individual or individuals.

A. ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND

The Fund Agreement may contain provisions governing:

  1. The name of the Fund
  2. Identification of the persons or class of persons eligible to apply for grants
  3. Selection criteria
  4. The type of education to be obtained
  5. The types of expenses for which the grant funds may be used
  6. The educational organization to be attended
  7. Conditions, if any, to be imposed on grantees
  8. The number of scholarships to be granted annually, and the amounts thereof
  9. Renewability of grants
  10. The Fund's spending policy
  11. The charitable use to which the Fund is to be devoted in the event the Board of WCF determines that scholarships of the type specified in the Fund Agreement are no longer needed, or for other reason the purposes of the Fund are obsolete.

However, no scholarship grant shall be made from the Fund which does not constitute a scholarship or fellowship grant described in Internal Revenue Code section 4945(g)(1), or which is for any purpose other than educational, within the meaning of Code section 170(c)(2)(B), or which is for study at other than an educational organization; and no procedure shall be followed which is contrary to or would violate any provision of these policies and procedures. For all purposes hereof, the term "educational organization" shall mean an organization described in Code section 170(b)(i)(A)(ii).

B. SELECTION COMMITTEE

With respect to each Fund, a selection committee of not less than three persons shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of WCF to oversee and supervise the screening of applicants, recommend scholarship recipients, and otherwise administer the scholarship program, subject to the direction and control of the Board.

Except as provided herein, the selection committee shall be solely responsible for all screening and selection, but the Board of Directors shall have final authority to approve or disapprove all selections, to publicly announce all selections, and to supervise the activities of the selection committee.

In appointing, removing or replacing a member of the selection committee, the Board shall disregard any attempt in the Fund Agreement to appoint, select, recommend, designate, suggest or otherwise influence the Board's decision. Although the Board is not prohibited from appointing a donor, a relative of a donor or a person suggested by a donor as a member of the selection committee, a majority of the members of the selection committee shall at all times consist of persons who are not donors or persons related to donors to the Fund.

C. ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

Grants may be made to eligible applicants who wish to further their education at an educational organization. Eligibility shall be as determined under the Fund Agreement, provided that the limitations set forth herein may not be violated, and all of the criteria for determining eligibility shall be nondiscriminatory and reasonably related to the purposes of the grant.

The following persons shall not be eligible recipients of grants: a director, officer or employee of WCF; a member of the selection committee of the Fund; a relative of any of the aforementioned persons; or a person described in Code section 4958(f)(7) (generally, a donor to the Fund, a person appointed or designated by a donor, a family member of any such person, or an entity which is 35% owned by any combination of those persons and family members).

D. SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS

If requested by the selection committee, each applicant shall submit a completed application form and all information requested thereon, which may include a designation of the educational institution he or she wishes to attend, the desired course of education, references and any other information relevant to the criteria for determining eligibility or suitability for selection, and make himself or herself available in person for questioning and interviews.

The selection committee shall judge eligible applicants upon criteria set forth in the Fund Agreement, provided that all such criteria shall be objective and nondiscriminatory. No criteria used in the screening and selection of applicants, nor in determining conditions applicable to grants, shall be other than those criteria which are reasonably related to the purposes of the grant. The selection committee may require applicants to submit statements concerning their reasons for believing that the education desired would be advantageous to him or her and/or to society. Consideration may also be given to interviews and other examinations deemed relevant by the selection committee, to financial need, scholastic achievement, extracurricular or community activities, moral and leadership qualities, to the recognition accorded by peers, and to character and overall potential.

Each grantee shall enroll in the course(s) and at the educational institution designated in his or her application.

E. ADMINISTRATION

  1. Annually, the Board will notify the selection committee of the aggregate amount of scholarships to be awarded during the ensuing year from the Fund.
  2. Members of the selection committee other than a person described in Code section 4958(f)(7) may be reimbursed from the Fund for their expenses, as determined by the Board.
  3. The selection committee shall retain records pertaining to all grants. Such records shall include all information the selection committee or WCF secures in order to determine the eligibility of and apply selection criteria to each applicant; the committee's reasons for its decisions; and the amount and purpose of each grant.
  4. The selection committee may advise an educational organization of the eligibility and selection criteria, and of these policies and procedures, may engage such organization to utilize same in assisting the selection committee in the screening process, and may rely upon screening done by such organization, provided that such organization provides to the selection committee sufficient information to permit the selection committee to conclude therefrom that all screening requirements, criteria and procedures have been followed and met.
  5. Grants may, in the discretion of the Board, be paid by WCF directly to the chosen educational institution to be disbursed by such institution in accordance with the purposes as set forth in this instrument and in the Fund Agreement, only upon its agreement with WCF, in writing, to use the grant funds to defray the grantee's expenses or to pay the funds to the grantee only if the grantee is enrolled and his or her standing at such institution is consistent with the purposes and conditions of the grant, as set forth herein and in the Fund Agreement.
  6. In the event the Board becomes aware of a violation of the terms of a grant, reasonable steps will be taken to redress such violation, including actions to recover grant funds, if appropriate to the circumstances.

F. EFFECTIVE TIME

The above and foregoing Policies and Procedures shall be effective immediately with respect to all Scholarship Funds, and shall be effective with respect to all scholarship grants made on or after July 1, 2007.

The undersigned Secretary of WCF hereby certifies that the Board of Directors of said Foundation established the above and foregoing Policies and Procedures by resolution duly adopted on the 28th day of February, 2007.

s/Gayle Malone ,Secretary<
Wichita Community Foundation

Adopted February 28, 2007