THE ROLE OF THE DONOR: The donor, through a fund agreement, establishes the scholarship and recommends general eligibility criteria. The donor may choose either to participate in the process as part of a committee or to have no direct involvement. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: Most scholarship funds utilize a committee. It is that committee’s responsibility to honor the donor’s original intent as spelled out in the formal scholarship fund agreement and to follow scholarship criteria specified by the donor and the law. Every scholarship fund has a checklist that sets forth its specific guidelines and eligibility criteria. Some donors may define their intentions broadly, and Foundation staff may establish criteria to narrow the pool of eligible applicants to an appropriate size. The Foundation follows best practices for attracting a qualified pool of applicants and adheres to state and federal law regarding review of applications and awarding of scholarship funds. You can expect the Foundation to provide you with: • Orientation and education for serving on a committee. • Prompt responses to your questions or concerns. • Guidance in identifying best practices. • Support throughout the entire scholarship committee process. • Appreciation and recognition for your work. The Foundation expects that you will: • Represent it professionally and honorably. • Openly declare any conflicts of interest that may arise. • Remain objective and nondiscriminatory and utilize established criteria in recommending recipients from an eligible class of applicants. • Maintain confidentiality and discretion about the Foundation and its donors, grantees and scholarship applicants. • Respond promptly to communications from the Foundation and provide your current contact information. 5 SCHOLARSHIP HANDBOOK