09/22/2023 ããThursday, September 21, 2023, marked 50 years since the ARRL Foundation wasãformed. As a partner with ARRL, the ARRL Foundation stewards philanthropicãsupport for amateur radio through scholarships[1], club grants[2], and otherãprograms to ensure a strong and vibrant future for the avocation.ããThe total assets of the nonprofit entity measured nearly $8M at its most recentãannual audit[3], but it grew from humble beginnings. In September 1973, severalãmembers of the ARRL Board of Directors worked to establish the charity. LarryãShima, W0PAN, was the Director of the ARRL Dakota Division at the time and didãa lot of work to get the Foundation started. Shima is very pleased with theãFoundation's success, stating, "We started off with $1,000, and just look at itãnow!"ããShima says the original intent was to support future generations of radioãamateurs. At the time, space and satellite communications were cutting-edge,ãand they were the focus of ARRL Foundation activities, though scholarships wereãalso high on the list. "I was thrilled when I got the recent issue of QST thatãhad the photos of the scholarship recipients in it. That is exactly what it wasãintended to do; we wanted to provide scholarships for young people," he said. ããGifts from generous donors support The ARRL Foundation, but it also works toãhelp other charitable groups extend their reach. In an address to donorsãdelivered over the summer, ARRL Foundation President David Norris, K5UZ,ãhighlighted a recent grant the Foundation received. "The recent support theãFoundation has received from Amateur Radio Digital Communications, or ARDC, hasãbeen transformational. We have been able to dramatically increase the fundingãof scholarships through their generosity and are working through a program ofãclub grants, where more than $500,000 was distributed to clubs looking to takeãon new projects or sustain their organizations - and to share their learningãwith others," he told the crowd. ããShima was just 35 when the ARRL Foundation was formed. He is the only survivingãfounding member of the Foundation Board. Fifty years later, he believes thatãhams who have done well in life have an obligation to support amateur radio byãgiving generously to ARRL and the ARRL Foundation.ÿ Ongoing financial supportãenables ARRL to promote and protect amateur radio while our Foundation supportsãthe future generations of hams. ããThat generous support will have a tangible reach. More than 100 scholarships,ãranging from $500 to $25,000, will be awarded in 2024. Thank you to the manyãdonors for making this work possible, and congratulations to the numerousãscholarship recipients who have benefited from their generosity.ããTo learn more about the ARRL Foundation, please visit the Foundation website atãhttp://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundation[4]. To learn how to make amateur radioãa part of your charitable giving, contact the ARRL Development Office atãhttp://www.arrl.org/contact-us[5].ããã[1] http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-programã[2] http://www.arrl.org/club-grant-programã[3] http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ARRL%20Foundation/2023/ARRL20Inc20PDF20Financial202022%20FINAL.pdfã[4] http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundationã[5] http://www.arrl.org/contact-usãã---ã þ Synchronet þ Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBSã