Page 26 - April Report2022

April Report 2022
Grant Program Committee meeting minutes (4)
8. Discovery Project
A paper outlining the Discovery Project concept had been circulated. The project originated with Diane Johnson’s recommendation at the December meeting to fund an initiative aimed at finding promising grantees, similar Eye to Eye in its early years. The Discovery Project proposes that JSF engage experts who are well versed in the Foundation’s mission and who can recommend organizations that are a good fit. These individuals would work with the Program Area Consultants and staff as part of a Discovery Committee and participate in an annual brainstorming meeting at JSF’s expense. They also would receive a stipend of $1,000 annually. The Project would be a line item in the budget totaling approximately $25,000. It was noted that these experts would not be actively involved in vetting the potential grantees they recommend. The Project could have the added benefit of being an informal source of names for the Nominating Committee.
It was stated during the discussion that there are many models out there to accomplish this goal. The Discovery model seems appropriate for an organization of JSF’s size. It also builds on the Foundation’s 3 decades of grantmaking experience and the extensive knowledge that Directors and Consultants bring to the table. The Gonzaga MBA-AIE graduates as well as JSF’s involvement in professional organizations also could be possible sources of Discovery partners.
The Committee approved the Discovery Project concept as presented. 9. Indigenous Peoples programing
a. Federally and state recognized tribes
A report from Sherry about federally recognized and state recognized tribes had been circulated. The JSF Policy for the Entrepreneurship Schools is to provide scholarships to members of federally recognized tribes only. However, 2 North Carolina schools that would be good candidates for the scholarship program serve students who belong to state recognized tribes. Sherry’s report recommends that the JSF Indigenous Peoples Program include Native Americans, which includes American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian peoples from both federal and state recognized tribes, and Indigenous Peoples from First Nations in Canada.
The Committee approved recommending to the Board to revise the Entrepreneurship Scholarships Policy to include Native Americans, which includes American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian peoples from both federal and state recognized tribes, and Indigenous Peoples from First Nations in Canada.
b. Potential new schools
Rick’s reports on Robeson Community College and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke had been circulated. Both schools were recommended for site visits and possible inclusion in the Entrepreneurship Scholarship program. These schools could serve as an entry point to a new geographic region for JSF.
Robeson has about 1,800 students, 44% of whom are American Indians. It has about 50 students in the business program. It is a 2-year program with strong articulation agreements with other schools and 3 good programs that would serve JSF students (Accounting, Information Technology, Business Administration).
UNC-Pembroke’s enrollment totals 7,137 and 15.4% of its undergraduate enrollment identifies as American Indian. It has 177 American Indian students in the business school and an overall reputation for strong academics. If accepted into the Entrepreneurship Scholarship program, UNC-Pembroke would be one of the largest. It was noted that UNC-Pembroke also has many good things happening in the disability field. This led to a conversation about the growing Career and Technical Education (CTE) movement at many schools as a way to train students to move into the workforce quickly and with less college debt. A point was raised about the fact that Robeson lists Information Technology as a business program. The need for jobs in
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