This document outlines the FOG BURSARY FUND project. The project would make bursaries available to worthy community members in the communities where FOG has projects. The fund would be awarded for educational purposes including:

1. University degrees (Law, Engineering, Nursing, etc)

2. Trade and technical degrees (Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrician, etc.)

The fund would target two kinds of people:

1. High school students who have the potential to go on to a post-secondary education (commitment, ability, etc.) but lack the financial resources to do so.

2. Adults who are unemployed or underemployed, and are seeking new skills or qualifications to better support themselves and their families.

Rationale

The bursary fund meets both of FOG's financial aid objectives, including:

1. Advancement of education: The fund would provide access to a post-secondary education for people who would otherwise lack the opportunity to do so.

2. Purposes beneficial to the community: A scholarship fund is a viable and practical means to creating fair opportunities for people otherwise limited by lack of financial resources. The bursary fund would provide a way to help people escape the cycle of poverty by helping them to gain a trade or profession. In addition, all bursary recipients agree to give back to their community through some form of service. The fund may even create an incentive for young people in poor neighbourhoods to finish high school, or to avoid drugs and gangs, because there is a possibility of doing something with their future.

Eligibility

1. Awards would be available to people in the communities where FOG has projects. The focus would be on youth, but adults are also eligible.

2. The awards will go to people based on their financial need and their potential to succeed. Previous academic standing (grades) will be considered, but will not be a determining factor.

3. Bursaries will go to people who are willing and able to give back to their community. When applying, they will specify how they will make that contribution. Preference will be given to applicants who have already proved themselves in this area P i.e., as committed community volunteers.

Bursary Amounts

All bursaries will be equal the cost of tuition and books only, with a cap of $500 US per person per year.

Annual Cap

The amount and number of bursaries given each year would depend on the amount in the fund. The annual "cap" on the total amount dispersed would be 80% of the total amount in the fund, leaving at least 20% in reserve at all times.

Sources of Funding

To establish the initial pool of funds fund-raising efforts will directly earmark the bursary fund. The goal of this initial fund-raising will be a start-up pool of $3000 US.

In following years the fund will be allotted a percent of general fundraising revenue. The amount will be decided annually by the board members, but should ideally equal no less than $2000 US in any year.

Approval Process

1. A trusted person from the community makes recommendations for someone from their community. Likely it would be someone involved in a community project, either as a beneficiary or volunteer.

2. The person applying for the bursary writes a letter describing:

a) A little bit about themselves personally

b) What they will study and where

c) How much theyUre asking for (broken down into the categories of tuition and books).

d) How they will give back to their community during and/or after their studies

3. The letters are sent to the FOG Board for discussion and approval. Ideally, a FOG volunteer in Nicaragua would compile all letters and e-mail them to Canada. The discussion and approval process would then take place by e-mail or a conference call. Otherwise, if the letters are sent by regular mail, a Canadian FOG volunteer would send them out by e-mail and/or fax and discussion and approval would take place by e-mail or conference call.

4. Board members have the discretion to award an amount less than requested or to turn down an application altogether.

Dispersment, Monitoring and Evaluation

1. The funds would be sent to Nicaragua and administered by a trusted person who has signed an "agency agreement" with FOG for these purposes.

2. There are three areas that would need monitoring to ensure that money is spent as intended and that the eligibility requirements are fulfilled:

a) Overall monitoring that the person administering the funds is dispersing them as they were intended. A FOG board member can meet this need through an annual visit. The board member would check that there are signatures for all the money dispersed and receipts where applicable. Ideally, the board member would also visit award recipients to see how they are doing in their studies, and that everything is in order.

b) How the awardee spends the money: The individuals receiving bursaries will submit receipts for tuition and books to the person administering the funds in Nicaragua.

c) That the awardee fulfils their community service commitment: A trusted person from that community would write a letter to FOG annually stating that the person has fulfilled their commitment, ideally the person co-ordinating the project in which the person volunteers.

3. Evaluation would occur by two main mechanisms:

a) staying in touch with the person administering the bursaries in Nicaragua; and

b) talking with the award recipients.

Evaluation would take place during monitoring trips. In the short term, evaluation would examine questions like:

a) does the fund achieve its goal of facilitating education access?

b) are the recipients committed to their education and their community service?

c) what barriers are they facing personally or financially to getting their education?

In the long term, evaluation might include speaking with graduates to see if they have been able to find employment in their field, and other personal impacts their education has had.