 What is the Croatian Scholarship Fund? The Croatian Scholarship Fund is a charitable, non- profit organization officially recognized by the State of California and the Internal Revenue Service. Membership for the calendar year is granted to every person who contributes any money in that year. The organization is non-political and must remain so in order to retain its non-profit, tax deductible status. What is the purpose of the organization? Our primary purpose is to help develop leaders in Croatia by funding higher education for most promising young men and women. CSF provides financial assistance to highly qualified students of Croatian origin living in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina, to attend a university in Croatia. To our knowledge, CSF is the only American-based organization that provides scholarships to students in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina. The initial chapter of the organization, located in Northern California, will serve as a prototype for other chapters within California and elsewhere. What are the activities of the CSF? Standing committees of CSF include: Membership, Fund raising, Financial Management, Publications, Scholarships and Special Events. CSF's primary activities are fund raising to generate funds to meet its scholarship goals. CSF sponsors several outstanding events each year including the Annual Dinner Dance, The Golf Tournament, Honorary Board gatherings and other social affairs. Who are the members of the Executive and Honorary Boards? The Executive Board consists of at least seven, but not more than nine members. Term of office is one year, extending from January through December 31; a member may be elected for one additional year. The Honorary Board of Directors provides leadership, service and financial support to CSF. Candidates for either board may be nominated from the membership by submission of the nomination in writing to the secretary prior to December 1 preceding the term of office. Please contact the secretary for information concerning the executive and Honorary Boards of Directors. Who may attend the board meetings? Any CSF contributor may attend Executive Board meetings, which are held on a regular basis. The location of meetings rotates throughout the year. Please contact the Secretary for information. Does the Croatian Scholarship Fund have paid employees? No member of CSF or any member of the Executive or Honorary Boards may receive any compensation from the organization. All services or work associated with CSF are strictly voluntary. What is the value of each scholarship? For students entering the CSF program in Fall 2007, the monetary value of each scholarship is $1,500 (U.S. currency) per year. No recipient may be awarded more than four one-year scholarships. Each recipient will be notified by July 1 of each year. Regardless of total annual monetary award, payments will be made in installments as determined by the Executive Board. How are students informed of the scholarship program? Information and scholarship applications are distributed to the maximum number of high school students in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina to ensure the widest possible participation. The Ministry of Education in Croatia helps to disseminate CSF information. How are scholarship recipients selected? Applicants must submit a formal application. In addition to a personal questionnaire, the following items are required: a letter of recommendation from the high school principal, a letter from a classroom teacher, and two letters from among the priest/minister, a city official or chief of police. Completed applications must be postmarked before March 31, to be received between April 1 and May 15 for consideration for the next academic year. The Executive Board will evaluate each applicant according to the following criteria and applicants will be placed in order of rank.
What are the terms and conditions of the scholarship awards? See Terms and Conditions Can donors designate how awards will be used? Donors may choose to have their contributions assigned either to a specific academic area or to the general scholarship fund. Donors may also designate that their contributions be assigned to scholarship recipients within a certain town, city or region. These choices may be indicated on the contribution form. Every effort will be made to comply with requests. Can scholarships be terminated at any time? Scholarships may be terminated at any time for one or more of the following reasons: failure to make satisfactory progress toward a degree; conviction of a crime deemed serious by the Executive Board; suspension or expulsion from the institution; or for any other cause considered by the Executive Board to be contrary to the purpose of the scholarship program. Recipients are responsible for assuring that the college or university provide the Executive Board with a report at the end of each term regarding academic achievement and progress. Failure to receive the above information within four weeks following each academic term may result in the termination of the scholarship. See Terms and Conditions What are the provisions for fiscal propriety? An annual report of fiscal matters of the organization will be conducted by a certified public accountant. These reports are open for review by any member. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Secretary: Secretary, CSF P.O. Box 290 San Ramon, CA 94583. Further, In compliance with the laws of the State of California and the Internal Revenue Service, a full and complete financial report must be submitted annually to those entities. Are contributions to the CSF tax- deductible? Because the Croatian Scholarship Fund has been authorized as a charitable, non-profit organization by the State of California and the Internal Revenue Service, your contributions are tax deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. You are advised to consult you tax preparer or an office of the IRS. For more information - please contact the CSF office: 31 Mesa Vista Court San Ramon, California 94583 phone/fax: 925-556-6263 e-mail: vbrekalo@email.msn.com |