JAYESH SHAH MEMORIAL EDUCATION FUND (JSMEF)
Reported by Mansukh Gala Chairperson of JSMEF

To date, approximately Eight Thousand dollars ($8,000+) total have been received in this fund from a number of generous donors, in support of the JSMEF. A complete list of the donors is available with Hemlata Savla, the treasurer of KOJAIN.

In addition, The JS family has advised that they will be making an initial donation of $3,000 to this fund in the near future.

Further more, in an effort to encourage other community members and well wishers to make new donations, the JS family has pledged to make an additional matching donation of 50 cents for every dollar of new donations rec'd in between June 20 to Sept. 20, 2002, up to a maximum of additional $4,000. Thus, outside of the JS family's initial donation of $3,000, if the total other new donations add up to say $8,000, the JS family will donate an additional $4,000.

As many community members who had wanted to or had intention of sending their donations in December 2001 or shortly there after, but could not do so at the time for one reason or another, we sincerely hope that in the near future, they will follow thru' with their intention and send in the donation with maximum generosity in their heart.

The committee intends to keep the donation drive open thru' Sept. 20th, 2002. Since time has its own way of passing by very quickly, the JSMEF committee is earnestly urging every one to take the time to write the checks now and send in their donations without waiting.

While the options of needy programs are many, finalized details of the beneficiary programs and its administrators will be made shortly after the fund drive closes and the collected information gets screened out. In the mean time, JS Family's has established following thoughts / criteria.

Disbursement of Funds:

a) The funds will be disbursed initially to selected administrator(s) in India, with the expectation that the administrator(s) would do the needful so as to secure and preserve the principal while earning meaningful interest on it.

b) For longevity of the beneficiary programs to be supported under FSMEF, for the most part, they would be based on using only the interest earned on the principal (and not using the principal). This way, the memory of JS will be preserved indefinitely.

Selection Criteria for beneficiary student(s)/programs:

a) Primarily, as previously stated goal in our Donation Appeal Letter, the beneficiary students have to be Kutchi, (at least one of the parent of student has to be Kutchi)

b) Primarily, the award would be need based. This too, was specifically inferred goal expressed in the Appeal letter.

c) Scholastic records or achievements may be part of the screening process but the key criteria would be the need.

d) Beneficiary students will likely be the college bound students. This may include high school students and/or students wanting to go to college and/or students already in the college.

e) The beneficiary programs would be intended for Kutchi students in India, mainly because, the amount of interest earned would support more students there.

Administrator(s):

As many of you have also recommended, JS Family feels very comfortable with the choice of KVO as one primary administrator. Depending on the total donation amounts that will be collected and choice of beneficiary programs, possibly, Matunga Boarding may also have some role. Once we get additional information that the committee members are in process of collecting, final selection would be made.

Other important, essential, finer details of the requirements and expectations from beneficiary students, , amount of awards and number of years of awards to be given, etc., etc., will be worked on as we go along so that as transparent a plan as we can develop, will become available for every one's benefit.

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