The Madelyn P. Jennings Scholarships pay a one-time stipend of $3,000 -- an amount that seems especially meager, now that we know the small fortunes top Gannett executives have been shoveling into personal scholarship funds. Indeed, the foundation spent substantially more on legal fees to its law firm than it did on scholarships: Nixon Peabody earned $186,481 in such fees in 2007, the foundation's public tax return shows.
In fact, if you want to know how really warped values have gotten, consider this: The scholarships honor Madelyn Jennings (left), a long-time Gannett chief of human resources, "in recognition of her strong interest in education and her dedication to the Gannett employees she served,'' the foundation says.Jennings is now a trustee at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., developed by the old Gannett Foundation, now called Freedom Forum. As trustee last year, Jennings was paid more -- $51,000 -- than the Gannett Foundation spent on scholarships honoring her, the museum's public tax return shows.
Just $42,250 for employee kids
Yesterday, in a telephone interview, Gannett Foundation manager Pat Lyle confirmed what the tax returns appeared to be showing: The foundation spent just $42,250 on Jennings scholarships last year. In fact, the annual budget is actually even lower -- just $39,000; the foundation spent extra last year because of a mix-up involving a misplaced application, Lyle told me.
Lyle could not explain why the foundation gives only 12 scholarships annually -- while spending even more on personal scholarship funds honoring company executives. Lyle said the limit of 12 was set before she was named manager two years ago.
The stipends are sent directly to the winner's school in the fall of their first year. The annual $39,000 budget includes $3,000 paid to the administrator of the awards, Lyle said.
How to apply for 2010 scholarships
Deadline for fall 2010 college enrollment is Feb. 28, 2009, for high school students who took the standardized PSAT/NMSQT test this fall. (Details, here.)
[Photo: Newseum]
You are concentrating on the wrong part of these foundations. The purpose of the foundation is not to give out awards or scholarships, it is to reward the favored few who get cushy no-show jobs and expense accounts. There are newspaper foundations that do good things, like funding university journalism departments, etc., Look at the administrative costs compared to the money doled out, and you will see the real story. The lawyers and administrators are the big winners here, and that is the story.
ReplyDeleteFollow the money, deep throat!
ReplyDeleteAs a parent who applied for one of these scholarships for my kid, who worked his butt off during high school but still did not get an award, I have one word for this disclosure: Disgusting. Madelyn Jennings should be ashamed to have her name associated with this program.
ReplyDeleteDitto, times two, 3:48PM.
ReplyDeleteAnd one is in Mensa and had a nearly perfect SAT, in junior year no less, but since Ms. Jennings' shady scholarship deal requires the PSAT (practice SAT scores), my kid wasn't even a contender to represent Ms. Jennings at the ivy league school where that kid later won merit scholarships for almost a full ride anyway.
Ms. Jennings' and Gannett's loss there. Believe me, our family will remember the sleight.