Firm partner Kriha lauded for pro bono efforts on behalf of Westmont Educational Foundation

[The story below was published in the Trib Local/Westmont on August 7, 2009.]

The Westmont Educational Foundation (WEF) has obtained 501(c)(3) tax exempt status as a public charity. The hope is that this status will assist the WEF in raising funds for scholarships for local students. The WEF was originally formed out of the Chamber's scholarship program in order to create a base from which to offer more scholarship funds to local students wishing to pursue higher education. The Chamber’s scholarship program began approximately nine years ago. The Scholarship program began as the idea of former Westmont Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau (WCCTB) president, Joe Moffa, This past year, the WEF was able to offer scholarships to five local students as they headed off to college.

When asked why the WEF and its scholarship program are important, David LaBrash, WCCTB’s vice-president stated, "it creates a tremendous opportunity for the chamber & its members to give back to the community." Becoming a public charity provides the community the opportunity to get some tax relief when they donate to the scholarship fund. LaBrash further stated "hopefully we [the WEF] will be able to generate larger gifts and eventually be able to create an endowment to make our impact on the community even greater."

Debbie Phia, a long serving member of the WCCTB’s education and awards committee, had this to say about her experiences in selecting the scholarship winners over the past several years, "It is one of the hardest jobs to select the 'winners.' There are so many qualified individuals yet not enough money to go around." Another former member of the scholarship selection committee had this to say, "It's amazing how diverse the kids are. All are all ahead of the curve and very focused. Anyone who has the opportunity to meet them would be incredibly impressed."

Tax exempt status was only obtained through the helpful efforts of Darcy Kriha and Dawn M. Spivey, partners with Franczek Radelet. These two excellent attorneys assisted the WEF in the process of incorporation and obtained status as a public charity. Their work was done pro bono. Another WCCTB director stated "without Darcy and Dawn, becoming a 503(c)(3) would still be dream for the Chamber." Many future students will benefit due to their generosity.

If you would like to make a donation or obtain more information about the Westmont Educational Foundation or the scholarship program, contact the WCCTB at http://www.westmontchamber.com or (630) 960-5553.

Scholarship applications are annually distributed to all high schools serving students from Westmont in February.