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RedHotFundraising Ideas thanks Stuart Haber, president and CEO of  Infoscitex Corporation and Infoscitex Foundation for sharing his insight and experience on the process of getting a new foundation up and running. 1. What was the driving force behind your decision to begin the Infoscitex Foundation? American academic achievement in Math, Science, and Technology is falling behind other countries, and the United States is losing its technology advantage. The Infoscitex Foundation was established to advance the educational opportunities for our nation’s youth by awarding college scholarships to financially disadvantaged high school students that possess a high degree of interest and excellence in mathematics, science or technology. In addition to these scholarships, the selected students will also receive paid internships at Infoscitex Corporation where they will work closely with the company’s engineers and scientists and gain vital and practical professional experience to further advance their studies and, ultimately, their careers. 2. How closely did the reality of getting a foundation up and running match with what you expected the process would be like? The reality of forming the foundation was somewhat in line with my expectations, although the effort made was more extensive than I originally anticipated. We needed to complete some paperwork for federal and state governments, articles of organization, by-laws, etc. We also had to create a website, logo, and marketing collateral. Our most substantive efforts were for establishing specific awardee guidelines and raising money. Each of these was far more formidable than I expected. 3. Did you learn any details of the process of getting a foundation up and running after you got started that you wish you knew about before you began? Not really. I believe we knew what was involved to create and operate the foundation. The only unknowns were that the effort required was greater than originally thought, from preparing documents to raising money to forming the operating approach. 4. What advice do you have for others who are looking into getting a foundation started? I strongly encourage anyone considering establishing a foundation to do so. Although it’s difficult to secure contributions, the effort is noble and the result, no matter how small, is remarkable. Even with just a little money, we are able to make a large difference in someone’s life, as the money we award can enable someone to attend college, when they might otherwise not be able to do so. 5. When can we expect to see the first Infoscitex Foundation scholarship awards and how can we learn more about the work your foundation is doing? The initial awards will be given out in May or June of 2008. For additional information on the foundation, you can visit InfoscitexFoundation.org.
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