Donation will fund 100 scholarships for human resource education and certification
Alexandria, Va., Feb. 5, 2008 – The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation announced today that the Neenah, Wisconsin-based J. J. Keller Foundation, Inc. will underwrite $100,000 for the 2008 SHRM Foundation Regional Scholarship Program.
The SHRM Foundation funds 100 scholarships and created the program to support SHRM members pursuing a college degree or professional certification.
“We place great value on forging partnerships, and this one is ideal from a number of perspectives,” said Robert L. Keller, President of the J.J. Keller Foundation Board of Directors. “This is a unique opportunity to invest in one of our Foundation’s focus areas – education – in the markets and professionals we serve.”
The donation will sustain the program now in its eight year.
“The J. J. Keller Foundation’s generous donation will help develop the strategic skills of human resource professionals,” said Maureen Fleming, chair, SHRM Foundation Board of Directors. “The SHRM Foundation Regional Scholarship Program is a valuable resource that is strengthening the HR profession in every sector.”
“With the passing last summer of my grandfather, who founded J. J. Keller & Associates and helped start the J.J. Keller Foundation, our Foundation has the opportunity to help even more worthy education programs in his memory,” said Marne Keller-Krikava, a member of the Keller board who helped orchestrate the collaboration. “The SHRM Foundation’s scholarship program is one such opportunity.”
Two types of scholarships are available: academic scholarships, which are funded at $1,375 each, and certification scholarships, which are funded at $750 each.
The scholarship program is administered by SHRM member services. A total of 40 academic scholarships and 60 certification scholarships will be awarded to recipients across five U.S. regions. SHRM volunteer committees will coordinate the judging process and distribute eight academic and 12 certification scholarships per region. The regions include:
− Northeast Region
− Southeast Region & Caribbean Atlantic Region
− North Central Region
− Southwest Central Region
− Pacific West Region & Asia Pacific Region
Who is eligible?
Those eligible for the academic scholarships include national SHRM members who work full-time in human resources (HR) while pursuing a graduate or undergraduate degree in the HR field. The scholarships must be applied to college degree programs and may include full-time, part-time, online and distance-learning programs at accredited institutions. National SHRM members include (professional, general, and associate members).
The certification scholarships are open to applicants who are SHRM members working specifically in the media industry, which includes print, publishing, cable and satellite, broadcasting, motion picture, and the Internet or communications field.
Affiliated SHRM chapters and state councils may also apply for the certification scholarships. Funds must be used to pay for the organizing of local certification preparation programs for the SPHR®, GHPR®, PHR®, or PHR-CA® and SPHR-CA® (Professional in Human Resource, Senior Professional in Human Resources, Global Professional in Human Resources, and state-specific certification in California).
The application deadline is July 15, 2008. Scholarship winners will be notified on Sept. 30, 2008. For more information, visit the SHRM Foundation Web site at: http://www.shrm.org/foundation/EducationGrants.asp
###
About the SHRM Foundation
The SHRM Foundation was founded in 1966 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit affiliate of the Society for Human resource Management (SHRM). It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors from the HR profession, including academics, practitioners and representatives from SHRM. The SHRM Foundation maximizes the impact of the HR profession on organizational decision-making and performance by promoting innovation, education, research, and the use of research-based knowledge.
About the J.J. Keller Foundation Inc.
The J.J. Keller Foundation’s primary mission is to provide funding to organizations, projects and programs which will positively impact lives in the greater Fox Valley community. Specifically, funding is targeted toward needs that would otherwise remain unfulfilled. John J. “Jack” Keller started the foundation in 1991 in honor of his wife Ethel Keller’s 70th birthday, as she felt it was important to formalize a process for giving. Since that time, the foundation has funded many projects and programs, both small and large.
