Friday, August 31, 2001
Friday, August 31, 2001 |
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Foundation started to focus Delta pilots' private funds on local leadership programs By JOHN MUNFORD
A group of local Delta pilots has organized a charity aimed at supporting leadership programs throughout Fayette County such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The Sky Legacy Foundation Inc. was designed to organize charitable contributions given by nearly 1,000 Delta pilots who live in Fayette, said Tom Hendricks, one of the charity's founding members. The main focus is supporting non-profit youth programs in kindergarten through 12th grade which engage in practical leadership training. "We feel like this is a opportunity to thank Fayette County for being such a great place to live," Hendricks said. In addition to centralizing support from Delta pilots, the foundation will reach out to other sources including private and corporate foundations that target youth leadership development. All funds donated will be spent in Fayette County, which is important, Hendricks said. But only programs designed specifically to provide practical leadership training will be funded through the foundation. At least 60 percent of the annual donations to the foundation will go towards these grants, which will not be used for athletic programs, Hendricks added. "I think that whey you're training young people to be leaders, you can't go wrong," Hendricks said. Hopes are that the program takes off so well that the foundation can meet its long-term goal of eventually giving scholarships to local youths who wish to pursue degreed programs in aviation, Hendricks said. The remaining 40 percent of annual contributions will be earmarked for this effort. Plans are for the scholarships to pay for tuition only and last the customary time required for the degree program, typically two or four years. The Sky Legacy Foundation is incorporated and registered as a public charity through the state Secretary of State's office and all contributions are tax deductible, Hendricks said. Also, the foundation is recognized by the federal Internal Revenue Services as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a 509(a)(1) grant-making public charity. All documents of the corporation, including financial statements, are posted at the corporation's web site, www.skylegacyfoundation.org. Hendricks said the idea came together when some local pilots decided to volunteer their efforts towards creating a focused charity for leadership programs in Fayette County. The idea is to focus available resources, including that of philanthropy interests throughout metro Atlanta, Hendricks added. Since the foundation's plans got rolling, other local residents have assisted in getting the appropriate financial structure in place, including attorney Doug Warner, who assisted with the incorporation process and Dale Geeslin of Geeslin, Cordle, Johnson and Wetherington CPA who helped with the IRS legwork. The corporation administering the foundation's work includes Hendricks as founder and president; Timothy S. Plunkett as director of operations; Richard Williams as director of community relations; Gerard L. Brillant as director of administration and legal matters and Joseph G. Standridge as director of finance.
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