Why Learning Bridge?
We started the Learning Bridge Foundation because we saw a need for a program like this during our work with other non-profits in Tulsa. Working with families and individuals on a weekly basis, we see the potential many of them have, and our goal is to help them break the cycle of crime and poverty that they often find themselves in by providing a means to gain skills for a career. Our objective through this foundation is to provide a vehicle for these often overlooked individuals to have a chance for a better life for themselves and their families.
The Learning Bridge Activities:
The activities of the Learning Bridge Foundation involves five primary tasks:
I.
The search for possible candidates for assistance
II.
Interviewing and evaluating the qualifications and needs of each candidate
III.
Developing an assistance and scholarship plan for the candidates
IV.
Implementation of the scholarship plan
V.
Verification of compliance with the terms of the scholarship plan
Grant Guidelines:
The Learning Bridge Foundation provides funds to individuals only in the form of payments to colleges, universities and trade schools for tuition, books and supplies for approved scholarship applicants. All payments are made directly to these institutions and not to the individuals themselves.
Payments are only made to accredited tax exempt education organizations that meet the requirements of Internal Revenue Code Section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii).
The typical applicant comes from a background of poverty, and has limited financial resources and/or previous incarceration in the State of Oklahoma’s Prison System. Depending on the applicant’s financial resources and other financial aid, most scholarships are approximately $2,500 to $6,000 for tuition, books and supplies, which is the approximate cost of a program from a trade school. There may be a situation where the Foundation would fund a scholarship for a Bachelor’s Degree, where the cost could increase to $10,000 to $20,000. This would be an unique situation, as most applicants do not have the educational background to qualify for a four year degree program. The Foundation will not provide loans or fellowships.
The officers of the Learning Bridge Foundation monitor support through the review and verification of a specific grant request or by limiting support to those organizations with a similar purpose to our foundation. Verification that the Learning Bridge's exempt purposes are being accomplished occurs by a regular review of the organization's activities through a review of written reports provided in conjunction with grants, financial statements and records, and annual reports.