A Private Foundation
On May 23, 1994, ALSITE Scholarships, Inc. was incorporated in Baldwin County, AL as a private foundation by David R. Griffin, Harold M. Raynor, Jerry L. Reeves, Daniel S. Turner and Robert L. Vecellio.
The IRS notified the Foundation on September 2, 1994 that ALSITE Scholarships, Inc. was classified as a private Foundation under Section 509(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and it was recognized as a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
As a private, tax exempt Foundation the Harold M. Raynor ALSITE Scholarships, Inc. cannot directly undertake fund raising campaigns and must depend on the generosity of the ALSITE membership, other interested parties and various income sources to fund the current scholarships, and hopefully to expand the number of annual scholarship awards over the years.
The Alabama Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers has done an outstanding job of accumulating funds for the scholarship program. The Alabama Section elected to use indirect fund raising avenues. Its scholarship contributions to the Foundation originate from many sources including ALSITE Meeting surcharges, ALSITE Newsletter proceeds, the Annual Meeting Auction, Annual Billy Jones Memorial Golf Tournament and ALSITE Bass Tournament.
These contributions coupled with voluntary directed gifts to the Foundation along with the annual interest earned by the Foundation’s endowment and money market funds have provided adequate scholarship funds for two significant annual awards.
Foundation Name Change
On May 23, 1994, the foundation was incorporated under the name of ALSITE Scholarships, Inc.
On October 6, 2005 at a special meeting in Mobile, AL of the Board of Directors of ALSITE Scholarships, Inc., Vice Chair Bob Vecellio offered the following resolution:
Harold Raynor, through his vision and dedicated work, has provided outstanding leadership and service to ALSITE Scholarships, Inc. He was instrumental in setting up the Foundation and recently completed thorough documentation of the history of the organization. Two numbers characterize his tenure: 10 years and $100,000. He has provided outstanding leadership to Dan, David and me serving on the Board of Directors. Most importantly he has helped the Foundation achieve its goal of providing scholarship funds to assist Alabama Civil Engineering transportation undergraduates. I move that the Foundation be renamed in honor of its first Chairman, Harold M. Raynor.
Vice Chair Bob Vecellio confirmed that legal counsel had been consulted regarding this proposed name change and that such a change could be easily accomplished. The motion was unanimously approved.
Harold Raynor was surprised by the motion and expressed deep appreciation for this special honor, and offered the following observations:
Many others have played key roles in the Scholarship Program’s success and in particular the ALSITE membership. The true success of ALSITE Scholarships, Inc. since its inception has been due to the dedicated efforts of an exceptional group of Board Members. Bob Vecellio, Dan Turner and David Griffin have served as ALSITE Scholarships Board Members since the Foundation’s beginning and they have been a true joy to work with. The Foundation’s success has been a team effort, and it has been personally rewarding to work with colleagues who shared a passion to assist undergraduates in Civil Engineering and cultivate their interest in the transportation field.
The name change became official when Articles of Amendment, changing the name of the corporation to Harold M. Raynor ALSITE Scholarships, Inc., were filed in Baldwin County, AL on May 5, 2006.
How to Make a Contribution
Voluntary contributions can be sent to the Foundation’s Treasurer at the following address:
Richard L. Caudle, Treasurer
HMR ALSITE Scholarships, Inc.
3644 Vann Rd / Suite 100
Birmingham, AL 35235
Contributions to Harold M. Raynor ALSITE Scholarships, Inc. are generally deductible for U.S. income tax purposes since the Foundation provides no goods or services of material value to contributors in exchange for contributions. Although it is the opinion of the Foundation’s Board that the entire amount contributed qualifies as a tax deduction, it is strongly recommended that contributors consult with their accountant and/or tax attorney for clarification.