History of the formation of the fund
The Longport Scholarship Fund was officially started legally in 2005 when the fund was incorporated and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit group. Efforts to get to that point took almost a decade of group work by the then Longport Board of Education. This was accomplished by the joint leadership of Board President Herb Stern and Board Attorney George Miller assited by dedicated board members Lynn Baumgardner, Debbie Sykes, Dorothy McGee, and Linda Cunningham Bakaj. Other key helpers were former County Clerk Michael Garvin, former Assemblyman Frank Blee, and former State Senator Bill Gormley.
Subsequently, the name was changed to the Herb Stern Longport Scholarship Fund in recognition of his work to establish the fund. The name change was made by the Board of Directors without his knowledge.
No monies were derived from Longport taxes or tax payers or any other public source.Interest and income from the endowment and a yearly appeal for donations from year-round and second home residents now furnish the money for awarding scholarship grants to deserving Longport students.
Including the $10,500 for 2016, over $52,000 has been granted to assist students and their families. Most awardees are local high school graduates who will enter their first year of college, although some include students currently in college. Awards are made based on scholastic records, test scores, extracurricular activities, sports participation, work record, and family situation
