The GRSP Endowment Fund
In the late 1970s and 80s, there was a great concern among the GRSP Trustees about the expenses of this student scholarship program. What would the future hold? Would we be prepared to handle the demands financially?

Three visionary Rotarians, Norm Shipley (Rotary Club of Marietta), Marshall Weaver (Rotary Club of Atlanta) and Gordon Bonderrant (Rome Rotary Club) convinced the Trustees to establish a fund that would supplement the annual contributions of each Georgia Rotarian from each Rotary Club to the Program.

The first Endowment Committee Chairman was Marshall Weaver. After the untimely death of Marshall Weaver, Trustee Ronnie Waller (Gainesville Rotary Club) was asked to chair the Endowment Committee.

Tom Bryan (Rotary Club of Jefferson) followed Ronnie as Endowment Chairman in 1986. Then in 1989, Frank Bentley, Sr. (Rotary Club of Sandy Springs), became Endowment Chairman.

 As a result of the chairmen's leadership and support from the Trustees and Rotarians through out Georgia, the Endowment Fund now stands at $7 million.  The earnings each year from the Endowment help supplement scholarship funds provided by individual Rotary Clubs for our students.

It is important that we continue to grow the Endowment as the cost of scholarships is ever increasing. With additional income it will allow us to continue, or increase, the total number of students each year by reducing the total scholarship cost to the sponsoring Rotary clubs.


If you would like to help bring more students to Georgia, you can send your contribution to:

GRSP Endowment Fund
P.O. Box 61327
Savannah, GA  31420

If you would like a
presentation on the
Endowment Fund,
please contact:

Joe Jones
Endowment Chair
View a Powerpoint presentation on the Endowment Fund.

Gift Recognition

The Georgia Rotary Student Program plans to recognize those Rotarians who are “sustaining members” to the GRSP Endowment Fund.  This would include all Rotarians who contribute a minimum of $100 annually to the GRSP Endowment Fund.  A sticker of the GRSP emblem is to be placed on each of those Rotarian’s name badge indicating that they are “sustaining members.”  We encourage each club to recognize these members as well as urging all of their members to consider contributing annually to the GRSP Endowment Fund.  The Endowment Fund is vital to the program as its earnings each year helps to hold down the individual club cost of sponsoring a student.

 Named Scholarship:
A contribution of $100,000 or more will earn the donor a permanent Named Scholarship in their name or the name of an individual designated by the donor.

Ronnie Waller Fellow:
A contribution of $10,000 or more will earn the Ronnie Waller Fellow designation, which honors this original Endowment Chairman  who guided the Endowment through a significant period of expansion and who as past GRSP Chairman shepherded the further growth of the program.

Kendall Weisiger Fellow:
A contribution of $5,000 or more will earn the Kendall Weisiger Fellow designation, which honors this Atlanta Rotarian, whose support of international students through the Rotary Education Foundation of Atlanta was merged into GRSP.

Hue Thomas Fellow:
A contribution of $2,500 or more will earn the Hue Thomas Fellow designation, which honors this past GRSP Chairman, who guided the program through 35 years of growth.

Will Watt Fellow:
A contribution of $1,000 or more will earn the Will Watt Fellow designation, which honors the founder of the Georgia Rotary Student Program.

Governor's Associate:
A contribution of $500 or more will earn the designation of Governor's Associate.

Sustaining Member:
A contribution of $100 or more will earn the designation of "Sustaining Member" of the Georgia Rotary Student Program.