The Declaration of Independence:  A Transcription

The UPLIFT Institute

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The idea of giving back to the community began with two parents, Solomon and Marion Miles, who had two offspring who had just completed college. As a result of observing the problems that other parents were having in motivating their children to go to college and financing their education, they decided to help solve this problem by giving back to families and communities in and around the Washington area. Thus, the Uplift Community Foundation, Inc. was formed. They provided more than five (5) scholarships. These scholarships ranged from $500 to $1,500.00 per student. These students attended Howard University, Hampton Institute, and Morgan State University.

During the first part of 1986, Mr. Miles met Mark Roberts, CPA, principal of Roberts & Associates. Roberts & Associates was one of the most prominent CPA firms in downtown Washington, DC. Mark and Solomon had several discussions on how money would be used to help finance a student’s college tuition.

From 1986 to 1989, the Uplift Foundation, Inc awarded two (2) to three (3) scholarships to needy students in the Washington, DC area at an average of $800 to $1,500.00 per student. It was during the early part of 1990 that the foundation met and decided that they would adopt a scholarship referral service. This referral service would partner with other foundations and organizations to serve as a resource for referring students for funding. This partnership allowed Uplift to reach more students with larger scholarships. With the expansion of our Scholarship Referral Service, the annual scholarship amount awarded averaged from $1,000-$3,000.00 per student or six (6) to ten (10) students per year. One of the advantages of this partnership was that some of these organizations awarded their scholarships directly to the student. Uplift was and is only allowed to award the student a scholarship grant which directs us to award scholarships grants to the college or university. The total scholarships which are awarded include the amounts awarded from the partners of the Scholarship Referral Service which amount to approximately $30,000 to $50,000.00 each year or a total of $90,000.00. Due to our limited budget, we have had to rely on our partners to provide most of the funds.

Starting in 1991 -1995, The Uplift Community Foundation, Inc’s Board of Directors decided to expand its grants to educational, charitable, and nonprofit, tax exempt 501 © (3) organizations. It was, at this time, that Uplift started to award mini grants which were not to exceed $2,000.00 to such organizations as So other Might Eat and Martha’s Table. It was, during this period, that, while Uplift’s Initiatives were still working along with its other resource programs, it continued to award scholarships.

In 1995-2000, Uplift expanded its Resource Referral Service from scholarships referrals to Job Referrals, summer jobs for High School and College Students, and Internships. During this time, the Uplift Community Foundation, Inc. was able to refer and place over 350 high school and college students in summer jobs/internship programs with employers across the Washington Metropolitan Area. Uplift was also able to connect with over 400 applicants through its General Job Referral Service.

2000-2009 –Uplift Community Foundation Scholarship referral initiative along with its partners have awarded scholarships to over 150 Students. That amount has exceeded over $250,000. Through Uplift Job Referral Service initiative, we have been able to assist over 350 high schools and college students get connected to summer jobs. We have been able to direct over 500 homeless individuals and families get connected to some form of housing, and shelter, Clothing, medical services, and other forms of community emergence Services.

Through the dedication of its donors, volunteers, Officers, Advisory boards and board of directors, the Uplift Community Foundation is continuing to make available to individuals, families and children the connection of needed services that have really made a different in the lives of the communities we serve.