Jennifer Leonard Scholarship

Jennifer Leonard Scholars learn the skills that Leonard said "will always be needed to dig into every important aspect of society to improve our democracy."

The scholarships go to women of modest means who are journalism students or have less than three years of work experience. The funds enable the scholars to attend IRE conferences or NICAR training seminars. IRE staff select the recipients. The first recipients attended the 2007 IRE and NICAR conferences.

IRE member David Cay Johnston of The New York Times created the scholarships to honor his wife, the president of the Rochester Area Community Foundation and a national leader in promoting ethical standards for endowments.

In the early 1980s, Leonard exposed how corporations blackballed various charities in 16 cities. She tried to get the newspapers in these towns to pay attention, but only two followed up on her article for a little magazine called The Grantsmanship Center News.

Leonard also wrote what may be the first published list of how grantors should apply the Golden Rule to grant seekers. Later, hoping to stir better coverage of nonprofits and their role in the quality of communities, she and her husband co–wrote a piece for the Columbia Journalism Review on how to cover nonprofits as hard news. The couple also wrote exposés of charities and Hollywood films that sold lies as truth.

The Jennifer Leonard Scholarships are funded with a pledge being paid over 20 years, plus matching funds from friends and The New York Times Company Foundation — all of which were matched by the Knight Foundation through a challenge grant awarded to IRE. The number of scholars is expected to double once the pledge is fulfilled.

"Giving to the IRE Endowment can have a big impact with a modest level of giving over time," Johnston said. His gifts of $1,400 per year, before the income tax deduction, and the matching funds will eventually provide the IRE Endowment with more than $100,000.

If you would like to create a similar scholarship fund in honor of someone close to you, please contact IRE development officer at 573-884-2222.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the fellowship may donate to the IRE endowment and write "Leonard Scholarship Fund" in the donation note.

How to donate to IRE's endowment:

• Download a PDF form to mail or fax
• Contact development officer at 573-884-2222.
• Online donations currently not enabled