During the assembly on Friday, September 16^th, we heard from Adam Tropper ‘17, who briefly explained and advocated for an application to the 2016 Daniel W. Lo’Presti ’03 Philanthropic Board. To recap, the Lo’Presti Board is a student run organization founded on the initial investment from the Lo’Presti family in which a portion of the school’s endowment is allocated to the student run board. The purpose of the Lo’Presti board is to teach students the institutional skills needed for philanthropy, to engage in community service as a group, and to raise funds to support local communities.

Each year the board reviews their funding focus and puts in writing the goals of the board. Over the past few years, the funding focus of the board has circled around the betterment of underprivileged youth in Cleveland, with an emphasis on education. As Adam mentioned, the main purpose of the board is to give back to communities in which educational opportunities are not as prevalent as they are at University School. For example, last year the Lo’Presti board granted $2,500 to University Settlement, a local organization working out of the Broadway Slavic Village of greater Cleveland that works to provide school uniforms to impoverished students enrolled in charter schools so they may continue their education. The money the Lo’Presti Board granted this organization provided over 150 students with school uniforms that will directly influence their attendance records and give them the opportunity to receive the best education available.

The way the grant process operates is that every fall the Lo’Presti Board reaches out to local foundations urging them to apply for a grant. Once the foundation has submitted a grant application, the board meets to discuss each one and democratically votes for the grants they would like to fund. Keeping in mind the limited budget, the board stresses the impact their money makes in hope to better the lives of as many underprivileged youth as possible.

However, the Lo’Presti Board is much more than just students donating money to local foundations. Another key aspect to being a member of the Lo’Presti Board is a dedication to community service, outside of the 15-hour requirement. Each year every junior on the Lo’Presti Board is tasked with organizing and conducting their own community engagement opportunity that the board then participates at as a group. Last year the Lo’Presti Board volunteered at numerous organizations around Cleveland including the Ronald McDonald house where the board cooked breakfast for the families and Rainbow Babies at University Hospital.

In addition, to its multifaceted engagement the Lo’Presti Board runs numerous operations around University School in order to raise funds that they will later donate to the foundations. Common Lo’Presti Board functions include Amy Joy donut sales that take place almost every other Friday, and the Lower Commons Snack Cart that takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school. The funds the Board raises from these functions significantly impact the amount of money the board is able to donate for the year so I encourage all students to consider supporting the board through these purchases.

As a senior reflecting on my time on the board, I can honestly say that the board has humbled me and spawned a new dedication to volunteering. If the description listed above interests anyone, I encourage you to fill out an application and come, make a difference at one of the most pivotal student run organizations here at US.

The link to apply for the Lo’Presti Board is https://mediafiles01.myschoolcdn.com/ftpimages/319/misc/misc_124826.pdf

If you have any questions about the board don’t hesitate to reach out to:

Adam Tropper (’17)

Connor Kucharski (’17)

James Bishop (’17)

Alex Hoyen (’17)

Charlie Krus (’17)

Karchen Lhatoo (’17)

Ben Firstenburg (’18)

Max Baldridge (’18)

Kyle Winings (’18)

George Nageeb (’18)

Thomas Lipker (’18)

Jack Henry Muha (’19)