Leadership 100 Raises More Than $1 Million For Grants Fund

Leadership 100, in response to the current economic crisis and its effect on its Endowment Fund, has raised $1,025,000 in cash and pledges for the Leadership 100 Grant Fund. The special fund was formed by the Executive Committee in October to continue its grant program until such time as the earnings from the Endowment Fund allow the organization to resume grant distributions.

Headed by Charles H. Cotros, a member of the Executive Committee, the special fund was initiated with a challenge grant of $250,000 by Michael Jaharis, a Founder of Leadership 100. The purpose was to support the National Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Leadership 100 Scholarship for Excellence Program at Holy Cross School of Theology.

In addition to $750,000 raised by the challenge and the response to it, the Executive Committee applied $275,000 contributed by Leadership 100 members to the 25th Anniversary Fund to the special fund for purposes of continuing grants. The Executive Committee also decided, in consultation with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, that the first $1 million raised for grants would go directly and exclusively to the Leadership 100 Scholarship for Excellence Program at Holy Cross School of Theology.

Leadership 100, celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2009, has distributed close to $27 million in grants since its inception in 1984. Grants principally supported the National Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology and a variety of projects in support of Orthodoxy and Hellenism, as well as aiding in such national and international emergencies as September 11, Hurricane Katrina and Greek Fire Relief.