The East Coast Amateur Radio Service, Inc (ECARS) has announced that it can provide financial support for worthy amateur radio related initiatives.

“The focus of this grant program is to support amateur radio and other non-profit organizations with programs to educate, license and otherwise support amateur radio activities — with emphasis on youth-based projects,” ECARS said.

ECARS routinely supports scholarship grants through the ARRL Foundation and has awarded other grants to organizations for youth programs or for emergency assistance. “We actually get far fewer requests than we have expected from this program,” said ECARS President Vic Klein, WA4THR.

Information on applying for an ECARS grant is on the organization’s website. Preference is also given to requests that benefit the ECARS service area and to groups IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations.

Grant funds are budgeted for this purpose each year from the ECARS general operating funds or from donations specifically earmarked for the grant fund. The Board of Directors reviews applications quarterly, with awards announced in the first month of the next quarter. Evaluation of received grant applications is scheduled for March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15.

Organizations selected will receive a check that is to be applied toward the purpose described in the application, with a report to follow to ECARS that indicates how the funds were used and the results of the program. Photos are welcome, and ECARS will assume that they represent authorization to publish.