Name of Requester: Natalie Ropa
Organization: LHES Foundation
Requester Phone: (808) 221-8962
Requester Email: info@lhesfoundation.org
Is this organization a 501C3?: Yes
If NO, Fiduciary and/or 501C3 sponsor?:
Fiduciary Address: PO BOX 630633
Name to Appear on Check: LHES Foundation
EIN: 45-3680782
Project Name: LHES Bus
Rationale for Project: LHES was given the opportunity to purchase a brand new half size bus in 2022. Through donations given by Central Pacific Bank Foundation ($20,000), Island Insurance ($10,000) and The Hawaii Community Foundation ($40,000) and payment of $27,000 from Lanai High and Elementary School, we had raised enough to make the sale. After our contract was signed, Soderholm Bus Company a few months later informed us that due to inflation the cost of the bus had significantly gone up by $11,000. To account for this price change, I applied to Matson and the Young Brother grant shipping program and was awarded free shipping for the bus. But we are still about $2500 short. We were kindly asked by the bus company to try to see if we could raise the additional amount.
Total Amount of Funding Request: $2500
Date Funds Will Be Needed: 4/1/2023
Itemized Breakdown of Budget Request (can be emailed separately if needed): will be emailed
Please include a current budget for the proposed project (can be emailed separately if needed): will be emailed
Identify who would benefit from funding request (age groups, number and demographics of targeted population): Students at LHES
LHE student athletes
Student athletes from other schools
What specific goals are you trying to achieve? : Provide transportation for our school community.
The bus is a half bus so there is no special drivers license required.
How will you evaluate success?: By the amount of miles on the odometer.
The number of student passengers per/year.
Other sources of funding the group has received or is planning on applying for: will be emailed
Supply a community reference and their contact information.: Roderick Sumagit-808-565-7900
Roderick.Sumagit@k12.hi.us
Attachments
Kathy Knapp's comments (2.21.2023):
This is a proposal for $2500 toward the purchase of a small school bus with a total cost of almost $100,000. I was able to speak with Roderick Sumagit, the athletic director at the high school. His comments were corroborated by Natalie Ropa. The situation is that the bus is not yet built and delivery isn’t likely before September 2023 and between the time of signing a contract (April 2022) with the manufacturers and now, the bus company has raised the overall price (including shipping to Lanai City) by over $11,000. We need to discuss the implications of using MCF funds toward a project that has financial irregularities on the vendor side.