 |
 |
 |
 Our 2013 Programs
are open to communities in the service area of small, independent telecommunications companies (former OPASTCO members). For more information on 2014 programs, please check back in September for eligibility. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Board of Directors
FRED is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors, which meets via conference calls and occasionally for face-to-face meetings.
|
|
Committee Members
The Board is supported by various committees that are charged with fundraising, financial planning, scholarship and award selection, budget preparation and new program management. Anyone can serve on a FRED committee but sending in a written request.
|
|
Staff
A foundation director and administrative staff located in the Washington, D.C. office support the Board. For complete details, visit the Contact Us section of the website.
|
 |
History of FRED
FRED was created by the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO). In 1988, Everette Kneece, from South Carolina, and a group of his fellow OPASTCO members wanted to strengthen their efforts to help their home towns. They had a vision of a nonprofit organization that would help improve rural education and community development. During that year, plans were put in place to establish a new organization and, in 1989, the Fund for Rural Education and Development or “FRED” was created thanks to a $5,000 donation from Mr. Kneece.
In 1991, FRED created the first of two endowment funds through a $25,000 donation from Everette and Martha Kneece. That next year, FRED awarded its first two scholarships worth $1,000 each. In 1998, after a decade of success with its scholarship program, FRED began to provide new publications and programs. To reflect this evolution, the FRED board changed the name from “Fund” to “Foundation”, updated the logo and implemented a strategic plan to further expand programs and funding for OPASTCO member communities.
Those efforts have made FRED the national foundation that it is today. Throughout the last twenty five years, FRED has awarded $2.6 million in scholarships, grants and other funding through its programs. As OPASTCO’s exclusive foundation, FRED has helped the members gain leverage within their local communities by providing them with a competitive edge against larger providers. While FRED has evolved over the last two decades into a full foundation, it remains deep-rooted in tradition and is driven by the concepts and principals of the founding OPASTCO members. With a healthy endowment worth $1.6 million and generous supporters, FRED is able to provide more than $125,000 in funding each year through scholarships, awards and grants. FRED is proud to be part of OPASTCO’s rich history and salutes the many accomplishments it has made for rural companies and individuals over the last fifty years.
|
|
|
|
to main page
send e-mail
