Fifth Third Bank Donates $10,000 to Support Association Forum Diversity Scholarship Program

Published 04-26-05

Submitted by Association Forum of Chicagoland

CHICAGO -- The Association Forum Foundation is very pleased to announce the expansion of Association Workforce Diversity Scholarships from four to six, beginning with this year's class. The increase in scholarships is made possible by a generous gift of $10,000 from Fifth Third Bank.

"Fifth Third Bank's commitment to the Workforce Diversity Scholarships is greatly appreciated," said Forum President and CEO Gary A. LaBranche, CAE. "We aspire to attract the best and brightest to the field of association management, and we recognize that not all communities are fully aware of these career opportunities. The Diversity Scholarships help increase this awareness and attract people of all backgrounds to the field, ensuring the profession truly reflects the population we serve," LaBranche said.

Fifth Third, which operates nearly 1,100 full-service banking centers in Illinois and eight other states, is making the donation through its Chicago bank.

"Fifth Third is committed to strengthening the communities in which we live," said Terry Zink, president and CEO, Fifth Third Bank, Chicago. "Through the Forum's Diversity Scholars Program, we foster that commitment through recognizing and reinforcing the talents of various individuals through education, networking and professional development."

The names of the 2005-2006 scholars will be released next month, and those scholars will be recognized during the Forum Honors Gala on June 23 as part of Association Week.

The Forum has provided Association Workforce Scholarships since 1994. Scholarships run from June 1 through May 31, and during that time the scholars participate in a wide variety of events designed to deepen their understanding of and commitment to an association management career.

The components of the Diversity Scholarship include:

One year membership in the Association Forum

Complimentary registration to the Forum's Annual Meeting

Complimentary registration to all Forum educational programs & event

First year's registration fee for the candidate to enroll in the Institute of Association Management offered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Each scholar is paired with a mentor who will work closely with the scholar during the year to insure that their expectations are being satisfied

The program is open to candidates of a minority ethnic/racial group or persons with disabilities. They must have minimum of two years of experience in the association/nonprofit field. Candidates can nominate themselves or they can be nominated by other individuals. Applications for the next class, June 1, 2006 - May 31, 2007, will be available in early 2006.

About the Forum

The mission of the Association Forum of Chicagoland is to "advance the professional practice of association management." Founded in 1916, the Forum serves 33,000 association professionals whose efforts in turn serve 50 million members and generate $13 billion in annual expenditures.

About Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati. The company has $94.5 billion in assets, operates 17 affiliates with 1,092 full-service banking centers.

Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Retail, Commercial, Investment Advisors and Fifth Third Processing Solutions. For more information, visit www.53.com. Member FDIC.

Fifth Third Bank Donates $10,000 to Support Association Forum Diversity Scholarship Program

Fifth Third Bank Donates $10,000 to Support Association Forum Diversity Scholarship Program

Association Forum of Chicagoland

Association Forum of Chicagoland

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