“Make a Difference” Challenge Grant: Honoring Lela Jahn’s Legacy

When Lela Jahn passed away in 2015, she left FWSF with an incredible gift—a fund to challenge women to make a meaningful difference in other women’s lives. For the fifth consecutive year, FWSF will be announcing a $10,000 award to an FWSF scholarship recipient.

Lela inspired many through her active engagement in FWSF’s scholarship and mentorship programs, and was instrumental in developing the year-long mentorship curriculum that FWSF continues to offer to its Scholarship recipients today. FWSF was proud to honor Lela as the Financial Woman of the Year in 2010 for her remarkable contributions.

Consistent with Lela’s legacy of meaningful improvements to women’s lives, each “Make a Difference” Challenge Grant recipient possesses “great drive and passion to become a changemaker, with the self-confidence and energy to risk much to achieve even more,” said Lela’s husband, Don Bayer.

Past recipients have used their grant money to fund incredible projects, including:

• Vineetha Mummadi, grant awardee in 2016, created a program that provides lifetime educational funding for young girls in India.
• Rani Mavram, grant awardee in 2017, created an app that matches scholarship seekers with corporations looking for potential recipients.
• When 2018 awardee, Monica Rin, was awarded the scholarship, she had already founded two social enterprises, one focusing on primary education and the second with an emphasis on international post-secondary education. Her next creation is currently in development.
• Keelia Murphy, FWSF’s 2019 awardee, is developing a technology platform to increase the number of students who successfully complete the student loan (FAFSA) process.

FWSF is grateful for Don’s support in maintaining this program and advancing the careers of young women.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2020 “Make a Difference” Challenge Grant, a result of Lela’s and Don’s generosity.