Past Foundation Activities
The Dr. Frank B. Sullivan Memorial Foundation was established in September 2002, upon Sully’s passing. Donations were put into a savings account and C.D.’s. In 2005, The Chronicle, a special 6-page newsletter on Sullivan’s accomplishments, was sent out to many friends, colleagues and family members. This helped to raise additional funds.
The Fund became incorporated in Maryland on June 14, 2007. In December 2008, IRS granted 501C(3) tax exemption. In February 2009, the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf board of directors made a generous gift of $50,000 to the Foundation from the proceeds of the sale of the Victorian-era home office in Springfield, Illinois. This was commingled with the money that was received after Sully’s passing, and placed in an investment portfolio to generate growth and interest each year.
The National Fraternal Society of the Deaf initiated and disbursed the $500 Excellence in Business scholarship award at Gallaudet University from 2003 to 2006. In 2007, this award was taken over by the Dr. Frank B. Sullivan Memorial Foundation and in 2009, by the Foundation. This scholarship continues to be given out annually to a senior at Gallaudet. The recipient is chosen by the faculty members of the Department of Business, and the award is presented to the winner at its Annual Awards Day event. An engraved plate with the new recipient’s name is added to a Dr. Frank B. Sullivan Excellence in Business plaque, to be displayed on the lobby wall of the department.
A $500 Outstanding Student in Business (associate of arts) award was established at NTID in 2011. Two years later, a $500 award for Exemplary Business Student (bachelor’s degree) at RIT’s Saunders College of Business was set up. The recipients are chosen by the Department of Business Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute of the Deaf. Their names are displayed on wall plaques in the department.
An annual $500 award for Outstanding Graduate Business Student at RIT has been presented by the University’s Department of Business Studies since 2017
Additionally, since 2003, an annual first-place Senior Handicap Champion golf award has been given out in Frank B. Sullivan’s memory at the MidWest Deaf Golfers Association’s regional tournament. Sully was an avid golfer; also, a co-founder of MDGA.
Ongoing and Future Activities
In October 2016, the Sullivan Foundation endowed Gallaudet with a $25,000 gift for the purpose of creating a Department of Business program for aspiring entrepreneur students.
The Gallaudet University Museum (now the National Deaf Life Museum) received a $25,000 gift in October 2017 to design and exhibit a dual-panel display stand depicting The Story of the NFSD on both sides, from its inception in 1901 until its dissolution in 2010.
In February 2019, RIT/NTID received a gift of $50,000 from the Foundation for the creation of an endowment to perpetuate the established 3 level scholarship program.
Additionally, the Foundation endowments at Gallaudet and RIT/NTID will help facilitate the separate business departments’ sponsorship of specialized business training workshops and seminars for aspiring young deaf/hard of hearing men and women business majors, with courses taught by well-known deaf/hard of hearing business leaders/owners – of which there are many in the field today –from the corporate, finance, law, insurance, and IBO fields.