Issie L. Jenkins Esq.
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority (Z-Nef 1975-2020) National Educational Foundation, Inc. 45 Years of Excellence In Scholarship, Community Outreach and Related Research. (Scholarships and Philanthropic Initiatives)
Authors: Dr. Kathryn T. Malvern, Issie L. Jenkins Esq. and Jacqueline E. Lawton
In this 45th Anniversary Commemorative History Book of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority National Educational Foundation, you will be inspired and motivated to strive for greatness. This will be available in March everywhere books are sold.
You will be enlightened and inspired as we journey through the lives of the founders of the ZNEF and their commitment to others. This book contains amazing black women who represent Zeta Phi 'Beta Sorority, Inc. We can all be inspired by their story, their accomplishments and the lives they have changed through their scholarships.
The ZNEF Foundation was founded by members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority in 1975 to operate exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. The ZNEF history book chronicles the 1st centennial.
To support higher education achievement through scholarships and conduct community education and related research to improve individual and community living standards. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority National Educational Foundation, Inc. was created to operate exclusively for charitable and educational purposes.
The principal activities and purpose of the Trust was to award scholarship grants to worthy students for the pursuit of higher education; to conduct community education programs which would aid in the educational and vocational improvement of individual and community living standards; to engage in activities which would aid in the educational development related to the purposes of the Foundation. Past programs include the Humane Genome Project.
One of the Foundation’s primary objectives is to financial support to needy students for higher education through its scholarships. Since 1975, the Foundation has awarded thousands of scholarships and fellowships for higher education to both Zetas and Non-Zetas. The foundation has processed hundreds of other scholarships, as a part of its Chapter Designated Scholarship program, established in 1980.
Under the program, local scholarships and fellowships are awarded by chapters throughout the country. The Foundation’s scholarship program is funded by support of its principal donor, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. through chapter tax and life member fees, by contributions and gifts from members and chapters, by Board of Managers’ contributions and fundraising, memorial scholarships, as well as fundraising at the Regional and State levels.
Endowments have been established for the Foundation at the National level, Chapter level, and by the Board of Managers. Scholarships are rewarded annually, for both undergraduate and graduate study and are processed through the Foundation’s scholarship committee.
ZNEF provides scholarships to worthy students to further their higher educational goals. We currently offer 15 ZNEF titled scholarships for studies across a diverse field of academic areas. We also offer one $125,000 scholarship, titled the Founders’ Centennial Scholarship, to a female high school senior pursuing a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university.
In honor of the five founding members of ZETA Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, the Centennial International President of Zeta Phi Beta, Valerie Hollingworth Baker, began awarding the Founders’ Centennial Scholarship each year to a new recipient, for five consecutive years beginning the sorority’s Centennial Anniversary year of 2020 with $100,000. Hollingsworth Baker increased the scholarship amount to $125,000 in 2021 to account for the rising costs of college tuition.
