And that wasn't all. In the scheme of things, that number may not seem like a lot, but it's significant for ONWA for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is that if the all-important scholarships for young women journalism students are to continue, the organization needs to find ways to bolster its funding. The annual contest is funded primarily by donations from Ohio news organizations. The convention chairperson spends nearly every penny of the registration fees to ensure participants are treated to the best possible workshops, food, and special speakers.
Most conventions break nearly even.
The scholarships have been funded by money in the general fund, mostly from the Marguerite McMullen certificate of deposit. In the last few years, ONWA has not received significant bequests or contributions to its general fund and CDs have not thrown off a lot of interest. The organization cannot continue to draw down its general fund to pay for the scholarships. Enter the auction. In order for the plan to work, however, many more members need to donate to the auction and show up to bid on the items.