b'68 |WENTCHER FOUNDATIONRaph and his team provided initial research and recommendations in the Spring of 2019 after which NCAN led the initiative including fielding a survey to Scholars and interviews with staff, board, and industry resources. The recommendations were initially presented in the fall of 2019 and reviewed at the January 2020 board meeting. The foundation staff subsequently reviewed and prioritized the recommendations. In 2021, the board reviewed the plan progress to date and refreshed its goals and priorities for FYE 2022. Through new and innovative services and the hard work and personal commitment of the staff, the foundations reputation, and more importantly, the support for and reputation of what it means to be a Wentcher Scholar has been enhanced. The foundation is in a far better position to support the success of current Wentcher Scholars, alumni and the development of the Wentcher community.Enhancing the Image of a Wentcher ScholarshipItwasfromconsultantColetteHadleysobservationthatwhiletheboardrecognizedthe foundationsinwardfocusonsmoothandefficientoperations,qualitysupportforcurrent Wentcher Scholars and a high caliber selection process, it missed the opportunity to promote the extraordinary quality of Wentcher Scholars. Because the foundation did not seek donations nor to be more public in its activities, the Wentcher name, the Wentcher Foundation and most importantly, WentcherScholarswerenotreceivingtherecognitionfrompotentialemployers, graduate schools or fellowship opportunities they deserved. The foundation addressed that oversight by hiring the non-profit marketing and communications firm of Prosper Strategies who helped create a communications strategy to raise the recognition of Wentcher Scholars. That led to a new Wentcher Foundation website, regular use of social media, high-quality annual reports and development of high-quality content including blog posts capturing the unique stories of both current Wentcher Scholars and Wentcher Scholar alumni. Enhancing the reputation of Wentcher Scholars is now well established as a primary goal of the foundation.'