Carnegie Hero Fund Grants
Andrew Carnegie, founder of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, wrote, "Not seldom are we thrilled by deeds of heroism where men or women are injured or lose their lives in attempting to preserve or rescue their fellows." In the spirit of honoring these noble men and women, Carnegie's fund financially rewards heroes from all walks of life. These grants have evolved over the course of the commission's long history, so keep an eye on Carnegie's website for the latest information.
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Basics
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Carnegie, an industrialist from Pittsburgh, founded the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission in 1904, inspired by rescue attempts performed by workers at a coal mine explosion in Harwick, Pennsylvania that same year. A Pittsburgh-based board of 21 members administers these grants, which award funds to "heroes of civilization." The commission defines "heroes" as men and women who have put their lives at risk, on a purely voluntary basis, to save others. Grant money goes to those who have been disabled by acts of heroism or to the living dependents of those who died performing such deeds. The commission awards each hero with a medal in addition to monetary rewards.
Requirements
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Carnegie awards its Hero Fund grants to civilian heroes in the United States and Canada. The commission's basis for determining what constitutes a hero remains largely unchanged since 1904. The hero, or rescuer, must act of her own free will; she can have no obligation or responsibility for the victim's safety. The fund requires concrete evidence to support the occurrence of the event in question and distributes grants only for heroic deeds that have occurred within two years of the award.
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Awards
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Between 1904 and 2011, the Carnegie Hero Fund awarded more than 9,000 medals, about 20 percent of which were awarded posthumously. In the same span, the total amount of financial aid distributed equaled $32.9 million. Types of awards include one-time grants, scholarships and -- in the case of posthumous awards -- death benefits or continuing assistance for surviving family members. Individual grant and aid amounts vary based on the need of the hero or his family. The commission distributes medals and accompanying grants on a quarterly basis.
Nominations
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Between its inception and 2011, the Carnegie Hero Fund has considered more than 80,000 nominees for grants and medals. Anyone wishing to nominate a hero for an award must access the nomination form at the commission's official website or request a paper nomination form via mail or phone. The form requires nominators to recount the events of the heroic act and detail the obligations, or lack thereof, of the rescuer. Nominators must provide concrete evidence of the event's occurrence. They must also prove that the threat to the victim's life was serious, as was the risk taken by the rescuer.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Tribute to a hero image by p_gangler from Fotolia.com
