- Former first lady Melania Trump started a scholarship program called "Fostering the Future" last year.
- But The Times reported that no charity with that name or the name "Be Best" is registered in New York or Florida.
Former First Lady Melania Trump started a scholarship program last year called "Fostering the Future." But there's no charity with that name registered in New York or Florida, The New York Times reported.
"Since leaving the White House, I have further dedicated my efforts to helping America's children," Trump said in a press release announcing the program in February 2022. "In fact, I have spent the past months laying the groundwork for a new project that focuses on the foster care community."
"To avoid confusion, I do not operate a 501(c)(3) charitable organization," the press release said. "In simple terms, 'Fostering the Future' is the name of my platform. Fostering the Future is a Be Best initiative."
The scope of the project was unclear. And The Times reports that there also isn't a charity with the name "Be Best" registered in Florida or New York.
A person familiar with the scholarship program told the paper that "more than two" scholarships have been awarded as part of the program but did not provide further details. Michael Weitzman, the first person to win a scholarship from "Fostering the Future," told The Times that he got the funding through a friend who knows the Trump family.
Weitzman, who lived in a dozen foster homes throughout his childhood, told The Times his friend asked him if he still dreamed of going to college.
"He said that he might know somebody really rich who might want to pay for me to go," he said.
Last year, Weitzman was interviewed on the Fox News program "Fox and Friends" about the scholarship and was surprised with an appearance by Melania Trump.
"Thank you so much for your generosity," he told the former first lady over a Zoom call.
The former first lady said in last year's press release that she was working with the Bradley Impact Fund, "a donor-advised fund, to select charities that support foster children."
She added that she would team up with groups to work with foster children "across our Nation interested in receiving scholarships. These individuals will have the ability to take advantage of the opportunity to learn computer sciences this year."
Insider reached out to a representative of Melania Trump's office, who responded: "Mrs. Trump does not operate a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. 'Fostering the Future' is the platform's name and part of a Be Best initiative."
Florida law mandates that organizations that raise charitable contributions in the state must register with its Division of Consumer Services.
Last year, the Division of Consumer Services opened an inquiry regarding a ticketed event where some of the profits would go toward Fostering the Future, according to The New York Times. There was no indication of how much money would be retained by Melania Trump, per the newspaper.