What we do
How the scholarship works.

Adam believed sunlight changes outcomes. This scholarship honors his legacy by supporting students who shine that same light on truth, integrity, and accountability in public life. Each year, we award the Adam Andrzejewski Memorial Scholarship to U.S. high school juniors, seniors, and college students who demonstrate leadership in promoting transparency and civic responsibility—whether through their school, community, or local government.

Applicants share how they’ve worked to make institutions more open and accountable—or how they plan to. Submissions include a short essay responding to one of several prompts about transparency, a résumé of academic and community leadership, and a letter of recommendation. Together, these materials help us find the next generation of watchdogs—those willing to lift the curtain, ask the hard questions, and keep the public trust alive.

Timeline
  • Applications Open
    September 15, 2025
  • Applications Deadline
    January 15, 2026
  • Review Period
    January 16 - March 1, 2026
  • Final Selections
    March 15, 2026
  • Recipient Announced
    April 2026
What you need to know
How to apply.

Ready to carry the torch of transparency? Here’s what to know before you submit. The Adam Andrzejewski Memorial Scholarship rewards clear thinking, civic courage, and original ideas. Review the steps below carefully before applying.

Review the Essay Prompts

Choose one question (from the below four options) that inspires you to think deeply about transparency, accountability, or reform.

Gather Your Materials
  • Your resume (academic + extracurricular achievements)
  • One recommendation letter
  • Your essay (500–750 words)
  • (Optional) Supporting projects, publications, or initiatives
Submit Your Application

Use the form below to upload all materials. You can save and return to complete your submission before the deadline.

Essay Prompts
  • Transparency in Action

    Describe a time when you identified a lack of transparency or accountability in your school, community, or government. What steps did you take — or would you take — to address it?

  • Carrying the Torch

    Adam Andrzejewski believed that “every dime, online, in real time” was the key to holding government accountable. How does that principle inspire your own goals for leadership and civic engagement?

  • The Power of Accountability

    Why is financial and government transparency important in a free society? How would you engage your peers in caring about this issue?

  • Roadmap to Reform

    If you had the ability to lead one transparency initiative in your school, city, state, or at the national level, what would it be — and how would you implement it?

Apply Here
Applicant Information

Donate to the cause
Support the scholarship.

Ready to carry the torch of transparency? Here’s what to know before you submit. The Adam Andrzejewski Memorial Scholarship rewards clear thinking, civic courage, and original ideas. Review the steps below carefully before applying.

Give Online Today

Make an immediate impact by funding investigations, data acquisition, and the daily fight for transparency.

Gifts of Stock or Crypto

Turn your investments into instruments of accountability. Convert appreciated assets into lasting influence—fuel for the servers, journalists, and audits that make government spending visible. Your capital becomes a quiet act of reform.

  • Transfer appreciated assets directly to Open the Books.
  • Reduce your tax burden while advancing transparency.
  • Support data integrity with long-term financial fuel.
Fund the Scholarship

Honor the life and work of Adam Andrzejewski by investing in our future.
Help cultivate new voices in journalism and civic technology who will carry on Adam’s belief that sunlight is not optional—it’s the soul of democracy.

  • Provide fellowships for students pursuing journalism and civic tech.
  • Help train the next generation to follow money, not rhetoric.
  • Turn inspiration into legacy.