Help Seniors Learn Chess

Hi, this is Jason Lu, founder of Chess For Seniors LLC, a 501c3 nonprofit. I have been playing competitive chess for more than 7 years and hold the chess NM (National Master) title, the highest title one can earn from the US Chess Federation. I'm a junior at Millburn High School and the current 10th grade national chess co-champion.

Scroll down for a full cost breakdown

In 2019, I founded Chess For Seniors to give back to the community. My roots in chess came from local chess clubs such as the West Orange Chess Club and the Westfield Chess Club, and I wanted to give others the same great experience that I had as a young boy. I felt that I could make the largest impact by helping the elderly population since preserving a nimble mind is especially important to the quality of life for seniors. Also, my family has a history of Alzheimer's, which adds a personal touch to my mission and motivates me to help others even more.

Therefore, I started partnering with local senior centers to offer free chess lessons to seniors, starting with Millburn, my hometown. With the help of Mrs. Jaimee Hawkins, I was able to teach chess in the Millburn Public Library after school. While Covid-19 effectively shut down any in-person classes, it opened the door for online training, allowing us to reach out to a broader audience. I hope our classes can introduce chess to seniors in a fun and enjoyable manner as well as encourage them to include chess in their daily routine to help them keep their minds sharp.

Our team is now 8 members strong and we've taught over 200 seniors across 12 states. Together, we aim to spread our love for the game and help others in the process.

Your donation will help cover our costs, including hosting our website and running Zoom meetings. These costs amount to approximately $355 annually, which is reflected in our donation goal. Any exceeding donations will be used to further expand our programs to more senior centers across the country.

Cost Breakdown:

Zoom Membership: $151/year

Hosting Website: $192/year

Website Domain: $12/year

Total: $355/year

Goal: 3 years of costs

Thanks!

Jason