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Scholarships in bloom at PCCF this spring
Spring is here and it is scholarship season.
It is spring! The grass is greening, flowers are blooming and trees are budding. Spring break is nearly over for our county schools and senioritis is everywhere. It is also scholarship review and award time at the Putnam County Community Foundation (PCCF).
Our Scholarship and Educational Advancement Committee is busy with the selection process along with our partners in the scholarship process. PCCF currently holds 94 funds that provide funding for scholarships: 42 are selected and administered by PCCF, 15 are selected and administered by colleges and 37 are selected and administered by our four Dollars for Scholars chapters in Putnam County.
Dollars for Scholars is a volunteer-driven, community-based effort to provide financial assistance to students in their community. We are one of two counties in Indiana which have a Dollars for Scholars chapter for each school district in the county.
Beginning in 1994 with the creation of the Cloverdale Dollars for Scholars Endowment, we now administer 36 endowments that benefit our Dollars for Scholars chapters: Cloverdale Community Dollars for Scholars, Greencastle Alumni Dollars for Scholars, North Putnam Alumni Dollars for Scholars and the South Putnam Dollars for Scholars. The current value of these endowments is $2.5 million and will pay out up to $112,500 in scholarships each year.
PCCF partners with each local chapter to invest and manage the funds. Each local chapter is responsible for administering the application, the selection process and processing award payments. The volunteers within each chapter are residents of that community, so decisions are made with the local school and students in mind. Being a part of a national organization opens even more scholarship opportunities for our students.
Additionally, many colleges will match all or some Dollars for Scholars scholarships with additional monies. It is a big win all around for our scholars.
PCCF honorary board member and Cloverdale Community Dollars for Scholars volunteer Vivian Whitaker sums it up when she says, “Our partnership with the Putnam County Community Foundation continues to be a win-win. Our funds are raised locally then invested, and with the investment growth, we help our students fulfill their education goals. The track record speaks for itself. The number of scholarship funds and value of those funds show the value that our alumni and donors place on continuing to educate our scholars.”
Together we are making a huge difference. Thank you to all who give to help our students.
The Putnam County Community Foundation (PCCF) works alongside individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to build a stronger Putnam County. PCCF is home to more than 300 charitable funds and has awarded more than $17 million in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1985. To learn more about the PCCF, visit www.pcfoundation.org or call 653-4978.