Community Foundation of Mendocino County awards $284,750 in scholarships

In a year when high school seniors Zoomed into class from their bedrooms or dining rooms, extracurricular activities were put on hold, and graduates celebrated with drive-by parades, the Community Foundation stepped up to help this unique class by awarding $284,750 in scholarships to 77 students across Mendocino County this month.

The pandemic may have battered the economy, but it didn’t make a dent in generosity. Our donors gave big, breaking our previous record by awarding 32 percent more in scholarships than last year, an increase of $69,550 compared to 2020.

Scholarships are one of the most rewarding things the Community Foundation does, and one of the most arduous. While working remotely, our staff, volunteers, and board members evaluated over 200 applications to select 77 deserving students to receive scholarships. Ranging from $500 to $20,000 each, with the average size of about $3,000, this year’s scholarships were made possible through 38 Community Foundation scholarship funds and is the largest number of scholarships the foundation has offered in a single year.

The Community Foundation scholarship program has grown significantly in the last few years, having added 17 new scholarship funds since 2017 alone. Throughout the Community Foundation’s 27-year history, scholarships have been a key way for donors to give back to our communities, accounting for just under $2 million, or approximately 10 percent of the $20 million in charitable funds that the foundation has granted since its inception in 1993.

The majority of Community Foundation scholarships are endowed permanent funds in memory of a particular person. These scholarships commemorate the spirit of friends or family members while also helping the next generation in Mendocino County succeed. When the funds are established, donors also have the opportunity to choose the criteria for the scholarship. The foundation’s growing scholarship portfolio includes scholarships for students studying specific subjects, professions, or graduating from particular high schools.

Culled from Ukiah Daily journal click to read more