Scholarship America
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| Founded | 1958 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Dr. Irving A. Fradkin |
| Founded at | Fall River, Massachusetts |
| Type | Educational |
| Location |
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Key people
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Robert C. Ballard (President & CEO) |
| Mission | To mobilize America, through scholarships and educational support, to make postsecondary success possible for all students. |
| Website | Official website |
Scholarship America is a Minnesota-based American philanthropic organization that assists communities, corporations, foundations and individuals with fundraising, managing and awarding scholarships to students. The organization designs, administers and manages corporate and foundation scholarship programs; it also operates Dollars for Scholars, a coalition of local scholarship organizations in communities across the United States.
Scholarship America also administers several special scholarship initiatives, including the Dreamkeepers Emergency Financial Aid program for community college students, and the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, which has to date distributed more than $100 million to dependents of those killed or disabled during the September 11, 2001 attacks, and will provide financial assistance to dependents in need through the 2030 academic year.
Dollars for Scholars was founded in 1958 by Dr. Irving Fradkin, an optometrist in Fall River, Massachusetts, and Scholarship America was officially chartered under the name "Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America" on May 15, 1961. Scholarship America's President and CEO is Robert C. Ballard.
In fiscal year 2015, Scholarship America distributed more than $200 million to 100,000 American and international students through its programs. In 2012, Forbes ranked Scholarship America as the 83rd largest U.S. charity (out of 100) with total revenues of $155 million.
Dollars for Scholars, the initial program that would become Scholarship America, was originally conceived by Fradkin during a campaign for the Fall River school board in 1957, as a way of ensuring that community members could contribute to a citywide scholarship fund through small donations. Fradkin lost the election, but began fundraising for Dollars for Scholars, starting the Fall River chapter in 1958.
Dollars for Scholars incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization in May 1961, under the name of Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America (CSFA). During its early years, CSFA's headquarters moved from Fall River to Boston; to Concord, NH; and opened its first regional office in St. Peter, MN, in 1976, thanks to a grant from the Bush Foundation.
Also in 1976, CSFA expanded from its community-based Dollars for Scholars roots with the establishment of Scholarship Management Services (SMS), a branch of the organization designed to manage corporate scholarships. The Toro company of Minnesota became SMS's first client.
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Wikipedia