Scholarship Funds

Investing in deserving students may be the best investment you ever make.

The Findlay High School Class of 1956 wanted to help students become teachers who change lives. A scholarship fund at The Community Foundation was their way of shaping the future.

A scholarship is an investment in your community’s future. The Community Foundation provides the expertise in administering the application process and awards scholarships to deserving students.

You can create a scholarship as a memorial to someone special, selecting the eligibility criteria that exemplify that person’s goals and values. Or, you may use it to express your own educational values, or those of your family or business.

How it works:

  • You make a gift to your community foundation. You can give cash, appreciated stocks, real estate, or other assets.
  • We set up a scholarship in your name, in the name of your family or business, or in honor of any person or organization you choose.
  • You receive tax benefits in the year your gift is made.
  • Our professional program staff helps you to determine eligibility requirements for the scholarship you establish — whether they are based on a student’s field of study, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, financial need, background, or geography.
  • We handle all the administrative details — and award scholarships to deserving students in the name of the fund you establish.
  • You receive updates on the impact your gift is making in our community.
  • Your gift will be placed into an endowment that is invested over time. Earnings from your fund are used to make grants addressing community needs. Your gift, and all future earnings from it, are a permanent source of community capital, helping to do good work forever.

Establishing a Scholarship

Step 1: Determine how you will establish the fund. Either through a full endowment (minimum $25,000) or through a seed fund (minimum $1,000).

Step 2: Establish scholarship criteria. Work with Community Foundation to determine scholarship requirements. Scholarships may be awarded to students based upon area of interest, school, leadership potential, academic achievement and/or other criteria of your choosing.

Step 3: Administration of scholarship funds. Applications for TCF scholarships are available to applicants on the first Wednesday of December each year. After the application closes in February, the selection committee will review applications, find consensus and select a recipient. You or your designees may serve on the selection committee provided certain criteria are met.

Scholarship Roles

The following is a list of roles individuals and family members could hold in the scholarship process. One individual could hold multiple roles if desired.

Fundholder: The individual, corporation or organization that signed the fund agreement.

  • Has exclusive rights to make edits or changes to a fund through the Foundation’s variance procedure per IRS regulations.
  • Is the Fund Representative and identifies the successor Fund Representative.
  • Is a Fund Advisor and can identify additional Fund Advisor(s).
  • Can act as the Evaluator or identify the Evaluator, if applicable.
  • Can act as the Award Presenter or identify the Award Presenter, if applicable.

Fund Advisor: This is an individual given access to My Foundation Portal.

  • The Fundholder or Fund Representative identifies the Fund Advisor(s).
  • Can view statements in the portal.
  • Receives thank you letter from student and spendable letter annually.

Fund Representative: Primary contact for the fund.

  • Fundholder is the first-generation Fund Representative and can designate a second-generation Fund Representative.
  • Set up as Primary Fund Advisor.
  • Main point of contact for questions/interactions about the fund.
  • Can act as Evaluator or identify the Evaluator, if applicable.
  • Can act as Award Presenter or identify Award Presenter, if applicable.

Evaluator: An individual representing the family, corporation or organization that is designated as an Evaluator on the scholarship, if outlined in the operating procedures. The Fundholder or Fund Representative recommends this individual.

Award Presenter: If the operating procedures outline it, one individual can be designated to represent the family, corporation or organization and present the scholarship award. If no family representative is noted, a Foundation representative will present the award.

Donor: Any individual, corporation or organization that donates any amount to a fund at the Foundation.