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In this interview Noozhawk spoke with Tim Dougherty, Chief Communications Officer at Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, to learn more about how the organization helps college, graduate and vocational students.
Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
Question: What is the name of your nonprofit, and what is its mission?
Answer: Our organization’s mission statement is as follows: The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara inspires, encourages, and supports Santa Barbara County students to and through college, graduate, and vocational school by providing information, advising, and scholarships.
Q: How long has your organization been serving the community, and who founded it?
A: The Scholarship Foundation was founded in 1962 by a group of concerned education advocates in Santa Barbara.
Q: What motivated the creation of your nonprofit?
A: Our founders were motivated by a growing problem: The high costs of attending college and vocational school, which had increasingly become an insurmountable obstacle for area young people interested in pursuing postsecondary education. That is certainly the case today, but it was true even then.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded, and what are its biggest needs right now?
A: Our efforts on behalf of local students and families are funded almost entirely by community members and organizations. In fact, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has become the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships. Our organization has cumulatively awarded more than $150 million in scholarships to some 62,000 county students since our founding in 1962.
Q: What types of events or programs do you run to engage your community and raise funds?
A: Each May, we host scholarship awards ceremonies in Northern and Southern Santa Barbara County to celebrate our recipients. The South County ceremony takes place at the Courthouse Sunken Garden in Santa Barbara. In recent years, the North County ceremony has taken place at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.
We also host a Community Leaders Luncheon each December to celebrate our supporters. This year’s luncheon will take place December 6 and feature a keynote address by noted economist Dr. Peter Rupert, executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project. The Scholarship Foundation also overseas production of the South Coast Business & Technology Awards ceremony each June. Net proceeds from the ceremony benefit our organization.
Q: How can people get involved with your nonprofit or volunteer?
A: Our supporters are welcome to volunteer at our scholarship awards ceremonies in North and South County. We are in the process of launching an Alumni Advisory Council, which among other things will provide former recipients with opportunities for mentoring, networking, and volunteering.
Q: What sets your nonprofit apart from similar organizations?
A: Literally no other organization does what we do at a comparable scale. Again, the Scholarship Foundation is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships. The Foundation’s financial aid advisory service is similarly unique. Our organization employs four full-time, bilingual program advisors, who help students and families secure all manner of financial aid – free of charge. We provide this service throughout the county.
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Q: Can you share a fun fact or little-known detail about your nonprofit that would surprise people?
A: Many community members are unaware that we provide scholarships for graduate study, including medical school and law school. As noted, we also run a robust financial aid advisory service.
Q: Could you share a story or two about individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by your organization?
A: We routinely hear from people whose lives have been transformed as a result of our support. Half of our recipients each year are first-generation college students, and about a third receive no financial assistance from their families. We receive literally hundreds of notes from students each year telling us that the Scholarship Foundation has made their dreams come true.
Just as often, parents tell us that our financial support and advisory services have been decisive factors in their children attending and completing college. For example, we heard from one North County mother whose husband had recently lost his job. A scholarship from our organization enabled her son to attend college despite the family’s hardship. She said, “We could have never done this without the Scholarship Foundation. We are so grateful!”
Q: What makes your organization trustworthy for donors, and are there other ways people can support your cause beyond donations?
A: In June, the Scholarship Foundation received its 12th consecutive four-star rating from nonprofit evaluator Charity Navigator. The rating – Charity Navigator’s highest – indicates superior financial efficiency and transparency in Foundation operations. The organization has received 21 four-star ratings in 22 years.
The Scholarship Foundation has also received six consecutive Platinum Seals of Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar), a leading nonprofit information service. The Platinum Seal is Candid’s highest level of recognition, signifying exceptional openness in reporting institutional finances and performance. We certainly welcome our supporters’ generous donations, but we also encourage them to include the Scholarship Foundation in their estate plans. Legacy giving enables supporters to assist college-bound students beyond their own lifetime.
Click here to support the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara’s mission to inspire, encourage, and support Santa Barbara County students to and through college, graduate, and vocational school by providing information, advising, and scholarships.
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide click HERE.
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