HomeMy WebLinkAboutJefferson County Community Foundation re: Jefferson County Scholarship Summit - $45,000
PROPOSAL FOR ARPA FUNDING
February 10, 2023
Jefferson Community Foundation is pleased to submit this proposal for $45,000 in ARPA funds to support the planning
and execution of a Jefferson County Scholarship Summit for scholarship advisors to meet and build a more connected,
diverse and impactful landscape of scholarship opportunities for youth throughout Jefferson County.
The Challenge
Jefferson County has over 50 sources of scholarships for young people who are graduating from high schools in all four
school districts. Largely, these scholarship decision-makers operate in their own silos, receiving their own applications
and making their awards based on criteria they decide upon outside of the context of other scholarship funds. This leads
to many having the same focus: one-year scholarships of $1500 or less to support attendance at a college or university.
Many are awarded to the same students. Additionally, these scholarship opportunities are rarely informed by or
connected to Jefferson Countys local economic development needs. Finally, we know that the counselors in schools
who are responsible for sharing information about scholarships with students are already working at capacity and
frequently find it difficult to invest significant time into promoting scholarship opportunities and helping young people
to apply. Many scholarship advisors report receiving too few applications each year.
The Opportunity
Jefferson County could have more impact with the scholarship resources we already have. By mapping the scholarship
landscape throughout the county and facilitating communication among scholarship providers, we could create a more
coordinated and diverse scholarship landscape for our youth. We could educate scholarship decision-makers about local
apprenticeships and internships that prepare young people for employment in industries key to our economy, such as
ship-building, home-building, creatives/makers or the trades. We could encourage them to change their criteria tofocus
on those opportunities. With paid apprenticeship opportunities, local employers especially small businesses - would
not have to take on the financial burden of early-stage training for young people starting their careers. Access to these
kinds of opportunities could provide young people with alternatives to four-year college or minimum wage service
industry jobs. As a group, scholarship providers could brainstorm ways to take the burden off of school counselors and
perhaps find better ways to promote their scholarships and encourage people to apply.
The Scholarship Summit
Jefferson Community Foundation proposes to hold the Jefferson County Scholarship Summit in 2024. We would
undertake broad outreach throughout the county to find and engage as many scholarship decision-makers as possible.
We would invite them to a one-day event where they would meet each other, map the scholarship landscape, learn
about local apprenticeships and internships and consider new criteria for their awards going forward. In preparingfor
the event, JCF would seek to engage partners such as the schools, the EDC and Skillmation to inform programming.
Depending on the findings of Summit attendees, JCF might also lead follow-up efforts to fill opportunity gaps identified
at the Summit.
By receiving ARPA funding for the Scholarship Summit, the Jefferson County Government could have significant impact
on young people and employers throughout our community. Thank you for your consideration of this important effort.
,
Jefferson County Scholarship Summit Budget
Date: 2/10/2023
AmountNarrative
REVENUE
Individual Donations
25,000
GrantsFoundation Funding
10,000
45,000
ARPA FundsARPA
TOTAL REVENUE80,000
EXPENSES
3,000
Summit Catering and
Event Space
500
Volunteer Recruitment
and Appreciation
2,500
Marketing & AdvertisingNewspaper ads, posters, postcard
mailing (to ensure we engage
currently unknown scholarship
holders)
1,500
Postage & MailingPostcard mailing before event and
follow up after
1,500
Copying & PrintingEvent materials
250
JanitorialAfter event
1,000
SuppliesPens, paper, nametags, wayfinding
signage, etc.
3,600
MaterialsPurchase of educational materials
about best practices in scholarship
management
52,700
Payroll50% Summit Coordinator ($30,000),
10% JCF ED ($10,000), 20%
Stewardship Manager ($6,000), 20%
admin ($6700)
1,500
TechnologyProjector, screen, tech support
person, online access for west end
participants
120
InsuranceRider for event
10,000
Stipend for partnersStipend provided to partners for time
invested (sample potential partners:
EDC, Skillmation)
1,830
General Office
Support/Overhead (2%)
TOTAL EXPENSES80,000