As we embark on the end of the school year, planning for the next is already underway.  The RCCF is able to assist our local students planning to continue their education by relieving the financial burden of the cost of post-secondary schooling.

The Rush County Community Foundation will award 112 scholarships to 65 students from 65 local scholarship funds established with the Foundation for the approaching school year!  On Monday evening at our scholarship celebration, $194,178.90 will be distributed to these students, raising our total scholarships awarded from local funds to Rush County students within the last 23 years to over $2.5 MILLION dollars!

Although $194,178.90 is certainly a lot of money to give away, $4,902,040.52 is the real number it takes for our office to distribute that much in awards.  Confused?  You’re not alone!  Many local students and adults have benefitted from our scholarship dollars, though not everyone fully understands how the money got from Point A (us) to Point B (them).   Via a little process we like to call “Give. Grow. Good.” the $1 you give becomes a part of the invested $4,902,040.52 today, a scholarship/grant for a recipient, and ultimately, an even bigger number tomorrow.  See below for a better idea of how this works:

Donors both locally and outside of our county/state contribute tax-deductible dollars to RCCF to either new funds or established funds

RCCF invests these contributions, growing the dollar given. Forever. At the end of each year, the RCCF Board of Directors evaluates the market performance and recommends the amount of distribution from funds so that funds will give a portion of proceeds, while also continuing to grow for the future

RCCF gives money in the form of scholarships, grants, and fund distributions.  For scholarships, the money is mailed right to your school…making your bill less and the process easy for you!

Funds established by individuals, families, friends, neighbors, and/or businesses make up the 192 options Rush County Community Foundation allows you to choose from for your donation.  Of these funds, more than 70 scholarship funds are already established to award Rush County youth a more affordable education.  Students can apply for these funds December – February, and the committees meet between March – April to select the candidate(s) that best fit the established criteria for each fund.  It’s a cumbersome process for staff and volunteers, but so rewarding to see the outcome!  Knowing that these donated dollars will FOREVER benefit our Rush County students makes every application review and meeting worthwhile.

If you are interested in learning more about our scholarship funds, visit our website at www.rushcountyfoundation.org, stop by our office at 117 N. Main St., Rushville, IN, or give us a call at (765) 938-1177.  We always accept donations, and we’re always happy to provide information on how to apply for these funds.  Stay tuned to our paper and the RCCF Facebook page for the upcoming scholarship party press release, pictures, and more!mpa