What is The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle?

The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle is a permanent charitable trust founded in 1966 by four members of the Concord Carlisle Regional School Committee. The Scholarship Fund was originally named the Concord Carlisle Scholarship Fund; our name was changed in 2016. The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle, or The Scholarship Fund, is exempt from Federal Income Tax as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

What is the purpose of The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle?

The purpose of The Scholarship Fund is to provide annual scholarships, from the income from our endowed funds, money contributed to our annual appeal and phonathon, and scholarships we administer for our Affiliate organizations, to students from the Concord and Carlisle community who have demonstrated financial need.  The Concord and Carlisle community includes students who either reside in, or have gone to high school in, Concord or Carlisle. 

Scholarships are awarded to students whose resources are insufficient to pay the cost of post-secondary school education including colleges, universities, technical and vocational schools. The Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to high school seniors and to in-college continuing students; to be considered for ongoing support students must re-apply annually. Since its inception, The Scholarship Fund has provided nearly $3 million in scholarships to over 1,400 students.

Is there really a financial need in our community?

Yes. A surprising number of our community’s high school seniors and in-college students lack the funds to attend college—estimates suggest at least $1M of unmet need annually.

This need may result from multiple students in a family attending college at the same time, family financial challenges such as job loss or divorce, or family income just not being sufficient to pay for all college expenses. 

Traditionally, The Scholarship Fund has been able to meet about 15% of the unmet need of qualified students.

What are the goals of The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle?

The aspirational goal of the Trustees is to increase the amount of scholarship money disbursed each year so that the aggregate unmet student need in Concord and Carlisle is fully met.  The Trustees are working to increase both annual gifts and the endowed funds to accomplish this goal.

Why give to The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle?

Simply, donations to The Scholarship Fund allow more students to receive more financial aid.

The education of young men and women is our country’s best hope of stability, strength, and continued progress in our future.  Our students, like all other students, need support on many levels to fulfill their potential and achieve their educational dreams.

The Scholarship Fund broadens students’ choices, helps them to realize their educational goals, and reduces large loan obligations. This support enables these students to make a greater commitment to their education, work, and relationships, and gives them a sense of security, allowing them to contribute to their communities and the world.

Each year scholarships are awarded from the income from our Named (endowed) Funds, money contributed to our annual appeal and phonathon, and scholarships we administer for our affiliate organizations

For the academic year 2016-2017, The Scholarship Fund was able to grant $213,170 in scholarships from our own available resources, and the addition of $52,940 from our community affiliates brought our total awarded to over $266,100.

What are Named Funds?

Named Funds are established through gifts totaling at least $25,000 to The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle. Named Funds honor a Concord or Carlisle citizen, past teacher or graduate, as well as other individuals in these towns. The earnings from a Named Fund are awarded to a recipient who most closely meets the criteria established by the donor for that Fund.

There are currently 65 Named Funds. Trustees are available to work with individuals or groups who are interested in establishing a new Named Fund.

How is The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle administered?

An all-volunteer Board of Trustees administers the Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle. Board members are generally residents of Concord or Carlisle and oversee the activities associated with the operation of The Scholarship Fund.

These activities include:

• Raising funds through an annual appeal

• Coordinating a fundraising phonathon staffed by National Honor Society students and upper class students from Concord-Carlisle High School

• Managing The Scholarship Fund website which provides financial aid information, scholarship application forms and updates on our activities

• Supervising the management of the invested endowment principal

• Screening student applicants and awarding scholarships to students who have financial need

• Administering a variety of other scholarships for several other local organizations

• Working with any donor wishing to establish a Named Fund

What is the financial status of The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle?

As of the end of our most recently audited fiscal year (December 31, 2017), The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle had total assets of $3,715,765.  Of this total, $2,554,249 represents endowments supporting Named Funds while the balance is money to support general scholarships of The Scholarship Fund.

The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle is audited annually and the audit results are available upon request. One of the standing committees of the Board of Trustees is the investment committee that oversees the investment of The Scholarship Fund’s financial assets.. The Scholarship Fund is proud of a tradition of good governance and very low overhead.

How can I contribute to The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle?

The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle trustees welcome gifts of all sizes. Gifts may be made in any of the following forms:

•   Outright gifts (restricted and unrestricted)

•   Deferred gifts (charitable trusts and other life income gifts)

•   Bequests

The trustees are available to discuss the tax-saving advantages (for example, a gift of appreciated stock or other property may allow a donor to avoid capital gains tax while still deducting the full market value of the gift), timing of distributions, and the revocable options that may be exercised by a donor’s estate. The trustees will work with individuals to design the manner of giving that best suits his or her needs and intents.

What impact has The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle had on past recipients?

Please visit our Alumni Profiles page to read a few representative stories about past recipients of scholarships from The Scholarship Fund.