2019 Annual Report
100 Years and Counting
For 100 years and counting, The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis has been based upon the conviction that an educated society is essential to a healthy democracy. From a single $15 loan in 1920, the Foundation has grown to a community-wide, century-long movement to fortify democracy and build community through the power of education.
The Foundation serves this mission through:
Awarding
Scholarship Foundation interest-free loans and grants provide the last-dollar funding that low-income students need to pay for their education.
The awards close the gap between students’ total cost of college attendance and their state and federal financial aid and private and institutional scholarships. The core of the Foundation’s longevity comes from community support and loan repayments which are recycled into new loans for qualified students. In 2019, The Scholarship Foundation awarded 538 students with over $5 million in interest-free loans and grants through 28 programs. The Foundation added six new scholarship grant programs in 2019, including programs serving rural students, immigrant students, and graduates of St. Louis Public Schools.
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More About Awarding More About Students View Photos of the 2019 New Student Awards CeremoniesAdvising
Scholarship Foundation advisors provide guidance to help students and families navigate the college financial aid process, equipping them with the knowledge they need to make informed, long-term financial decisions.
In 2019, Foundation student advisors provided objective information, honest counsel, and resources to 6,899 people. To reach that number, the Foundation added two part-time advisors to the three full-time advisors on staff, increasing the Foundation’s ability to advise students who need tailored support, such as immigrant students, rural students, and first-generation students. Advisors support students throughout their college journey, encouraging persistence to graduation. As a result, Scholarship Foundation students have a 6-year graduation rate of 75%, compared to a 14% graduation rate for their low-income peers nationally.
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More About Advising More About Student Advising OutcomesAdvocacy
The Scholarship Foundation’s advocacy program is founded upon the conviction that those most affected by policy are those who most need to be involved.
In 2019, 10 interns participated in three paid internship programs: Education Policy Internship, Deaconess Nursing Fellowship, and Equifax Finance Fellowship. The interns trained and learned together during an intensive, 9-month program on policy and legislative processes, race theory, and communication strategy. The interns advocated at school, state, and federal levels with, and in support of, students who need significant financial support to complete their college education. In addition to the internship program, the Scholarship Foundation leads an annual 2-day advocacy conference for 100 students from across the state of Missouri.
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More About Advocacy More About the Advocacy ConferenceFinancials
Loan dollars in the
hands of students*
*Total student loan receivables before allowance for doubtful accounts
Allocation of foundation
resources by function
Programs
91.1%
including program
services, student loans,
and grants awarded
Fundraising
6.2%
General and
administrative
2.7%
Program
Expenditures
Loans
$3,042,237
Program
Services
$1,684,414
Grants
$1,990,283
Sources
of support
Public support
Student loan repayments
Interest and investments
Special Thanks
to Our Donors
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis has always been an organization by and for the community. Since its founding in 1920 by a group of forward-thinking Jewish women who pooled their resources to send a young immigrant woman to college, the Foundation has counted on community support. With the firm conviction that a community is stronger when working together, the Foundation gratefully thanks the following individuals, charitable foundations, and corporations for their financial contributions.
Contributors are listed in the giving category commensurate with the total of their contributions and Designated Scholar Loan pledges made to The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Such contributions include gifts made to the Foundation’s annual campaign, gifts to support student grant programs, bequests and planned gifts, major gifts to the Designated Scholar Loan (DSL) Program, gifts given to special projects, and tribute gifts. More information is available by contacting Executive Director Faith Sandler or External Relations Director Karin McElwain-West at 314-725-7990.
Donors wishing to make annual contributions online can click here. Contributions made by check should be payable to “The Scholarship Foundation” and mailed to 6825 Clayton Avenue, Suite 100, St. Louis, MO 63139. Please write “annual gift” in the check memo.
*deceased
Benefactor ($50,000+)
Major Gift ($25,000+)
Special Gift ($10,000+)
Provost ($7,500+)
Dean ($5,000+)
Scholar ($2,500+)
Sponsor ($1,000+)
Sustainer ($500+)
Supporter ($250+)
Friend ($100+)
100 Years and Counting: Centennial Gifts
The following donors have chosen to celebrate the Foundation’s mission and continued work over the next 100 years by making gifts and pledges to be accumulated in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the special centennial anniversary giving categories listed below.
Donors wishing to make a centennial commitment to the Foundation in honor of its 100th anniversary in 2020 can click here or mail a check. Contributions made by check should be payable to “The Scholarship Foundation” and mailed to 6825 Clayton Avenue, Suite 100, St. Louis, MO 63139. Donors are requested to include their centennial giving commitment in the check memo or an attached note. To confirm total gifts to date or check progress towards a centennial giving commitment, donors are welcome to contact External Relations Director Karin McElwain-West at 314-725-7990.
Legacy ($100,000+)
Special ($30,000+)
2020 Visionary ($7,500+)
Designated Scholar Loans
Designated Scholar Loans (DSLs) are a special type of interest-free loan established in memory or in honor of one or more individuals. DSLs offer an option for communication between the donor and student. Each DSL is awarded by The Scholarship Foundation to a student who has applied for an interest-free loan. Donors may establish a DSL with a gift or pledge of $40,000 or more, payable in full or in five annual installments. For more information about DSLs or any other giving option, please call External Relations Director Karin McElwain-West at 314-725-7990.
If bolded, a named loan was established since January 1, 2019. If italicized, a named loan was fortified since January 1, 2019 with a gift which strengthened the loan’s power to support today’s students.
