Thanks to the generosity of the Schoolcraft Foundation, through the Greatest Needs Fund (GNF), students have received much-needed funds for both tuition assistance and scholarships to cover the cost of classroom materials.
This fund has helped students receive chemistry lab kits, pay for online classes through the Distance Learning Scholarship and cover emergency needs through the Student Emergency Needs Fund in areas where. It has even supplied students with computers if they didn’t already have them at home, courtesy of the Student Emergency Needs Fund and additional grants from the BOSCH Community Fund backing it up.
The chem lab kits were the first request of many requests that SCF received as a result of COVID-19. Dr. Michele Kelly, Dean of Liberal Arts, identified this need early on as a need for students who had to move to online labs. Despite the cost of the kits, the Foundation supported this request, helping students complete their online Chemistry labs.
The Computer Loan Program helped in the transition toward online learning by identifying the need of the 10 percent of students who didn’t have access to computers, as found in a survey distributed by Dr. Marty Heator, Dean of Student Relations.
Under the leadership of the Hinkle Center, this program was ready to go within a few weeks, sending out 25 computers to students.
These funds get their support from the SCF’s annual giving campaigns and special events, often hosted by smaller donations. They do this as a way of showing how small donations by a great number of people can make a sizable impact on students, rewarding funds based on requests approved by both administration and the President of the college.
“The Greatest Needs Fund continues to be an important and flexible source of funding to meet needs not included in the College’s general operating budget,” said Dawn Magretta, Executive Director of the Schoolcraft College Foundation & Alumni Relations. “The GNF will continue to be the backbone of the Foundation and important to meeting future needs. Obviously, the current pandemic depleted a significant amount of our GNF and we are anticipating additional needs as we come out of quarantine.”
Right now, SCF staff are in a period of adjustment, developing fundraising strategies to replenish the Greatest Needs Fund. Their spring appeal and calendar year-end’s focus is on sharing the stories of the impact that their philanthropy has had on Schoolcraft students and also asking for their support.
The Foundation is determined to continue this drive for student success well into the future, so that the college and its students will have a secure and successful future.
To lean more on ways to give to the Schoolcraft College Foundation go to scf.schoolcraft.edu/ways-to-give.